Zucchini is one of the least-calorie and most healthy vegetables, so those who follow a low-calorie diet or just want to eat right should pay special attention to it and include it in their diet. Zucchini is easily digested, and also has a positive effect on the state of digestion and skin.
The energy value of this useful vegetable is only 24 kilocalories per 100 grams, and this is really a small figure, because the average daily calorie intake for an adult varies between 2,000 and 4,000 kilocalories depending on gender, weight, and the amount of physical training. In addition, zucchini contains such useful substances as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamins of groups B and C.
There are many types of zucchini, but for dietary dishes the best choice would be zucchini or young zucchini of any other species.
The fact is that they are prepared faster and easier than fully ripe large zucchini, because with them you can not cut off the skin, and the fruits are tender and juicy.
There are many options for cooking zucchini, from them you can do almost anything you want, starting with first courses and ending with desserts. Squashes can be stewed, boiled, fried, baked, made of snacks and blanks. It is important that the taste of zucchini is quite high, despite their low calorie content.
Dietary first courses of zucchini for weight loss
Soups are traditionally considered to be one of the lowest-calorie, but at the same time nourishing dishes, so they are loved both by those who want to lose weight, and supporters of a healthy diet. Various options of soups are made from zucchini, but they all combine low calorie and pleasant memorable taste.
Spicy squash cream soup
This soup is not only delicious, but also beautifully served, so it will not be a shame to cook it for guests and even put on a festive table. Cooking is easy and fast. To prepare 2 servings of this soup, you will need:
- 400 g zucchini (better - zucchini varieties);
- 100-200 ml of cream (preferably a small fat content, for example, 10%);
- 1 spoon (tea) salt;
- pinch of curry powder;
- fresh dill - 2-3 sprigs;
- 15 g crackers.
How much to cook: 20 minutes.
Caloric content: 54 kcal per 100 grams.
First of all, wash the zucchini and grate on a fine grater. If the zucchini is small, it is not necessary to cut off the peel and remove the seeds.
Rub the mass into the cooking container, add a little water and cook, covered with a lid, for 5 minutes. Add salt and grind with a blender. In the mixture, add the cream and curry, mix thoroughly. Garnish with dill, add croutons and serve.
Soup with zucchini and other vegetables
Vegetables - the best food for weight loss, and vegetable soup must be part of a healthy person's diet that supports the form. To make this vegetable soup, take:
- 250 g zucchini, preferably - a variety of zucchini;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 2 potatoes;
- 5 black peppercorns;
- 1 small onion;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 3 garlic cloves (medium);
- 2 bay leaves;
- fresh dill;
- salt (to taste).
How much to cook: 1 hour.
Calories: 37 kcal per 100 grams.
First you need to cut all the vegetables. Boil the potatoes (cook for about 15 minutes), fry the carrots and onions in a pan, put the zucchini and fry everything together for another 10 minutes. Remove the peel from a tomato, cut it and stew it with vegetables for about 5 minutes.
The next step is to add all the vegetables from the pan to the soup, wait for the soup to boil, and add spices, herbs and garlic. When, after these actions, the soup comes to a boil again, it must be turned off and left under the lid closed.
After 10 minutes the soup can be served, seasoned with sour cream if desired. In order to make the soup more nourishing, you can cook it not just in water, but in meat (or vegetable) broth.
The second dishes from zucchini
One should not think, however, that zucchini, because of its low calorie content, is suitable only for cooking light soups.
Such dishes have the full right to be called dietetic, because their caloric content is several times less than that of similar dishes, where instead of a zucchini they use, say, potatoes or some kind of cereal. Consider a diet of second courses of zucchini for weight loss.
Zucchini Casserole with Chicken
Zucchini and chicken fillet are a great combination: both products are considered dietary, but they have a bright taste and are perfect for each other. To prepare a casserole, you need the following products:
- 1 chicken fillet;
- 1.5 kg zucchini;
- 2 sprigs of green onions;
- onions - 1 head;
- 100 g of cheese;
- 3 spoons (table) low-fat sour cream and the same amount of vegetable oil;
- sprig of fragrant basil;
- 1 spoon (table) of fresh parsley;
- 1 spoon (teaspoon) paprika;
- 1 spoon (teaspoon) turmeric;
- 2 eggs;
- 80 g of flour;
- seasoning to taste.
How much to cook: 1 hour.
Caloric content: 116 kcal per 100 grams.
Fillet cut into slices, season, add one spoonful of oil and fry in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Chop green onions, basil and parsley, grate cheese, cut zucchini into small plates, onions into small cubes.
All chopped ingredients and fried chicken combine in one container. Put eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper, spices, flour and the remaining butter in a separate bowl, beat well.
Combine the two mixtures in heat-resistant form, pre-lightly oiled, mix. Bake for 40 minutes, adjusting the oven to a temperature of 180 degrees. Serve with your favorite vegetable salad.
Zucchini Stew
Stew is a universal diet food: it can be served both as a separate dish and as a side dish for meat. Prepare this dish is not difficult. You will need the following products:
- 2 not too large zucchini;
- 1 sweet pepper;
- 1 carrot;
- 1-2 tomatoes;
- 1 small onion head;
- about 30 grams of sunflower oil (for frying);
- 2-3 not too large garlic cloves;
- greenery;
- salt (to taste).
How much to cook: 40 minutes.
Caloric content: 51 kcal per 100 grams.
Prepare vegetables for cooking: wash, peel. Cut the zucchini into cubes, grate carrots, chop the pepper into straws, onions - rings, tomatoes - into slices. Put all vegetables in a preheated cooking container.
Fry in vegetable oil for about 20 minutes, stirring as often as possible and trying not to add water. Toward the end of cooking add finely chopped herbs and garlic, salt. Serve immediately from the stove.
Other diet dishes containing zucchini
In addition to the first and second courses, zucchini can be used to make salads, snacks, make blanks and even desserts. For those who want to lose weight, zucchini can really become an indispensable product. Below are recipes for salads and snacks from zucchini for weight loss.
Salad of zucchini, apples and carrots
This salad with an unusual savory taste will appeal to lovers of trying and discovering something new. To prepare this light and tasty salad, take:
- 350 g young (or canned) zucchini;
- 50 g carrots;
- 100 g fresh apples;
- some lemon juice;
- 30 g of mayonnaise;
- green onions to taste;
- salt to taste
How much to cook: 15 minutes.
Caloric content: 67 kcal per 100 grams.
Cooking this salad is extremely simple: you only need to cut vegetables and apples (best of all - straws), sprinkle with lemon juice, add chopped onion, salt and mix, adding mayonnaise. This is a great option for a light snack or the beginning of a meal.
Squash caviar
To cook the same delicious zucchini caviar, which is sold in the store (or even tastier), it is not necessary to be a chef. Just follow the recipe and you will have the opportunity to enjoy the taste of this snack from the can for a long time. You will need the following:
- 3 zucchini;
- 1 carrot;
- 2 onions;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 3 spoons (tablespoons) of tomato paste;
- some vegetable oil;
- salt and pepper to taste.
How much to cook: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Calories: 36 kcal per 100 grams.
Prepare vegetables: wash, peel. Grind onions with a knife, grate carrots on a not very fine grater, fry them together in a small amount of oil. Zucchini cut and fry (separate from onions and carrots).
After that, add carrots, onions and zucchini in one pan, add spices, simmer for an hour, if necessary, adding a little water. Approximately 15 minutes before the caviar is ready, add the garlic (minced) and tomato paste, mix well.
When the mixture has cooled, you need to grind it with a blender. Caviar zucchini ready!
Zucchini Pancakes
Pancakes with zucchini is not only unusual, but also delicious! Even children, who usually refuse to eat vegetables, eat them with pleasure. The cooking process is almost the same as that of ordinary pancakes. All you need is:
- 400 g fresh zucchini;
- 350 g of flour;
- 4 eggs;
- 2 tablespoons parsley;
- 300 ml of low-fat kefir;
- 1 spoon (table) of vegetable oil;
- 1 spoon (tea) salt;
- a pinch of soda.
How much to cook: 1 hour.
Calorie: 138 kcal per 100 grams.
Wash squash and grate on a medium grater, carefully squeeze the juice through a sieve. Add kefir, eggs (pre-whipped), salt, mix well. Chop the parsley and add to the mixture.
After that, gradually pour in the flour, knead the dough (check that it is not too thick). Add oil and soda, mix. After 20 minutes, you can fry pancakes. Shape pancakes in a heated pan, oiled, fry until golden brown.
Finished pancakes can be smeared with vegetable oil, add to them various fillings or just eat with sour cream.
Secrets of cooking delicious diet zucchini dishes
How to cook zucchini? In order to make light dietary dishes from this vegetable really tasty, just listen to a few simple tips.
As mentioned above, the most suitable for processing zucchini are young fruits of any kind or zucchini variety: they can not be peeled or seeds should be removed from them. However, this does not mean that large and ripe fruits cannot be used at all. It is enough to clean them of coarse rind, pull out all the seeds - and their dishes will be no less tasty than from young fruits.
The most common method of cooking zucchini is to roast them in a pan. It is necessary to follow this process very carefully: zucchini quickly absorb the oil on which they roast, and because of this they can burn. In order not to overcook zucchini, in the process of cooking, you can cover them with foil so that they “reach” themselves and not turn out to be too dry (inside they should remain slightly damp).
Remember that zucchini is perfectly combined with garlic, which is why it is present in almost all recipes with this vegetable.
If you want to make a side dish of zucchini (without using other vegetables), add garlic to them, and then their taste will surely conquer all who try them.
Zucchini can be served simply as a snack with any sauce. This is not worse than french fries, but many times more useful. And taking into account the fact that zucchini is tasty both in cold and hot, it is definitely to say that they are able to give odds to any other snacks.
So, as can be seen from everything written above, zucchini is a truly indispensable vegetable. The dishes that you can cook from it are so varied and not similar to each other, that it is not possible to single out one of them as the most delicious.
That is why zucchini is unlikely to quickly get tired of you even with daily use. If you have this vegetable in your fridge, you can be sure that the dish made from it will not disappoint you.
And with all this, zucchini is a dietary product, therefore, preparing dishes from it, you can not worry about extra pounds - they will not appear. By making this vegetable a part of your daily diet (for example, replacing the usual high-calorie side dishes with it), you can lose weight much faster than expected.
Another version of the diet zucchini dishes - in the next video.
