Butternut Squash

It's very healthy and rich in vitamins at a time when we are seeing an explosion in healthy foods. Eat it raw as well as cooked, and kids love it. They might want to try a butternut stick instead of a carrot stick.

Butternut squash is endorsed as a 'zero food' because of its low content of calories and saturated fat.

The food, which grows on a vine and comes from the gourd family, is very high in several nutrients and two in particular - selenium and zinc - have beneficial effects on fertility.

Zinc is the most important nutrient for fertility and is necessary for the body to hold the reproductive hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Good levels of selenium are essential for optimum sperm formation and testosterone production. It is a source of fibre, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium and potassium.

Among popular dishes are a butternut squash soup, soufflé and gratin. Another favourite recipe is to barbecue it wrapped in foil with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Butternut squash is a great veg and it is great that more people are getting into it. It's very similar to a pumpkin, but no one knows what to do with a pumpkin except cut a silly face in it. A butternut squash is like a pumpkin with a college education. It's got much finer flesh than a pumpkin and is less fibrous, so there is less waste.

It's very versatile. Ay favourite way to do it would be to cut it into decent-sized wedges, add some thyme, garlic cloves and olive oil, and stick it in the oven for about 40 minutes, then serve it with a roast. It cooks quickly and its natural sugars mean it caramelises nicely, too. Or you can pan fry it - people think it's like swede and takes ages to cook, but it doesn't. Just slice it up and fry it in olive oil with some mint. Serve it with some natural yoghurt and more fresh mint. Lovely.'