While technically a fruit, butternuts are praised for their versatility and sweet, nutty flavour in the kitchen. Coming in at around R24 to R28 per kilogram for individuals, and R10 to R15 per kilogram for bulk bags, butternuts easily fit into any budget. While they are a winter squash, you can find them year-round – meaning you have access to a whole lot of budget-friendly recipes throughout every season. Find out how you can make the most out of this budget veggie below.
Everything you need to know about butternuts
Butternuts, more formally known as Cucurbita moschata, are technically speaking a fruit that we consider a veggie, packed to the brim with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. They are low in calories and work for both sweet and savoury dishes.
In about 100 grams of raw butternut, you will find:
- 48 calories
- 10.5 g carbohydrates
- 1.15 g protein
- 2 g fibre
- 7.6 mg vitamin C
- 55 µg (micrograms) vitamin B9/folate
- 15 mg magnesium
- 329 mg potassium
- 0.075 mg manganese
- 22 mg calcium
- 0.21 mg iron
That’s a lot of nutrients essential to your body! Butternut’s vibrancy is due to the well-known orange pigment, or the beta-carotene compound. Not only do these compounds give butternut its colour, but they also provide provitamin A carotenoids, which your body converts into retinal and retinoic acid – a.k.a the active forms of vitamin A.
Similarly to carrots, your body uses vitamin A for cell growth regulation, eye health, bone health, immune function and fetal growth and development during pregnancy.
Health benefits
Research has shown that butternuts are excellent sources of antioxidants (vitamin C and A) that help prevent or slow cellular damage and reduce inflammation. Paired with all the other essential nutrients it provides, butternuts may reduce risks of several chronic diseases, such as:
- Cancer
- heart disease
- Brain health
- Weight loss/management
Some of our favourite butternut recipes
1. Butternut soup with smoked rashers
2. Hasselback butternuts with bay leaves, cinnamon and sage
3. Spicy seshobo with roasted butternut, poached egg and soft tacos
Spicy seshebo with roast butternut, poached egg and soft tacos
4. Butternut vetkoek with bacon syrup
