Tulare County Office of Education

Network for a Healthy California

Winter Squash

Varieties of Winter Squash

Acorn Banana

Butternut Spaghetti

Turban Pumpkin

Hubbard Carnival

Reasons to Eat Winter Squash

A ½ cup cooked of these winter squash provides:

An excellent source of vitamin A

A good source of vitamin C

A good source of fiber

Reasons to Eat Winter Squash

A good source of potassium

A good source of magnesium, thiamin, and vitamin B6

A source of iron

What is Iron?

Iron is a mineral that helps move

oxygen from the lungs to the

rest of the body.

Iron carries oxygen throughout your body so cells can produce energy.

When your iron levels are low, you may feel tired or weak.

Iron also helps keep red blood cells healthy and helps the body fight infections.

Botanical Facts

Squash are gourds of the Cucurbita (q-kurr-bit-ah) genus.

Varieties: Winter and Summer

Winter squash are not grown or harvested in winter, but picked when fully ripe and feature a hard shell (rind) with thick skin you can not eat and a hollow seed cavity with fully developed seeds.

The thick shell allows it to be stored for several months and eaten in the winter.

Have you ever tried pumpkin soup?

A Taste of Squash History

Squash are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Western Hemisphere.

A Taste of Squash History

Squash were originally cultivated for their seeds, as early varieties did not contain much flesh and were very bitter.

How would you describe a bitter taste?

A Taste of Squash History

Winter squash first migrated to Europe from Peru by Spanish explorer Francisco Pizzaro.

Plant Parts We Can Eat

Squash plants have many edible parts including the fruits, leaves, tendrils, flowers, and seeds.

Plant Parts We Can Eat

The seeds are eaten whole, toasted, ground into paste, or pressed for oil.

Shoots, leaves, and tendrils are eaten as greens.

Blossoms are used for cooking and decoration.

Plant Parts We Can Eat

Some plants have edible fruit but poisonous leaves like tomatoes.

The fruit is perfectly ok to eat!

National School Lunch WeekMarch 4-8

Write in a journal what you ate for lunch at school and at home for two weeks.

Write down only what you ate, not what was served.

Which is healthier, lunch you ate at home or at school?

1. Iron is a mineral that helps move _____from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Oxygen

2. Winter squash grow best in the _______.

Summer

3. Squash were originally cultivated for their _______.

Seeds

4. Squash have many parts you can eat. True or False?

True

5. Francisco Pizzaro invented pizza. True or False?

False

Quiz

Tasting TrioPumpkin Parfait

Ingredients:1. 1 can (29 oz) 100% pumpkin2. 1 container (32 oz) low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt3. 1 quart-sized bag ( 3 cups) mini wheat cereal

Preparation:1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the canned

pumpkin and yogurt. 2. Gently break up the cereal to use as a topping.3. Make your parfaits, starting with the pumpkin mixture, then topping it with the cereal.

 

HOW I FELT ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Loved it It was okay Didn’t like it

You are AWESOME!

For CalFresh information, call 1-877-847-3663. Funded by USDA SNAP, an equal opportunity provider and employer. Visit www.cachampionsforchange.net for healthy tips.

•California Department of Public Healthealth