Just because I love using butternut squash in my lasagna, doesn’t mean I’m dieting. I use butternut squash because it tastes good. I legitimately love butternut squash lasagna! I consider it a bonus that the use of butternut squash instead of pasta boosts my fiber, beta carotene, and vitamin C intake.
Intuitive eaters make these “health swaps” only if the end product is going to taste just as good, if not better (since satisfaction is still most important!). Don’t get me wrong, I still love lasagna made the original way, with pasta, and it’s one of my staple dishes to order at any Italian restaurant. When clients ask me if I think their “health swaps” are a sign of slipping back into diet culture, I simply ask “what’s your motivation”? If the motivation behind your choice is weight loss, weight maintenance, or “because I feel like I should”, those thoughts may need reconsidered. If your motivation is, “I like the taste and it happens to also make the meal more nutrient dense”, then by all means, why not do it? Other examples might be using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in a dish. Do you like Greek yogurt? Is it in your fridge currently, and sour cream is not? Go ahead and use it, without question. Remember, with intuitive eating there are no rules. It can be easy to get sucked back into the idea that you are either an intuitive eater, or you’re not, but that’s not true. This is a journey, not a destination. Remind yourself you have permission to make the food choices that sound the best to you.
Now, back to the lasagna. Using butternut squash instead of pasta also makes this dish more friendly for those with Celiac Disease (as long as it’s prepared in a safe way that omits cross contact with gluten). I hope you and your family enjoy this dish as much as we do! Here is what I do: follow any basic lasagna recipe, such as this one from All Recipes, and instead of boiling pasta (step two) I skin and slice a whole butternut squash (I slice the squash into rounds, see below).
I cook the squash rounds for about 10 minutes in the microwave to soften them, then I treat the rounds like the pasta (step 5 in this recipe). Then bake as per the recipe. Enjoy!
