Baked Kabocha Squash

These little guys may not look like anything special, but they’re pretty tasty for a cute, round, green-skinned squash baked with nothing but itself and water – No oil. No seasoning.

And you don’t even have to peel – the skin is edible! I tried pieces both with and without skin and I don’t think I could even tell the difference…

I’ve realized recently that I need to add more volume to some of my meals, particularly dinners where I’m making a new recipe. Because when I craft new recipes I’m not cutting down the saturated fat or sodium which usually leads me to only taking a small amount of said dish as it’s more calorie dense and higher in sodium than I’m aiming for these days.

Well this just doesn’t work well for me sometimes – because then I’m hungry – even after adding in additional protein or carbs or whatever it is that I need for that meal. But the alternative option is to never try new recipes during body recomposition, but getting crafty in the kitchen brings me joy – so we’re NOT giving that up! And eating what I make also brings me joy.

Enter strategic high volume eating. Keeping containers of ready-to-eat, low calorie, high volume foods around helps me out. Like buying a whole cantaloupe a couple times a week, cutting it up, and keeping the cubes in a container in the fridge just to add to things or as a snack by itself. And, today baking a cubed Kabocha squash and freezing in 280/+ g servings for just 100 cals per serving…

#HighVolumeEating #OrangeFoodsForTheWin

Storage Options

Refrigerator

• Shelf life: about 4 days
• Tip: Arrange in a single layer and leave a little space between pieces for airflow.
• Reheating:
  • Microwave: 45–60 sec per serving on high (suggested, but not required: stir halfway).
  • Oven: 325° F for 10–12 min, covered with foil.

Freezer

• Shelf life: Up to 3 mos.
• Tip: Flash-freeze first:
  1. Spread cooled squash on a baking sheet in a single layer.
  2. Freeze 1–2 hours until firm.
  3. Transfer to freezer bags/containers.
• Reheating from frozen:

• Oven: 350° F for 15–20 min, covered with foil.
• Microwave: 2–3 min on high (suggested, but not required: stir halfway).

Baked Kabocha Squash Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Kabocha squash
• 2 Tbsp water
• Optional Seasoning: salt, ground black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cayenne, chili powder, ginger…

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Wash 1 Kabocha squash then poke holes with a large serving fork around the circumference of the entire squash.
3. Microwave whole squash on high 4 mins to make cutting easier. Alternately, bake for 20 mins for REALLY easy cutting!
4. Cut squash vertically to side of stem (I choose the side of my dominant hand for best control) then seed each “half.”
5. Cube squash (you can leave skin on as it’s edible!).
6. Line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Arrange cubed squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
8. Lift the corner of the parchment paper and pour 2 Tbsp of water between the parchment paper and the baking sheet. 
9. Cover with aluminum foil.
10. Bake 25 mins, then remove foil and continue baking 10 mins.
11. If using an optional seasoning, toss in seasoning after allowing to cool for a few minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS
Servings	6
Amount Per Serving	5.29 oz (150 g)
Calories	65
		% Daily Value*
Total Fat	0.3 g	0%
Saturated Fat	0.04 g	0%
Trans Fat	0 g
Monounsaturated Fat	0.05 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.09 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Sodium	2 mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate	13 g	5%
Dietary Fiber	2.8 g	10%
Total Sugars	5.6 g
Added Sugars	0 g
Sugar Alcohols	0 g
Protein	1.6 g
Vitamin D	0 mcg	0%
Calcium	42 mg	3%
Iron	1.1 mg	6%
Potassium	680 mg	14%
Vitamin A	650 mcg RAE	72%
Vitamin C	16 mg	18%
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

#LactoVeg #LactoOvoVeg #LowFat #LowSodium #OvoVege #Paleo #Vegan #Whole30