This comforting autumn dish features tender roasted acorn squash filled with a savory blend of nutty wild rice, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts. It is a popular harvest-season main course often served during family gatherings or cozy weeknight dinners.
Nutrient score: Excellent
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 2 medium Acorn squash (1 kg)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (27 g)
- 1 cup Wild rice blend cooked (237 g)
- 2 cups Vegetable broth (483 g)
- 1 small Onion (150 g)
- Celery, to taste
- 0.5 cup Dried cranberry (77 g)
- 0.5 cup Pecans (65 g)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Ingredients in total: 2.04 kg
- Weight lost in cooking: 838 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 1.2 kg · 4 servings of about 300 g
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut each acorn squash in half crosswise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp.
- Brush the cut sides of the squash with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt, then place them cut-side down on the baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes until the flesh is fork-tender.
- While the squash roasts, combine the wild rice and vegetable broth in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low for 40 to 45 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Dice the onion and celery into small pieces.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and celery until they are soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir the cooked rice, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans into the skillet with the vegetables and cook for another 2 minutes until everything is warmed through and combined.
- Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Flip the roasted squash halves over and fill the centers generously with the rice mixture, pressing down slightly so it stays in place.
- Serve immediately while hot, perhaps garnished with a few extra toasted pecans or fresh herbs.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 413 kcal | 138 kcal |
| Protein | 6.55 g | 2.18 g |
| Water | 213 mL | 71 mL |
| Sodium | 429 mg | 143 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 60.2 g | 20.1 g |
| Total Fat | 19.4 g | 6.47 g |
| Sugar | 22.2 g | 7.41 g |
61 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 12.5 g | 4.16 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 3.3 mg | 1.1 mg |
| Calcium | 132 mg | 44 mg |
| Magnesium | 151 mg | 50.3 mg |
| Potassium | 1,209 mg | 403 mg |
| Iodine | 0.59 mcg | 0.2 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 222 mg | 74.1 mg |
| Zinc | 2.3 mg | 0.77 mg |
| Chloride | 560 mg | 187 mg |
| Selenium | 2.98 mcg | 0.99 mcg |
| Copper | 0.7 mg | 0.23 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.067 mg | 0.022 mg |
| Manganese | 2 mg | 0.67 mg |
| Molybdenum | 18.3 mcg | 6.12 mcg |
| Chromium | 2.81 mcg | 0.94 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.02 g | 0.67 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11.7 g | 3.92 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.34 g | 0.11 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4.51 g | 1.5 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 4.17 g | 1.39 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.37 g | 0.12 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 11.7 g | 3.89 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 8.27 g | 2.76 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 2.5 g | 0.83 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 7.51 g | 2.5 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 32.8 mg | 10.9 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 83 mcg | 27.7 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.65 mg | 0.88 mg |
| Vitamin A | 92.2 mcg RAE | 30.7 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.32 mg | 0.11 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.74 mg | 0.25 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 0.061 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 1.31 mg | 0.44 mg |
| Vitamin E | 2.14 mg | 0.71 mg |
| Vitamin K | 9.66 mcg | 3.22 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 6.32 mcg | 2.11 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 4,018 mcg | 1,339 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 45.4 mg | 15.1 mg |
| Leucine | 503 mg | 168 mg |
| Lysine | 322 mg | 107 mg |
| Polyphenols | 370 mg | 123 mg |
| Methionine | 136 mg | 45.3 mg |
| Oxalates | 78.2 mg | 26.1 mg |
| Threonine | 294 mg | 98 mg |
| Tryptophan | 101 mg | 33.8 mg |
| Valine | 409 mg | 136 mg |
| Flavonoids | 104 mg | 34.8 mg |
| Histidine | 248 mg | 82.5 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 3.19 mg | 1.06 mg |
| Lycopene | 0.06 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 374 mg | 125 mg |
| Purines | 66.4 mg | 22.1 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (300 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 340 mg | 113 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish. Estimates, not medical advice.
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