More and more people are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle and adhere to proper nutrition. Diets are also widely used by both women and men.
Vegetables and fruits play an important role in losing weight, acting as a kind of “broom” that “sweeps” everything unnecessary from the body, helping to lose excess weight.
But, the most invaluable benefit in the difficult struggle for losing excess “ballast” is played by zucchini. You can give the vegetable any desired taste, prepare a variety of dishes from appetizers to desserts, and it is also ideal for weight loss.
Calorie content of zucchini is 27 kcal per 100 g.
Having moved from Mexico in the 16th century, the vegetable became incredibly popular and in demand. At first they were admired in botanical gardens. But, after tasting by Italians, the fruits began to be eaten all over the world.
It was picked both very small, from 10 cm, and grown to huge sizes in order to feed the whole family with one vegetable. John Handbury grew a fetus weighing 61 kg in the UK in 1998.
Let's celebrate! Thanks to its unique taste, ease of cultivation and an extensive list of medicinal properties, zucchini has become the No. 1 fruit around the world both for baby food and for the dietary table.
Why eat zucchini when losing weight
What makes zucchini so popular when it comes to creating a light diet?
1) Low calorie vegetable: 20-24 kilocalories, and high water content.
2) A variety of zucchini recipes. Zucchini is related to the cucumber, but cucumbers are almost always eaten raw. Zucchini is often cooked and cooks quickly. You can use them to prepare dishes with the main ingredient - zucchini, and add them to other dishes to reduce calories and increase juiciness. This vegetable goes well with many foods, as it itself has a neutral taste.
3) Useful qualities of zucchini: – easy digestibility, – remove excess water from the body, reducing swelling, – due to the content of dietary fiber and water, improve intestinal motility and remove toxins, – contain vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, micro- and macroelements.
Large zucchini - a type of zucchini
When zucchini season comes, I always have them in the refrigerator. Large and small, dark and light green, young and overgrown... I also buy in winter, but not so often.
I know several dozen recipes for zucchini and zucchini and include dishes from them on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t think that I’m on a zucchini diet, of course, I’ve met such people :). I am against mono-product diets: after them, those who lose weight break down, get fat and become wild. Much better is a balanced diet that includes a variety of zucchini and zucchini dishes in the menu!
In this article I will give only 11 recipes, and then you can get creative. Go!
How to serve and store
Can be served immediately or chilled. Or you can use the same blender to puree stewed zucchini, then the consistency will be like traditional caviar. But this is how you like it, I like stewed zucchini pieces.
When hot, it goes perfectly with boiled eggs or an omelet. In cold - with any pp-bread.
Keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (don't forget to cover).
The only drawback is that you can’t stock up on such caviar for the winter; unfortunately, the recipe is not suitable for preparations.
Lush omelet with zucchini
I really love this dish for breakfast. It is a little more difficult to prepare than a regular omelet or scrambled eggs. But the result is worth the effort. An airy omelet with zucchini will be appreciated by all family members, and you yourself will feel like you’re in an expensive restaurant.
Number of ingredients: 6 Cooking time: 15 minutes Calories per 100 g: 77 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 4.5 / 4.9 / 3.6
Ingredients:
Ingredients for a fluffy omelet with zucchini
Zucchini - 250 grams Bell pepper - 100 grams Tomato - 150 grams Eggs - 3 pieces Sour cream - 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil - 5 grams Herbs - 5 grams Salt - to taste
Beat the egg whites with a mixer
I separate the eggs into whites and yolks into 2 bowls deep enough to beat. I have these bowls. First, I beat the egg whites with a mixer. I do this with a mixer, but you can beat it with a whisk or a paddle, it just takes more time. You should get a fairly dense mixture.
Whisk the yolks and sour cream
Beat the yolks in another bowl with the addition of sour cream. I took the bowl deeper, since the yolks and sour cream splatter when whipped. If there is no sour cream, then it can be replaced with milk.
Carefully combine the whites and yolks to retain air in the mixture.
Pour half of the protein mixture into the yolks and mix with a mixer at low speed. And I pour the second part of the whites into the mixture with the yolks and carefully, even gently. I stir with a spoon so that its consistency remains airy and light. Then the omelette will remain fluffy.
Briefly sauté zucchini and bell pepper in a frying pan
I cut the zucchini into strips, the bell pepper - randomly. I send them to a heated frying pan with the addition of vegetable oil. I salt the vegetables. They simmer under the lid for 2-3 minutes, do not fry! I adjust the heat so that the vegetables and omelet do not burn.
Instead of bell peppers, you can take onions, celery or even champignons.
Pour in the mixture for a fluffy omelette
I spread the egg mixture, which is more like foam or protein cream, on top of the zucchini. Cover with a lid for 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, I chop the tomato and herbs.
When the omelette holds its shape, add tomato
When the foam has already taken a stable form, I spread tomatoes and herbs on the omelette.
Cover with a lid and turn off the heat, leaving to simmer for another 1-2 minutes. The omelette is ready!
A lush omelette with zucchini and vegetables is ready
It turned out light and juicy at the same time. The juiciness comes from the zucchini. You can serve it to the table, the omelette is so airy that it just melts in your mouth!
This dish of 3 eggs can feed three people for breakfast. And the calorie content of my omelet with the addition of zucchini and vegetables is 2 times lower than that of a regular omelet.
Frittata
If you are tired of the standard home-cooked omelet, you can make a frittata according to the following recipe:
- Fry onion, bell pepper, peeled and diced zucchini in vegetable oil. Salt and pepper everything.
- In a separate bowl, mix 3 eggs and half a glass of milk.
- Pour the contents of the bowl into the frying pan, pepper and salt.
Fry until the eggs are ready. You can add other vegetables to the frittata that your family likes.
Video
Zucchini casserole
The recipe for this casserole is quite famous. But recently I saw it in a new light - the casserole was prepared by a famous bodybuilder. The athlete was preparing for a competition and was drying out. The dish contains practically no fat, a lot of protein and zucchini. And he, as you know, removes water.
And this muscular man said he could eat zucchini casserole 3 times a day. In my opinion, this dish is suitable for breakfast or dinner.
Number of ingredients: 4 Cooking time: 30 minutes Calories per 100 g: 30 kcal Proteins / fats / carbohydrates: 2.4 / 0.5 / 3.9
Ingredients:
Casserole ingredients
Zucchini - 700 grams Egg whites - 5 pieces Vegetable oil - 2 grams Salt - to taste
I start cooking the casserole by turning on the oven and setting the heat to 200 degrees.
I grate zucchini with peel on a coarse grater.
I grate a large zucchini with peel. I use the zucchini variety in this recipe; it has less calories than zucchini. But for the dish you can use any variety of zucchini of any size.
Whites and yolks
I have small category 2 eggs, so I took 5 pieces. I only need whites in the recipe. I separate the egg whites from the yolks.
I beat the egg whites to add aeration.
A little secret: I beat the whites with a whisk until a small foam appears. They are filled with air and will add fluffiness to the casserole.
Mix the egg whites and zucchini
Carefully pour the egg whites into the bowl with the grated zucchini, add salt and stir. The photo shows that the egg white has a bubbly structure: I mixed everything carefully so that there was air in my mixture.
2 g of oil is enough to lubricate paper
I place a sheet of baking paper in the oven tray and grease it with vegetable oil using a silicone brush. I weighed the oil - it took me exactly 2 grams so that all the paper was covered with a thin layer. It’s better not to try this recipe without paper, you might get a surprise in the form of a crust that won’t come off.
Leveling the mixture in the tray
Carefully pour the mixture from the bowl onto the paper and spread it over the tray with a fork. So that the layer is uniform without bumps.
My oven has already heated up to 200 degrees. I send it to bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Zucchini and egg white casserole
I take the casserole out of the oven. It separates from the paper very easily; you can put a couple of large pieces on a plate.
Casserole serving 175 grams
This 175 gram serving contains only 53 kcal. The casserole turned out juicy, fluffy, protein-carbohydrate without unnecessary fat.
Eat healthy and enjoy!
Where should I put the yolks? I answer in a whisper: for shortbread dough, that’s where the yolks go. And from the dough I make wonderful cookies with apples. I cook it in the oven after baking. I'll eat it in the morning.
