Butternut Squash: Nutrition Facts, Vitamin A and Is It Healthy?

Butternut squash is a winter squash with a smooth tan skin, a long neck and sweet orange flesh, and it is a nutrient-rich vegetable to roast. According to USDA data, one cup of baked cubes has about 82 calories, close to a quarter of the Daily Value for fiber and more than a full day’s Daily Value for vitamin A, mostly in the form of carotenoids the body converts as needed. This guide covers butternut squash nutrition, how it compares with sweet potato and other squashes, what research does and does not show, and the handful of cautions worth knowing.

Peptide Labs does not sell butternut squash or squash products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is butternut squash?

Butternut squash belongs to the species Cucurbita moschata, part of the gourd family that also includes pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. Unlike summer squash such as zucchini, which is picked young and tender, winter squash is harvested mature, with a hard rind and dense flesh. That rind is why a whole butternut keeps for weeks in a cool, dry spot. The flesh is sweet and nutty, softens into a silky texture when roasted or simmered, and is the base of countless soups, purees and baby foods.

In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, winter squash is listed among the red and orange vegetables, alongside carrots, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. It is not on the starchy vegetables list, which our guide to starchy and non-starchy vegetables covers, even though a cup of cooked butternut carries a moderate amount of carbohydrate.

Butternut squash nutrition facts

The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries for raw cubes and baked cubes without salt. A cup of baked cubes weighs more than a cup of raw cubes, which is part of why the per-cup numbers differ. Percentages are of the FDA Daily Value.

A few things stand out in the USDA numbers. Butternut squash is mostly water, close to 88 grams per 100 grams once baked, and nearly fat-free. FDA and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consider a food with 20% of the Daily Value or more as a high source, and a cup of baked butternut clears that bar for vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber. It also brings a useful share of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and vitamin B6. Sodium is negligible until salt goes into the pan. For more vegetables in this range, see our potassium foods list and high fiber foods guide.

Where the vitamin A comes from

The orange color comes from carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. These are provitamin A carotenoids: the body converts them into vitamin A as it needs them, which is different from the preformed vitamin A in liver, eggs and dairy. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the body usually absorbs 10% to 30% of the beta-carotene in foods, and cooking and heat can make more of it available. That is one reason roasted squash with a little oil, or a pureed soup, is a sensible way to eat it. Our beta-carotene guide explains the difference between food carotenoids and supplements, where large supplement trials in smokers found harms.

A 2024 lab study of organic butternut squash prepared for baby food found that industrial freezing did not significantly change how much alpha- and beta-carotene could be released in a simulated digestion, so frozen cubes are a reasonable shortcut. Like other lab digestion models, it measures availability, not effects in people.

Is butternut squash healthy?

By nutrient profile, yes: it is low in calories for its volume, rich in fiber and vitamin A, and contains several minerals. What the evidence does not support is the long list of specific health promises sometimes attached to it. We found no meaningful human trials of butternut squash itself for blood sugar, eyesight, skin or heart outcomes. Its benefits are those of eating more vegetables in general, which the Dietary Guidelines recommend across all the vegetable subgroups.

The table compares butternut squash with other orange and winter vegetables per cup, using the same USDA database.

Butternut squash sits between the lighter spaghetti squash and the denser sweet potato, which our sweet potato guide covers. Acorn squash brings more fiber and potassium per cup but, in USDA data, far less vitamin A. If you count carbohydrates, count winter squash too; our low carb foods guide lists vegetables with less, and our carrots guide covers another orange vegetable rich in carotenoids.

How to prepare butternut squash

• Pick: choose a squash that feels heavy for its size, with matte, even skin and no soft spots or cracks.
• Store: keep whole squash in a cool, dry place; once cut, wrap it and refrigerate.
• Cut: slice off both ends so it sits flat, separate the neck from the round base, then peel with a sturdy peeler and scoop out the seeds.
• Skip the peeling: roasting halves cut side down and scooping out the soft flesh avoids handling the raw skin at all.
• Seeds: the seeds can be cleaned and roasted. USDA groups pumpkin and squash seeds in shared entries, so our pumpkin seeds guide applies.

Cautions: skin irritation and bitter squash

Some people notice dry, tight or peeling skin on their hands after peeling raw butternut squash. A 2022 case report described a 28-year-old man who developed dry, flaking skin on one palm and his fingers after handling butternut squash; the authors concluded it was likely contact dermatitis and noted that such reactions are uncommon but may be underreported. Gloves are a simple kitchen step if this has happened to you, and a rash that persists is worth showing to a dermatologist.

Plants in the gourd family can also make cucurbitacins, intensely bitter compounds that discourage insects and animals from eating them. Normal butternut squash tastes sweet. On rare occasions a squash or zucchini turns out strongly bitter, and eating it has caused food poisoning that one 2022 case report title calls toxic squash syndrome. A 2020 report described a woman hospitalized with vomiting, bloody diarrhea and low blood pressure after eating bitter zucchini; she recovered with intravenous fluids. The authors noted the risk with home-garden produce in hot weather and stressed that a bitter taste is the key warning sign. If any squash tastes unusually bitter, spit it out and discard the rest; for symptoms after eating it, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or seek urgent care.

Squash is not one of the nine major food allergens that US law requires labels to declare. Anyone who reacts to it should read ingredient lists on soups and baby foods and see an allergist; our elimination diet guide explains why food testing should be supervised. If a clinician has asked you to limit potassium, ask how winter squash fits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Spaghetti Squash: Calories, Nutrition and How It Compares to Pasta, Beta-Carotene: Foods, Vitamin A Conversion and the Smoker Trials, Zucchini: Nutrition, Benefits, Calories and Bitter Squash Safety, Kabocha Squash: Nutrition, Kabocha vs Butternut and Is It Healthy?, Types of Squash: Summer and Winter Kinds with USDA Values.