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Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

Name: Dehydrated Butternut Squash Dog Treats
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 7 h
Ingredients: 20 ounces Organic Butternut Squash (Makes about 1/2 cup dehydrated treats.)

Healthy Homemade Dog Treat Recipes for Your Dogs: Dehydrated Butternut Squash

Can dogs and cats eat butternut squash? Learn some of the health benefits butternut squash for your pets and you. Bonus- Healthy butternut squash recipe dog treats. #raisingyourpetsnaturally — Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

It can be tough to find the best healthy dog treats for your favorite canine. Even searching the internet looking for healthy homemade dog treat recipes can be tricky. Sometimes you may find a recipe for ‘healthy dog treats’ and it’s filled with things like flour, sugar, or dairy. For me, this does not constitute a healthy dog treat. It may be cute, but I’m likely to keep searching.

Today it’s going to be all about the power food butternut squash, and nothing else. Like our friend the pumpkin, butternut squash is actually a fruit, not a vegetable. Fruits are the part of flowering plants that contain the seeds. The other parts such as stems, leaves and roots are considered vegetables. I know, the grocery store says otherwise, but it really doesn’t matter; both fruits and vegetables are good for us. 😉

Now what makes a butternut squash so healthy for us and our dogs and cats? A butternut squash may not look like much from the outside, but once you cut into this power fruit, you will see the bright orange meat signaling that it is high in antioxidant beta carotene, which may assist in preventing cancer and heart disease. Butternut squash is also packed with phytonutrients. Phytochemicals, or “Phyto,” are plant-based nutrients that have been shown to provide health benefits, particularly with our cell function, organs, immune system, and detoxification.

Butternut squash is low in fat and has a nice amount of dietary fiber and folate content, making this another heart-healthy treat for dogs, cats, and you! This fruit is filled with potassium, which is good for bone health, and vitamin B6, an essential vitamin for the nervous and immune system. Toss in a healthy dose of vitamin C, and you can see why butternut squash is another great super food.

So let’s get to it. Let’s use this super food to make a healthy dog treat.

Print Recipe
Dehydrated Butternut Squash Dog Treats Yum

For this healthy dog treat recipe, I started with 20 ounces of organic butternut squash, the meat part. You can purchase organic butternut squash already chunked up at your local health food store, in the freezer section. Or, you can carefully cut your butternut squash on a cutting board with a sharp, heavy chef's knife.

Course Healthy Pet Snacks

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 7 Hours

Servings

Ingredients

20 ounces Organic Butternut Squash Makes about 1/2 cup dehydrated treats.

Course Healthy Pet Snacks

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 7 Hours

Servings

Ingredients

20 ounces Organic Butternut Squash Makes about 1/2 cup dehydrated treats.

Instructions

Keep the squash as stable as you can while carefully inverting your knife, and slowly push through the top of the squash. Once you have the top of your squash removed, if you have a heavy-duty vegetable peeler, you can use that to peel the skin away. If not, flip the squash over onto your cutting board with the cut side down as a base, and use your knife to remove the skin. Once the skin is removed, slice the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. For this recipe you are going to use only the meat of the butternut squash.

Chunk up the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes.

Arrange the butternut squash on dehydrator rack and dehydrate until they are a chip consistency, about 7 hours.

Place dehydrated butternut squash treats in a glass container and refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze until ready to serve.

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Do you make homemade dog or cat treats for your pets? Tell me in the comments.

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