While it's best known for being a harvest season vegetable, squash is actually more than just a pretty gourd to decorate your home with in the fall. Packed with flavour, squash is loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants and vitamins. And with less than 100 calories per serving, it's also a great addition to your diet.

Here are three great reasons to eat more squash:

1. Squash protects our eyes
Squash is loaded with the antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which may reduce the risk of eye diseases. For example, a diet that's high in beta-carotene may help delay visual loss caused by some forms of age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of severe vision loss in Canada.

2. Squash is a low-cal substitute for grains
Skip the white rice and pasta, and choose squash instead. A one-cup serving has just 80 calories, compared to 234 calories in a cup of spaghetti. Plus, squash is a good source of vitamins A 
and C, while pasta and rice have none.

3. You can eat the seeds, too
Roasted squash seeds make a heart-healthy, delicious snack, similar to pumpkin seeds. Simply scoop out seeds, rinse, dry and bake at 170°F (77°C) for about 20 minutes. Slow roasting minimizes damage 
to the healthy fats in the seeds, so your body will reap their maximum benefits.

Be sure to try out some of our delicious squash recipes:
Turkey, Sage and Squash Pot Pie
Roast Squash
Spaghetti Squash with Herb Butter

This story was originally titled "Why We Love Squash" in the October 2012 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

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