Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

With fall in full swing and winter approaching, eating with the season while keeping your body energized with nutrient dense ingredients is a must. This quinoa stuffed acorn squash includes fall flavors, seasonal ingredients and nutrients like fiber, and antioxidants your body will love.

The star of the show in this dish quinoa, contains more protein than other grains, which will help keep you full longer. As well as antioxidants which help the body by protecting the cells from free radicals. Most importantly quinoa contains a high fiber content.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, more than 90% of women and 97% of men are not getting enough fiber. Depending on weight and sex the average person should be getting about 19-38 grams of fiber per day, however the average daily intake for Americans is about 14 grams. 

Why is fiber even important? Well, fiber aids in digestion and gut health which affects the rest of your body, including but not limited to, autoimmune problems, skin problems, digestive issues like, bloating, abdominal pain, heartburn, constipation etc.

Fiber is not the only component in good gut health but it does play an important role in keeping your digestive system regular. 

Another important ingredient in this dish is acorn squash, which has high levels of antioxidants. Acorn squash actually has the most carotenoids than any other food which is an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage by protecting cells from free radicals. Acorn squash has Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for heart health, brain health and eye health. 

To start, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut your acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Add to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in the oven.

Add quinoa to a pot with water, on medium high heat, bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low, add a lid and turn heat down to low and allow to simmer. 

Start chopping vegetables, onions, celery and apples and add to a pan on medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, pecans, cranberries, herbs, salt and pepper and allow all flavors to cook and combine together on medium low heat for about ten minutes, stirring frequently. 

Once the quinoa is fully cooked, remove the lid and stir with a fork to fluff. Add the quinoa to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. 

Once Acorn squash is fork tender remove from the oven. Add to a plate to serve and fill the squash with quinoa mixture. You can share this and serve as a side dish, save in the refrigerator for meal prep or eat as a main course!