10 Healthy Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini photo via Shutterstock.
Summer is zucchini season, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see piles of the summer squash at your local supermarket. Consuming zucchini, both raw and cooked, offers many health benefits— the vegetable is high in magnesium, a chemical which plays a central role in muscle contraction, and it’s also a source of fiber and folate, which aids in digestion and metabolism.
When it comes to cooking, zucchini is fairly easy to incorporate into any recipe because of its mild taste. It takes well to spices, and can be substituted for many carbohydrates, like noodles or bread. If you’re craving a healthy, robust, and flavorful meal, try one of these summer zucchini recipes.
1. Sautéed Julienned Summer Vegetables
By shredding carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash, you’ll end up with something that looks like a colorful pasta dish, but it’s actually a low-carb, gluten-free, Paleo friendly dinner. Saute the vegetables with garlic and a drizzle of olive, and top them with fresh basil.
2. Zucchini Pasta Recipe with Avocado-Cucumber Sauce
For this recipe, zucchini are noodles. The best part is that the noodles are topped with a creamy, fresh puree made from avocado, cucumber, basil, lemon, and garlic. Toss the pasta with the puree and a handful of arugula, and serve the dish with chopped heirloom tomatoes.
3. Stuffed Zucchini
Stuffed zucchini is a simple dinner choice because you can stuff the zucchini with whatever you may have on hand in the refrigerator. After you’ve created a hollow “boat” out of the zucchini, this recipe suggests stuffing the squash with chopped zucchini, onion, tomatoes, curry powder, cheese, and parsley.
4. Zucchini Muffins
Zucchini is a great dinner ingredient, but did you know that it can also be added to desserts? For these muffins, which are super moist because of the zucchini, you’ll add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter, and ground almonds will act as a garnish. If you feel like splurging, top the muffins with cream cheese frosting.
5. Baked Healthy Zucchini Chips
If you’re craving potato chips, try this healthier version instead. Simply slice a zucchini into thin medallions, season the medallions with any seasoning you choose (garlic, paprika, chili powder, etc.), brush them with cooking spray or olive oil, and bake for 30 to 50 minutes in a 225 degree oven.
6. Garlic Roasted Zucchini
The easiest (and often tastiest) way to cook zucchini is to roast it in the oven. This recipe suggests roasting the summer squash with garlic cloves, rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
7. Zucchini Healthy Breakfast Scramble
There’s no better way to start your day than with something that’s filling, flavorful, and nutritious. Although you can add anything you’d like to your scramble, this recipe suggests incorporating bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, and feta cheese into your scrambled eggs.
8. Grilled Zucchini Recipe
It’s summer, so fire up the BBQ and grill your zucchini. For this recipe, you’ll marinade the zucchini for a few hours in your favorite vinaigrette and dried Italian herbs. To get criss-cross grill marks, rotate each piece after 3 to 4 minutes on the grill.
9. Curried Zucchini Cakes
Fritters are amazing, but they can also be incredibly high calorie. Theses are made from a mixture of zucchini, carrots, and onions, though, so they are lower in calories than your standard fritter. Plus, the incorporation of goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and curry powder makes them flavorful, too.
10. Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
Pick up some fresh pizza dough at your local supermarket (or make your own), then garnish the dough with goat cheese, thinly sliced zucchini, and chopped red bell peppers. This recipe calls for homemade tomato sauce, but if you’re short on time, you can pick up a low calorie brand at the store, too.
