Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Makes 4-6 servings

I’m primarily grain-free but love me some comfort foods, so baked spaghetti squash is a huge staple in my week-night dinner menu. It takes a while to cook, but is otherwise very low-hassle so you can focus on whatever else you’re preparing. Pair it was a hearty meat sauce, savoury meatballs, and/or some sautéed veggies and you’ve got a pretty fantastic alternative to carby, bloaty, blood-glucose spiking pasta (yes, even the brown-rice quinoa blends can be hard on the old blood sugar handling). Better yet, spaghetti squash contains high doses of vitamin A and C, both of which provide antioxidant and immune boosting functions. Other nutrients found in this squash variety are beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are all linked to healthy vision and optimal eye health, as well as B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and thiamin, which promote optimal cellular function. For all you mammas-to-be, you may also be interested to note that folate is also found in this bright-colored vegetable, which supports the formation and development of new cells and may help prevent birth defects. And for those of you not expecting, this nutrient can also help filter out homocysteine from your blood and promote cardiovascular health. So really a win for everyone! But if I still haven’t convinced you to switch over to the squash-side, spaghetti squash contains considerable amounts of those crucial minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Even more, it houses omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for inflammation regulation and proper brain function. You definitely can’t say the same for boring old white flour spaghetti!