- Butternut squash is the expert pick as the vegetable to help you stay regular during winter.
- It contains soluble fiber, insoluble fiber and water to keep your digestive system moving.
- Enjoy butternut squash roasted, in a salad or blended into soup or mac and cheese.
With colder weather and seasonal celebrations, you may have spent the last month or so eating more winter comfort foods than usual. Think creamy sauces, lots of gooey cheese, and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and pastries.
As Gina Rancourt, M.S., RD, CD, puts it, “All foods fit, but we do know that certain individuals might get some gastric upset with some of these foods, just because they tend to be higher in fat or lower in fiber, and some people don’t digest that as well.” If you’re one of them, your post-holiday glow may be replaced by something else: constipation.
Why do we need to poop every day? “It is one of the most basic ways to remove waste and toxins out of our body. So one stool a day is essential for all healthy individuals,” says Ella Davar, RD, who specializes in gut health.
Of course, comfort is significant, too. No one wants to feel bloated. “If we’re having consistent, comfortable bowel movements, we know that your body is doing a pretty good job at clearing waste, balancing fluid levels and things like electrolytes,” adds Rancourt. “Also, regular bowel movements can indicate that you do have a pretty healthy gut microbiome.”
So how do you keep yourself regular when it’s cold out and there are fewer fresh vegetables to keep your poops on a healthy schedule? We asked the dietitians which seasonal, plant-based foods are the best for ensuring that your gut is working in tip-top shape throughout the winter. Both of the experts chose the same thing.
Why Winter Squash Benefits Your Gut
When it comes to maintaining a daily schedule of healthy poops, both Rancourt and Davar are quick to mention winter squash as a superstar. That category can include our kabocha squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkin and even delicata squash, known for its edible skin. But both name butternut squash as their favorite.
The top reason they love it? A 1-cup serving boasts 2.8 grams of fiber, exactly what you need to keep your digestive tract in optimal working order. “It has a mix of both types of fiber that we want to help our digestion, which is insoluble and soluble fiber,” says Rancourt. What’s the difference? Soluble absorbs water, turning into a gel that aids in passing stool. Meanwhile, insoluble fiber maintains its heft and composes the bulk of your poop.
Winter squashes like butternut are also prebiotic. “Those are the little fibers that we find in some of our fruits and veggies that actually help feed that probiotic microorganisms, so that’s beneficial,” Rancourt adds. Even better? Winter squashes’ roughly 90% water content helps to flush your gut when you eat this favorite vegetable.
Ways to Eat More Butternut Squash
Fortunately, some of our favorite cozy recipes are centered around butternut squash. “To amplify their benefits, do not overcook them. Make sure they’re soft, but they’re not black and brown,” explains Davar.
Her favorite way to use butternut squash is in a soup. As in our Sheet-Pan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, she includes apple and onion to her puree to enrich the naturally sweet flavor of the squash. “It tastes like dessert and is such a great way to serve it for dinner,” says Davar. She also recommends adding bone broth to include some naturally occurring collagen.
Rancourt loves to simply roast her butternut squash, then drizzle it with a bit of tahini for extra flavor and healthy fats. But she’s also not afraid to go a little more creative. “One of my favorite ways to prepare butternut squash, aside from roasting it, is I’ll add it into homemade or even store-bought macaroni and cheese, because it creates this nice creaminess, it’s sweet and it adds a nice color,” she says.
Other Winter Vegetables That Can Help You Poop
Our dietitians’ recommendations prove that you can still eat the rainbow in the cold months. How to pick the best colorful options? “If it has the potential to stain your clothes, that’s one you should go for,” says Davar.
- Beets: “Beets are my favorite vegetables to recommend because they’re higher in antioxidants that help to prevent heart disease and help your liver to detoxify,” says Davar. More importantly for regularity, it has 4 grams of fiber in 1 cup.
- Brussels sprouts: 1 cup of Brussels sprouts boasts 3 grams of fiber, making them a gut-healthy powerhouse. Enjoy them raw and shredded in a salad, or roast them with garlic and olive oil.
- Cabbage: Whether it’s red, green or napa, cabbage is fibrous and contains prebiotics. If you eat it fermented, in the form of sauerkraut or kimchi, it will also contain probiotics, making it a fantastic food for your gut.
- Carrots: We all know that, thanks to beta-carotene, carrots are excellent for the health of our eyes, but they also contain 4 grams of fiber per 1 cup, making them just as advantageous for our bowels.
- Sweet potatoes: These orange-fleshed tubers are prebiotic but also rich in resistant starch, a carbohydrate that ferments in the colon, producing short-chain fatty acids that aid in digestion.
Our Expert Take
Eating a balanced diet every day is paramount to maintaining a regular bathroom schedule. “It’s definitely about the flavor and then the enjoyment of the food. But we also want to feel our best, so let’s just make a couple of little tweaks to get that balance in there,” says Rancourt.
Fortunately, butternut squash, with its soft texture and lightly sweet flavor, is as versatile as it is packed with fiber. From soup to mac and cheese to simply roasted, the bright-orange power player fits into our winter menus with ease. Your gut will thank you just as much as your palate for making it a regular part of your meal prep.
