Low-Calorie Squash Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-calorie squash side dish recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Roasted Honeynut Squash

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Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.
By Carolyn Casner

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

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This healthy recipe combines two bar food favorites--fried zucchini and curly fries--into one tempting package. Serve these baked zucchini fries with a simple dipping sauce made with ranch dressing and marinara sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a side dish for burgers, chicken or pizza. No matter what you serve them with, they're a fun way to eat more vegetables for kids and adults alike.
By Robin Bashinsky

Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Veggies

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These easy roasted vegetables will give your plate a pop of color. Give the cubes of butternut squash a head start for 10 minutes to soften in the oven before adding in the other veggies. The broccoli, peppers and onion are naturally more tender than the butternut squash and cook more quickly. That way everything ends up finishing at the same time.
By Katie Webster

Steamed Butternut Squash

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Butternut squash steams quickly, making this a great cooking technique to enjoy this fall vegetable as a weeknight side dish. For extra flavor, toss the steamed butternut squash with salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil, butter or Parmesan cheese after cooking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sautéed Butternut Squash

Sautéeing butternut squash in olive oil quickly yields perfectly cooked results and slighly caramelizes the squash for extra flavor. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish to pair with roasted meats.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Zucchini & Mushroom Sauté

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Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Glazed Roasted Delicata Squash

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Tangy cider vinegar, sweet honey, crunchy pine nuts and fresh mint come together to make an amazing glaze in this healthy roasted winter squash recipe. If you use delicata, the whole squash--including the gorgeous skin--is edible.
By Lia Huber

Kielbasa-&-Swiss Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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Zesty sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and rye bread add Reuben-esque flavor to this surprisingly addictive spaghetti squash skillet recipe. If you can't find seeded rye bread, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon caraway seeds to the mixture in Step 2. Serve with a green salad tossed with red-wine vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

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Learn how to roast squash in this healthy recipe adapted from Alice Waters. Look for squash varieties, including buttercup, kabocha or hubbard, at your farmers' market and try them in this tasty side dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Steamed Zucchini

This foolproof way to cook zucchini is also the easiest and fastest. Just steam it on the stovetop for a few minutes and you have a healthy vegetable side dish to add to dinner. Toss with a little pesto for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Koginut Squash

This unique squash hybrid is smooth and silky like kabocha squash with the rich, sweet flavor of a butternut. Use it as a base for a grain bowl or slice into wedges and serve with a creamy yogurt sauce.
By Carolyn Casner

Calabacitas

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Enjoy this traditional Southwestern dish of sautéed summer squash, onions and peppers as a side or as a vegetarian filling for tacos.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Low-Calorie Pumpkin & Winter Squash Recipes
Winter squashes, such as butternut, acorn and pumpkin, are a delicious and diet-friendly seasonal food. Enjoy squash in comforting recipes like Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin and Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs.Download a FREE Cookbook of Our Best Fall Recipes!Watch Video
Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables
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This easy roasted butternut squash and root vegetables recipe is incredibly versatile. Pile the squash and veggies onto grain bowls, add to sandwiches, toss in soup, serve as a side dish--you name it. Roasting vegetables in the oven gives you 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time to assemble the rest of your meal.
Kale-Butternut Squash Gratin
Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin
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Brown Butter & Sage Acorn Squash

This easy vegetable side dish utilizes acorn squash, but any winter squash will work. A drizzle of brown butter, sage and maple syrup adds a nutty, sweet flavor to the roasted squash.

All Low-Calorie Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Gratin

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Roasted butternut squash slices layered with a creamy sauce and topped with golden breadcrumbs makes a hassle-free side dish that just about everyone loves. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spiralized Zucchini & Summer Squash Casserole

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If you don't have a spiralizer to make this healthy zucchini noodle casserole (aka zoodles), use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips of the squash and zucchini, stopping when you reach the seedy center. Just a few minutes under the broiler gives these ricotta-and-basil-filled nests a light golden top.
By Hilary Meyer

Roasted Baby Zucchini with Lemon Labneh

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This easy vegetable side dish shines alongside roasted or seared steak, chicken, shrimp or firm fish, such as cod or salmon. Sumac lends punchy, fruity, sour-lemon notes to this fast and simple recipe. Find ground sumac spice online, in specialty markets and in well-stocked grocery stores.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Slow-Cooker Spice-Drizzled Acorn Squash

With the honey, butter and cinnamon sauce drizzled on top and the sprinkling of pomegranate arils, this slow-cooker acorn squash is almost like a dessert. You can also drizzle the sauce over oatmeal and baked apples for breakfast.
By Cooking Light

Roasted Tomato and Vegetable Soup

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This veggie-packed side-dish vegetable soup can be made in the slow cooker. Just make a few tweaks (see Variation).
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Summer Vegetable Tian

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This pretty vegan layered casserole is so simple to make. Its only seasonings are salt and garlic-infused olive oil, which you make by sizzling a clove of garlic in olive oil for about a minute. This dish is lovely warm or room temperature. Serve with crusty bread as a vegetarian entree or alongside roasted meats as a side dish--don't forget a glass of chilled rosé.
By Emily Monaco

Sautéed Peppers, Asparagus, and Zucchini

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Pair this flavorful veggie combo with chicken or fish for a taste of summer any time of year.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole

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An aromatic mixture of garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice and cayenne flavors this vegetarian quinoa and squash casserole recipe. Frozen squash is a super-easy topping.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Herb-Roasted Root Vegetables

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Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and celery root make up a colorful roasted vegetable medley. If you can't find celery root (also called celeriac) you can swap in another root vegetable such as carrots, parsnips, or turnips.
By Lauren Grant

Zucchini Rice Casserole

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We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck, plan to reheat it before serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

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Using the hasselback technique--cutting partially into a whole fruit or vegetable every 1/2 inch or so--gives you an easy way to sneak lots of flavor into this healthy zucchini recipe. To bake the zucchini instead of grilling, place in a foil-lined 8-inch-square baking pan and bake at 425°F until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
By Breana Killeen

French Ratatouille

Ratatouille, a classic French dish with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion, is frequently cooked low and slow until it turns silky and luscious. We kept the classic flavor but gave it a makeover by thinly slicing the vegetables and layering them in a cast-iron pan. We brighten up the flavor at the end with a splash of red-wine vinegar.
By Hilary Meyer

Baked Chili-Lime Zucchini Chips

Crunchy chips are so satisfying--even when you swap in zucchini for potatoes. In fact, you might even find you like these baked zucchini chips even better than potato chips.
By Beth Lipton

Zucchini Gratin

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This delicious zucchini gratin recipe has a delectable crispy Parmesan and breadcrumb topping and is made without any butter or cream, allowing the fresh zucchini flavor to shine. Slice the zucchini uniformly to ensure even cooking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cheesy Squash Bake

Here's a terrific way to dress up the last of the season's summer squash. Reduced-fat cheddar cheese gives this side dish recipe plenty of flavor.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Rainbow Slaw with Beet Greens

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A touch of cumin and cinnamon give this colorful, healthy slaw recipe a hint of the Middle East. Serve with a wedge of cheese and a whole-grain roll on the side for a satisfying dinner--or with just about anything that comes off the grill.
By Anna Thomas

Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad

This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic Mediterranean pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner.
By Robin Bashinsky

Baked Butternut Squash

Baked butternut squash has a caramelized flavor, which is delicious if you use the cooked squash in soups and sauces. It's simple to bake a butternut squash; just cut it in half and roast it in the oven.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chili-Brown Sugar Delicata Squash with Pears

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Pears and delicata squash tossed with brown sugar, chili powder and bacon is a delectable combination. To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and toss the squash and pears with the brown sugar and chili powder during the last 5 minutes of roasting.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Savory Millet Cakes

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In this recipe, millet is cooked to a polenta-like consistency with shredded vegetables, lemon zest and grated cheese, shaped into patties and browned in a skillet. The result is a unique pancake that's a little crunchy on the outside and creamy inside. Try them as a side dish with chicken or fish for dinner or over mixed greens for lunch.
By Marie Simmons

Roasted Acorn Squash with Cider Drizzle

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Roasting squash in the oven caramelizes its natural sugars. Here we serve acorn squash with a cider reduction that's spiced with cinnamon and cloves. A touch of butter gives it a luxurious finish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sautéed Zucchini

This super-simple method for sautéed zucchini makes an easy and healthy vegetable side dish. Add garlic, pesto or even Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Crispy Buttercup Squash Poppers

Packed with creamy flavor, but lower in fat, these squash poppers make the perfect dinner or side dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Roasted Zucchini

A quick roast in the oven brings out the zucchini's delicate, earthy flavor, plus it's an easy hands-off way to cook zucchini for a fast vegetable side.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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