People generally are not a fan of vegetables, but most will make an exception to this one vegetable. That's right, we are talking about Zucchini! Known for its mild flavor and versatility, it's a favorite of professional chefs and home cooks alike.
Even people who are absolutely noob in cooking admit that Zucchini is their favorite vegetable! You can use it in any recipe and make it work!
But is Zucchini just about its delicious taste or is it good for our health as well? And to that, we say yes! Zucchini is so healthy that experts suggest eating Zucchini at least thrice a week.
But don't let Zucchini be limited to just three days of your week, because once we are done telling you all the health benefits the humble zucchini comes with, you'll be running to eat it every day!
What is Zucchini?
Alright, let's get one thing straight about Zucchini. It is actually not a vegetable! Yes, we know it looks like a vegetable considering it's all green on the outside, but zucchini is actually a fruit going by the rules of science.
And that green color skin has a good explanation as well! You see, zucchini is actually a summer squash that is plucked before fully ripe. In simple words, it is harvested and eaten while it's still immature and thus immature.
This makes Zucchini different from other squashes, and the other fact is that Zucchini has a soft rind.
Now, this is the science part. What about history? And there's a lot of history to cover on this 'technically fruit but eaten like a vegetable! Zucchini was first cultivated in Central America which is present-day Mexico, making it a native to that land.
But it soon spread all over the world thanks to trade. Zucchini made its first international appearance during the 1600s in Italian kitchens. By the time the 1900s rolled in, everyone across the world knew this green summer squash as zucchini!
Try these easy and Delicious Zucchini Recipes
- Savory Cheddar Zucchini Bread With Thyme Butter
- Low Carb Keto Zucchini Fritters without Flour
- Simplest Roasted Zucchini with Spaghetti
- Low Carb Zucchini Carrots Tater Tots
- Keto Quinoa Zucchini Muffins - (No Flour, No Sugar, No Oats)
- Thai Lemongrass Coconut Fried Rice With Zucchini
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- KETO Zucchini Meatballs (No Breadcrumbs)
- Baked Zucchini Casserole (KETO)
- Lemon Zucchini Pasta Recipe
The many health benefits of Zucchini
Zucchini is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. We will just show you Zucchini's nutrient profile and let all the big names do the talking for us!
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Folate
- Potassium
- Protein
- Carbohydrates (the healthy ones, mind you!)
- Fiber
- Antioxidants (like lutein and zeaxanthin)
But what do all these nutrients mean for our health? Well, continue reading and we'll tell you exactly how good they are for your health!
Zucchini can actually prevent cancer. That's right, it can prevent something like cancer all thanks to the antioxidants present in it.
Extensive research has proven that compounds like zeaxanthin work against the development of cancerous cells in the human body. And just guess which summer squash happens to be rich in such compounds? That's right, it's zucchini!
Diabetes has become an epidemic in numerous countries across the globe thanks to our modern lifestyle and food habits. So including a low sugar value food like zucchini in your regular diet already helps you a lot against any risk of diabetes.
But in addition to this, Zucchini also comes with the perk of being exceptionally rich in Vitamin B6. But why is this vitamin so important? Past research has shown that Vitamin B6 assists in the management of glucose levels in human blood.
And the less sugar you have in your blood, the less is the chance of you developing diabetes in the near future!
These days every other second child has spectacles resting on their noses. Well maybe if they ate more Zucchini that wouldn't happen!
Want to know why zucchini is so good at keeping your eyes healthy? It's because of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin present in your Zucchini! These antioxidants will protect your and your children's eyes from the dangerous blue light wavelengths by filtering them out!
In fact, further research has shown that incorporating foods that are rich in such antioxidants (like Zucchini) in your diet goes a long way in avoiding future eye-related problems, including even Cataracts!
If you are fed up with your current weight and want to get back in shape, then maybe consider switching out all your pasta and noodles with zucchini Noodles!
This summer squash is ridiculously low in its sugar value, while also carrying sufficient healthy carbohydrates and low calories. But don't worry if zucchini is enough to fill you up for the rest of the day, as it is also rich in fiber.
Foods rich in fiber not only keep you full for the rest of the day but also keep your digestive system healthy and your weight healthily regulated!
Zucchini while also being plentiful in fiber also contains a rare type of fiber called pectin. Now this pectin for its short name comes with a long list of health benefits.
The main benefit being that it can reduce bad cholesterol which is harmful to your heart. Lower levels of cholesterol have been indicated to prevent serious heart diseases.
So yes, Zucchini not only keeps you away from cancer but from heart diseases as well!
Prostate cancer is on the rise among men, and if you are reading this then you should rightfully be worried about it. But don't worry, because zucchini is here to save men from any risk of prostate cancer!
Research on Zucchini has given us promising evidence that Zucchini's seed extracts can keep prostates healthy among men. It also reduced the risk of prostate inflammation and swelling, thus protecting men from any urinary or sexual difficulties, especially among older men!
If you think that you just need calcium to keep your bones healthy then boy are you wrong! Nutrients like Vitamin K and magnesium are also vital towards your very important bone health, and Zucchini just happens to be a rich source of both these nutrients!
But is Zucchini easy to cook?
If you are worried that Zucchini is a high-maintenance food that needs too much peeling and cleaning, then stop right there! Zucchini is possibly amongst the easiest vegetables you can ever work with.
You don't even need to peel! And you should actually not peel Zucchinis, because so many good nutrients are present in that peel!
Just wash your Zucchini under running water, or if you want to be extra safe, use a vegetable wash to disinfect it. Then you're free to do whatever you want with your Zucchini! And there are so many ways in which you can cook it!
Although, a word of advice before you go off to buy zucchini for today's dinner. Some people can be allergic to zucchini, so you should get that checked before you indulge in this summer squash. In addition to this, a vegetable is only healthy if it's cooked in a healthy manner. So make sure you don't stir fry your zucchini in excess oil, or worse put too much sauce in your zucchini pasta. Just go for the minimalist approach when cooking zucchini and you'll get the best health benefits (and taste!) from them!
You can straight up eat zucchini raw with just a bit of olive oil and salt drizzled over it. You can make the French class Ratatouille with it! You can even substitute your gluten heavy pasta and noodles with Zoodles! You can make a number of delicious things with zucchini, so many that we'll run out of space telling you all about them! So get started experimenting with Zucchini but try these amazing recipes first!
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