Butternut squash fries are an absolutely delicious, entirely nutritious low calorie side dish. These gourmet fries are just over 100 calories per cup and they provide over 300% of your daily vitamin A. They are very nutrient dense and filling, making them a perfect food choice for people who are trying to eat healthily or watch their weight.

Health Benefits & Nutrition Information
Squash is low in calories, sodium, cholesterol, and fat, with hardly any saturated fats. It is very high in vitamin A (beta-carotene), which is good for vision and has been shown to boost the body’s resistance to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.

Nutrition perks also include being a good source of fiber and these vitamins and minerals:
• Calcium
• Manganese
• B Vitamins (particularly folate)
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Vitamin A
• Niacin
• Thiamin
• Potassium

As if you really needed any kind of excuse to eat something that so closely resembles a French fry? (only better!)


Ingredients
1 Butternut Squash, large
1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt (or less)
Pepper


How to make ‘Em

Cutting the cumbersome squash into fries
Cutting a butternut squash can be a bit tricky. They are oddly shaped, thick, and take a little umph behind the knife to cut. Make sure that you use a sturdy and sharp chefs knife.

Wash the outside of the squash well. Cut the ends off so that both are no longer rounded. Standing the squash on its broadest end, use either a peeler or knife at an angle in downward motions (always away from the body) to peel the thin layer of skin off. Once it is completely peeled, cut down the center and clean out the seeds and fibers you find in the middle until all that’s left is the actual flesh.

Cut the peeled halves into French fry shaped strips. You can change the texture of your butternut squash fries by cutting a variety of thicknesses; the thicker ones will taste soft and rich while the thinner cut ones may become crisp and crunchy (just like regular fries tend to vary). A variety of textures can be tasty, so don’t worry about cutting them cookie cutter perfect.

Put the strips into a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top. Mix until all pieces are coated well, and then lay the butternut squash fries out in a single layer on a cookie-baking sheet. Pepper the fries and sprinkle lightly with salt (the less salt the better).

Cook them in an oven for 30-35 minutes at 350°, flipping them at the halfway point. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your slices; when fries are tender, they are ready to be eaten but you can always cook them longer to make them a bit crisper.

Making this recipe out of one large squash will feed roughly 4 people (but they will all want seconds!).

Here's another butternut squash recipe favorite: Butternut Squash, Spinach & Mozzarella Lasagna

Butternut Squash Fries Nutrition Information
Calories: 107
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 584 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 16 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 1.5 g