Vegan Kabocha squash soup is a great food for weight loss and maintenance.  A single cup of kabocha squash soup has forty calories compared to butternut squash’s sixty, and has less than half of the carbs of butternut squash soup (7 grams vs. 16 grams). Most people prefer the sweet flavor of kabocha squash soup to butternut squash soup.  Kabocha is also very high in dietary fiber, which supports its use in weight management, and also makes it a great thickener to use in soup recipes and stews.   The kabocha squash soup uses no dairy, eggs, or thickeners to achieve its consistency. As you’ll note from the rich orange color of the squash – kabocha squash soup is an excellent source of Vitamin A and beta-carotenes.  The warm, soothing, filling feeling of kabocha squash soup will bring a smile to your face, and smiling is healthy!

1.  Vegetable broth is liquid in which vegetables have been simmered for a number of hours, transferring their mineral content to the broth.  Vegetable broth is also called mineral broth.  Vegetable broth is a great source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  It’s also a great way to get complex briny flavors without using salt or added sodium.

Kabocha is an Asian variety of winter squash of the species Cucurbita maxima.  Kabocha is low in calories and carbohydrates but has a very sweet taste.  It’s high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber, Vitamin B6, Manganese, and Copper.  Kabocha is packed with antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory and promotes blood sugar regulation.

Shoyu is a type of soy sauce made from a fermented paste of boiled soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds.  Since shoyu is a fermented soy food is has medicinal and nutritional properties while avoiding the problems associated with unfermented soy foods. Scientists note the high concentration of “brown pigment” in shoyu, because of its strong antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Shoyu aids in the digestion of grains and vegetables while being rich in minerals.

Nutmeg is a spice derived from several species of tree in the genus Myristica.  It’s usually used as a ground powder of the hard seed produced by the trees.  You can use a Vitamix or Blendtec to grind nutmeg yourself!  Nutmeg is a powerful medicinal plant which provides a myriad of anti-fungal, anti-depressant, digestive, and disease-preventing benefits.

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum.  Cinnamon contains a range of volatile oils that help with blood sugar control, so is a great food to use in weight management. Cinnamon has strong anti-clotting and anti-microbial activity, and is very high in manganese.