We’re not talking about making preserves here, just a quick spread to refrigerate and use within a week. Stir it into vanilla yogurt—it’s better than fruit on the bottom.

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries

• 1/4 cup sugar (or 3 tbsp. granulated sugar substitute)

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Put berries in a small saucepan. Add sugar (or sweetener) and lemon juice. Cook on high just until the mixture starts to boil. Turn heat to medium and stir frequently, mashing berries with a spatula, to keep from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After about 15 minutes, most of the liquid should be cooked off. When you reach your desired consistency, let it cool and pour into a container to refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup

Each tablespoon serving contains about 18 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 0 g sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, and 0 g protein.