These fall foods are healthy, easy to prepare, colorful and quite tasty

It’s hard to believe it’s fall and the South Florida air feels a tad cooler.

That said, when I go to the supermarket, fall is everywhere. Shoppers are greeted by gourds, pumpkins and winter squash. Everything is coming up orange. I grew up thinking zucchini and yellow crook neck were the only members of the squash family. Let’s meet a few of my new favorites.

▪ Butternut Squash — Butternut squash is a winter squash with a sweet nutty taste. It is versatile and can be used roasted, sautéed or puréed in soups. It is a wonderful ingredient in casseroles, muffins, stuffings and even pies. It tastes rich but one cup has only 82 calories. That same cup of squash provides 7 grams of fiber, half your daily vitamin C requirement and 400% of daily vitamin A requirement

▪ Delicata Squash — Delicata is a pale yellowish squash with green stripes. One cup of this squash has 60 calories, similar amounts of vitamins C and A as the butternut as well as fiber. It has more potassium than a banana. Delicata differs from butternut in that it can be halved and roasted and stuffed with grains, vegetables and dried fruit for an amazing vegetarian dinner.

▪ Spaghetti Squash — Spaghetti squash was a pasta substitute before anyone ever heard of zucchini noodles. Carefully slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and roast. After the squash is roasted, you can use a fork to scrape the flesh into long spaghetti-like squash noodles. Not as high in vitamins A and C as the Delicata and Butternut, but still a nutritious choice. And a great base for added roasted vegetables. And I think it is fun to eat.

If you are ready for a squash adventure check out www.tasteofhome.com. You’ll find plenty of squash recipes to try.

Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami, FL. srarback@hotmail.com