Health Benefits of Zucchini

One nutrient-rich vegetable you want to make sure you aren’t overlooking as part of a lean, healthy, diet is zucchini. While  Cucumber is the much more popular, and often consumed vegetable, zucchini, is often regarded as summer squash and packs a much more powerful nutritional punch.

Zucchini is a great addition to add to your diet cooked and with such a low calorie content, will work well with any diet you follow.

Let’s take a look at the nutritional benefits zucchini has to offer.

Did You Know?

·       Zucchini is an extremely good source of carotenoids, despite its lack of color that most people use to indicate high antioxidant content.

·       If you want to maintain the optimal nutritional density of the zucchini that you are preparing, opt for steaming over boiling or microwaving, both of which can cause the nutrients to seep out of the zucchini.

·       Zucchini has a high amount of the fiber known as pectin, which is also found in apples and appears to be especially beneficial for helping to fend off diabetes and manage your insulin levels better.

·       Zucchini does contain some starch, so while it’s not as calorie dense as typical starch-rich foods, it can provide a good energy source for those who are leading an active lifestyle.

·       You can easily store zucchini in the freezer until you are ready to eat it and this will not destroy any of the antioxidant and nutrient availability.

Super Star Nutrients

Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Manganese
Vitamin B2
Potassium
Folate
Magnesium
Vitamin A
Phosphorus
Vitamin K
Vitamin B1
Tryptophan
Copper
Vitamin B3

How They Help You Lose Weight

If you want a low calorie food that packs in a high nutritional punch, look no further than to that of zucchini. Zucchini is loaded with important vitamins and minerals that will help you maintain optimal health as you go about the weight loss process, which his important because if you don’t feel well as you diet, you won’t be sticking with that diet long.

Zucchini also offers a good dose of dietary fiber and with the added benefit of pectin controlling your blood glucose levels, this will reduce the risk that you experience unwanted food cravings between meals.

Grill it up, add it to salads, or simply steam it and serve it as a side dish – make sure you include zucchini in your diet soon.

After reading this, what new things did you learn about zucchini?  How are you going to include it in your diet?  Let me hear from you in the comment box below 🙂