KABOCHA SQUASH: A CALORIC MYSTERY

FeministJaz
FeministJaz Posts: 16 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,
As you can tell from this topics title, I am here to inquire and discuss the uncertainties surrounding members of the gourd family; a wonderful winter squash variety: the Kabocha (also known as Asian pumpkin) and the Buttercup. Now, I am not here to discuss how one can tell which is a Kabocha vs. a buttercup based on appearance because there are answers to that online and I myself know the difference. In fact despite the signage and PLU codes at my groceries stores that say it is buttercup, I know I am buying Kabocha.

My concern here is to initiate a discussion around what it nutritionally and calorically different about the Kabocha. Moreover, I want to find a 'ballpark' amount of the CALORIES (along with fat, carbs, fibre and protein) in 1 cup of cooked (without salt, buttter..etc.) KABOCHA squash and/or 1 WHOLE squash weighing in about 4 pounds.

Like many other forum discussions focused on the suspiciously starchy, dense, sugary/sweet, 'tastes-like-a-cross-between-pumpkin-and-sweet-potatoe' Kabocha, I too am skeptical of the current MFP calorie breakdown. After spending QUITE a long time researching the Kabocha, many have pointed out that most calorie tracking platforms such as MFP are UNDERESTIMATING the calorie content of this squash.

As is, Japanese Pumpkin, or Kabocha squash on MFP is about 73 cals for 100 grams. There is already a MFP message board that discusses 'how to cook" this squash (link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/112975-japanese-pumpkin-squash-kabocha) and indicates that a 350 grams of Kabocha is 125 Cal. Other sites like LIVESTRONG, CALORIE COUNT AND FAT SECRET indicate that this squash is about 40 cals for 85 grams. To further complicate and confuse these caloric inconsistencies, individuals who have bought this squash in Japan and have translated labels suggest that it is 91 calories per 100 grams.

So HOW MANY CALORIES does this mystery squash have if I were to cook and measure 1 cup? I myself, do NOT KNOW. And, I am quite consumed by pinpointing its nutritional properties so I know how to incorporate it into my daily allowance since I have a long and contentious relationship with this squash. Let me explain:

About 4 years ago I discovered this squash and was hooked on it's potato-like, crumbly characteristics. Believing that it was super low in calories, I will admit, I was quite the glutton with this squash. For a while, I had eaten 1-2 medium squash a day for weeks which eventually lead to the area around my mouth and palms of my hands turning orange (you are what you eat..literally). But I started feeling bloated and was worried that I was gaining weight from eating too much of this squash. So I stopped eating it for a while. About 2 days after NOT eating it, the bloating went away and I felt like I had lost weight. Surprised by this correlation I stopped eating Kabocha all together....for years.

But alas, recent encounters with this squash has rekindled my love and gluttonous approach to its consumption. I am very active now, excersise regularly and am also dedicated to tracking my daily calories as accurately as possible. For the past few weeks I have been inputting my consumption of Kabocha as BUTTERCUP. I eat about 1 medium squash a day (not every day, though) and according to MFP 1 MEDIUM BUTTERCUP is 173 calories. I REFUSE TO believe this and depending on size and the starchiness of the flesh when I cook it, I sometimes track ONE squash AS 3-5 medium squash (at least 450 cals up to 850 cals) in order to be safe.

Yeah....kind of ridiculous considering I eat 1550 calories daily and somedays when I track one Kabocha as 800-900 cals I only have 500-700 cals left to add all my other nutrients. But sometimes I can't help it. I genuinely crave this squash so bad some days. Sometimes I don't eat much else other than this squash because after eating one I feel thirsty and drink lots of water and feel soooooo full and bloated and am not hungry for the rest of the day/eve. Although I feel bloated and like I am 'gaining weight' after eating one, the next morning that all subsides after my morning (sorry for the explicitness) bowel-movement. In the mornings before I eat anything I look and feel deflated and thus do not feel so guilty about eating a large amount of this squash the previous day and get myself to the grocery store to buy another one! Okay, okay, I know....I am getting off track and now revealing my disordered eating habits....

But tell me members of MFP, what are your knowledges regarding the oh so good but MIGHT be oh so bad for dieters Kabocha squash? What are your thoughts and opinions? How do you respond to this: yesterday I tracked my one medium squash about 3-4 pounds as 880 calories an thus only ate some fat free greek yogurt, a cucumber, some berries and a few plums to get to 1500? Am I being too paranoid about the caloric mystery surrounding this squash and OVERESTIMATING or am I hitting the nail on the head....cause' 3-4 pounds of squash IS A LOT so it should be about that many calories...??

I need some input as to put my eating into perspective and perhaps smarten me up.

Thanks everyone.
Jaz

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