Butternut Squash – the Alternative Pumpkin This Halloween

Taste for Life is giving Halloween a twist this Autumn using buttnernut squash!

In case you’re not familiar with the programme, Taste for Life offers FREE educational resources for parents and nurseries encouraging little ones to explore and enjoy good food from a young age and develop healthy eating habits for life.

I have included some recipe and activity ideas below using butternut squash that mums can try out with their little ones for Halloween, it would be great to hear if you’re interested in featuring and of these?

Top tips for making the perfect Halloween lantern with your little ones:

• Choose a buttnernut squash that’s fresh but not too tough
• After you have cut away the top, children can help to scoop out the insides using an ice-cream scoop
• Make sure there’s a flat spot for the candle
• Use the insides as a replacement for the squash in the butternut squash soup recipe below!
• After you have carved the facial features, show your little ones how to use stickers, paint and markers to decorate your buttnernut squash!

Butternut Squash Soup:

Use organic ingredients if possible; organic foods are free from artificial chemical pesticides. Up to the age of seven, children’s bodies are more susceptible to the disruption water soluble pesticides can cause. Squash makes a fantastic soup! Here’s the recipe to try at home:

Instructions:

1. Sautee an onion in some oil with a clove of chopped garlic.
2. Add two handfuls of peeled and chopped squash (any kind including pumpkin).
3. Add two carrots (peeled and chopped) and stir for two minutes.
4. Add boiling water to only just cover the vegetables and simmer for ten minutes.
5. Puree with a hand blender and serve.

Spooky Butternut Squash Masks:

You’ll need:: Lightweight card, orange paint, black sugar paper cut into small triangles (2-3cm), lolly sticks or straws, glue, sellotape.

Instructions:

1. Use your squash as a template to draw round onto lightweight card that is easy to cut out. Children can paint their squash masks orangey yellow
2. Show them how to stick black sugar paper triangles on for eyes and a nose, and place some in a line to form the shape of a scary mouth of black teeth
3. Mount the mask on lolly sticks or straws

Visit tasteforlifenursery.com for more recipe and activity ideas to enjoy with your little ones!