Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

Oh my! This recipe is soooooo delicious I can hardly stand it. Not sure if it qualifies as a hot cereal or not — but it is an AWESOME low-calorie breakfast!

Ingredients
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
ВЅ cup chopped apples
1 ounce light vanilla soymilk
1 tablespoon sugar-free maple syrup
2 teaspoons brown sugar (not packed)
ВЅ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Вј teaspoon salt
1 no-calorie sweetener packet
Optional: additional light vanilla soymilk

Directions
Spray a small pot with nonstick spray and bring to medium-low heat.

Add squash and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until squash is tender.

With a potato masher, mash squash in the pot. Add salt, pumpkin pie spice, and apple pieces. Mix well.

Turn heat to high and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. After 30 seconds of boiling, reduce heat to low.

Let mixture simmer for about 3 minutes, until squash is tender and most of the water has evaporated, but apple still has some crunch to it.

Add maple syrup, brown sugar, sweetener, and soymilk. Mix thoroughly.

Continue to cook and stir until mixture reaches desired consistency (the longer you cook it, the thicker it will become).

If you like, top with an extra splash of soymilk before serving.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Gettin' Picky With It

How to snap up the best butternut. .

Look for one that's firm and heavy for its size. And go for a dull surface rather than a shiny one.

Avoid butternut squash that has a soft rind, is moldy, or has water-soaked areas (ewwww).

The season for butternut squash (a winter squash) is August through March. Just know that you'll get the best picks between the months of October and November, because that is the peak season for winter squash.

creamy butternut squash amp; chipotle soup
PER SERVING (1 generous cup): 129 calories, 0.5g fat, 426mg sodium, 30g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g sugars, 4g