Zucchini is rightly called one of the most versatile products. Its fruits have an extremely low calorie content - 17 kcal per 100g. Zucchini is also valuable because it can be widely used in dietary and diabetic nutrition, and zucchini juice calms the nervous system. With zucchini, as with potatoes, you can do anything: stew, fry, boil, bake, as well as roll, stuff and make caviar from them.
Taking this opportunity, you simply cannot help but try to prepare something completely new and original from valuable fruits and thereby please your loved ones.
Zucchini Lasagna
This dish will be appreciated by those who watch their figure, because this lasagna, unlike the classic one, is prepared from vegetables and minced chicken. In addition, the dish can be prepared quite quickly - in just 50 minutes.
Ingredients:
- Young zucchini – 400 g.
- Minced chicken – 300 g.
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Carrots – 1 pc.
- Low-fat cheese – 100 g.
- Natural yogurt – 4 tbsp.
- Egg – 1 pc.
- Tomato paste – 1 tbsp.
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
Preparation:
- In a frying pan, fry minced chicken, chopped onion, grated carrots with a little oil, add a little water, simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Add tomato paste, fry for 3 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut the zucchini into thin slices; cover the bottom of a container with high edges in which the lasagna will be prepared with half of the slices.
- Place half of the minced meat on the zucchini.
- In a separate container, beat the egg with yogurt and salt, pour half of the mixture over the minced meat.
- Repeat all layers.
- Sprinkle the lasagna with grated cheese and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
- Once the zucchini has become soft and the cheese has browned, you can remove it from the oven.
Frittata with zucchini
Frittata is an Italian omelette prepared with cheese, vegetables, sausage or meat fillings. Typically, a frittata is prepared on the stovetop, then finished in the oven. If you're bored with the traditional omelet, you can try to freshen up the famous recipe by adding zucchini to it.
Ingredients:
- Eggs – 5 pcs.
- Zucchini – 180 g.
- Onion – 40 g.
- Carrots – 30 g.
- Greens – 20 g.
- Vegetable oil – 30 g.
- Salt - to taste.
Preparation:
- Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots on a fine grater.
- Fry the onion for a few minutes in vegetable oil, add carrots, a little water, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Peel the zucchini from seeds and skin, cut into small cubes, add to the onions and carrots and simmer all together for 5 minutes, add salt.
- Beat the eggs in a blender, add salt and finely chopped herbs.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs and vegetable mixture, then place in a baking dish. Place in a preheated oven.
- The cooking time for the frittata depends on the thickness of the mixture in the mold and can be from 10 to 40 minutes. As a result of baking, the mixture should no longer be liquid. Decorate the finished dish with herbs.
Zucchini fritters with sesame seeds
Although this is the simplest and most famous recipe for a zucchini dish, it can be varied and made much healthier. They say that if you add sesame seeds to pancakes, they will acquire a special taste and become doubly healthier.
Ingredients
- Zucchini - 500 g.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Garlic - 3-4 cloves.
- Parsley - 1 bunch.
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Salt - to taste.
- Ground black pepper - to taste.
- Sesame - 1-2 tbsp. l.
- Premium wheat flour - 4-5 tbsp. l.
- Vegetable oil - 4-5 tbsp. l.
Preparation
- Wash and peel the vegetables, remove the peel and seeds from the zucchini.
- Grate the zucchini on a coarse grater and squeeze out the juice. Add grated carrots, chopped parsley and squeezed garlic to the zucchini.
- Add egg, salt, spices and sesame seeds, mix.
- Add flour and mix again.
- Place a tablespoon of the zucchini mixture onto the heated vegetable oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve pancakes with sour cream or other sauce of your choice.
Zucchini in sour cream
This dish has a special delicate taste. You can serve zucchini in sour cream either as a side dish or as an independent dish.
- Zucchini - 1 kg.
- Onions (large) - 1 pc.
- Garlic - 2 teeth.
- Sour cream - 150-200 ml.
- Wheat flour - 2/3 cup.
- Salt.
- Black pepper (ground).
- Vegetable oil (for frying).
Preparation:
- Without peeling, cut the zucchini into slices.
- Mix flour with salt, roll the sliced circles in it.
- Fry the zucchini in flour on both sides and place on a plate.
- Cut the onion into rings, fry until golden brown.
- Place the fried zucchini in a frying pan and place the onion on top.
- Dilute sour cream with water until kefir thickens, add salt, pepper, squeeze garlic into sour cream, stir.
- Add the sauce to the zucchini, cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat until the sour cream thickens (15-20 minutes).
Potato and zucchini casserole with cream sauce
A light potato casserole with zucchini and creamy sauce - just what you need for the summer season!
Ingredients:
- Zucchini – 400 g.
- Milk – 300 ml.
- Cream 10-20% – 200 ml.
- Chicken eggs – 3 pcs.
- Garlic – 1 clove.
- Salt – ½ tsp.
- Cheese – 100 g.
- Potatoes – 500 g.
Preparation:
- Mix milk, cream, eggs, salt, grated garlic clove, stir.
- Grease a baking dish with oil and place the zucchini cut into rings.
- Pour the creamy sauce over the vegetables and place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 60 minutes.
- 10 minutes before ready, sprinkle the casserole with grated cheese, and then bake until fully cooked.
- Let the finished dish stand for 10-15 minutes.
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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.
Useful and healing properties of zucchini
The chemical composition includes vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, PP; organic acids, potassium, iron, magnesium, carotene, due to which:
- easily digestible and has a stimulating effect on the intestines;
- participates in the production of collagen, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, which often loses its elasticity due to diets;
- improves vision and the condition of hair, nails, teeth, which often deteriorate from strict diets;
- has a beneficial effect on brain function, which is important when there is a lack of sugar;
- strengthens the muscles necessary for physical training while losing weight;
- stimulates the liver, which is involved in cleansing the body of “harmful substances”;
- acts as a natural adsorbent and diuretic, helping to remove accumulated salts and water from the body along with toxins and waste and improves kidney function;
- reduces cholesterol and prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques;
- has a positive effect on blood quality;
- quickly saturates, while accelerating metabolism;
Note! In addition, it has antiallergic, choleretic properties and is indicated for cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, hepatitis, colitis, atherosclerosis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, and obesity. Zucchini is not allergenic and is included in children's, medicinal and dietary menus.
Recipes for dietary zucchini dishes for weight loss
For a diet menu from zucchini, you can prepare more than 100 dishes from appetizers to dessert with minimal calorie content; we will consider the most delicious ones in detail with step-by-step preparation.
Diet stews
Stew can be made from all the vegetables that don't sit well in the refrigerator. For this recipe we will take only basic products.
However, you can add white cabbage as a natural fat burner, beets for intestinal motility and better digestibility, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms as vegetable protein instead of meat.
Calories per 100 finished product – 70-75.
Ingredients:
- zucchini – 1.8 kg;
- tomatoes – 0.5 kg;
- carrots – 400 gr;
- onion – 300 gr;
- garlic;
- salt, spices.
Preparation:
- Wash the zucchini, remove the peel and seeds. The young fruit can be left as is.
- Cut the onion into rings, grate or cut the carrots into strips.
- Simmer chopped vegetables in a thick-bottomed frying pan, slow cooker or vog.
- Add grated or chopped tomatoes. Can be replaced with tomato paste (not sauce). Simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini to the vegetables and simmer over medium heat without a lid (if you want a drier texture) or low heat under a lid (if you want an almost puree-like mass).
- 3-5 minutes before readiness, add finely chopped or pressed garlic.
Garnish with dill or your favorite herbs.
Zucchini soup
May have different variations: chicken or vegetable broth; with or without cream, cheese; in the form of puree or regular soup; with the addition of cereals or potatoes if desired. Let's give an example of the most high-calorie recipe, which does not exceed 70 kcal. Without potatoes and cheese, calorie content is reduced to 35-40.
Ingredients:
- chicken breast or soup set – 500 g;
- water – 2 l;
- zucchini - 1 kg for puree and 500 g for regular;
- carrots – 150 gr;
- potatoes – 150 gr;
- any cheese – 150 gr;
- cream – 250 gr;
- garlic, pepper, salt, spices to taste.
Preparation:
- Immerse the washed chicken (or vegetables in the case of vegetable broth) in cold water and immediately add salt.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes after boiling.
- Add grated vegetables (or diced, but the cooking time will increase), cereals (millet, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat).
- Cook until all vegetables are softened.
- Grate the cheese into the broth and pour in the cream. Boil.
- Blend with a blender to form a paste if necessary.
- Season hot soup with garlic and pepper if desired.
- Garnish with any herbs, rye crackers and season with cream or sour cream.
Porridge with zucchini
It is prepared according to the principle of the well-known pumpkin-millet porridge. There are also many variations: with and without milk; with sugar or honey; with millet, rice, oatmeal; with pumpkin. Here is the highest calorie option with sugar, not exceeding 100 kcal per 100 grams.
Ingredients:
- zucchini – 1 kg;
- pumpkin – 1 kg;
- rice – 500 gr;
- millet – 500 gr;
- water – 1 l;
- milk – 1 l;
- sugar – 50 g;
- salt to taste.
Preparation:
- Bring water and milk to a boil and add salt.
- Place grated or finely chopped pumpkin and zucchini.
- Cook until soft, add washed cereal.
- Cook over low heat covered or in the oven at minimum temperature until the millet is ready.
- Season the finished porridge with sugar or add honey to taste.
Steamed zucchini fritters
The recipe with flour and whole eggs has 80-90 kcal per 100 g. If you squeeze the zucchini well under a press and add only whites instead of whole eggs, the calorie content will be halved.
Ingredients:
- grated zucchini – 400-600 g;
- flour – 100 gr;
- eggs – 1-3 pcs.;
- greenery;
- spices, salt.
Preparation:
- Add a little salt, transfer to a colander and press with a press (pan filled with water).
- Beat in the eggs, add chopped herbs and flour.
- Form cutlets, place on a steamer or multicooker tray, pour the required amount of water into the bowl and turn on the appropriate program. Or pour water into a saucepan, place a wire rack or colander on top, place the pancakes and steam. Or pour a little water into a baking sheet, place a wire rack on top and place the zucchini cutlets, bake in a preheated oven for at least 30 minutes.
- Decorate the finished pancakes with herbs and serve with sour cream.
Casserole with zucchini
Any vegetables will do, you can add mushrooms, boiled or canned beans. For 100 grams of finished casserole, 80-85 kcal.
Required:
- zucchini – 600 gr;
- onion – 150 gr;
- carrots – 150 gr;
- mushrooms – 300 gr;
- sour cream – 250 gr;
- cheese – 250 gr;
- eggs – 3 pcs.;
- herbs, seasonings, spices;
- vegetable oil for the mold.
Preparation:
- Chop the zucchini and blanch.
- Sauté carrots, peppers, mushrooms, onions in a frying pan with a minimum amount of oil.
- Place all vegetables on a baking sheet covered with foil and greased with vegetable oil.
- Mix eggs, sour cream, grated cheese and chopped herbs, you can add garlic.
- Serve vegetables with cheese and sour cream sauce.
- Bake at 180°C oven for at least 40 minutes.
Serve with your favorite sauce.
Dish of zucchini and tomatoes
Zucchini is more suitable for this recipe. Despite the presence of mayonnaise, it has only 59 kcal per 100 g. If you replace cheese with cottage cheese and mayonnaise with sour cream, the calorie content will decrease by a third.
Ingredients:
- zucchini – 3 pcs.;
- tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
- mayonnaise – 1 tbsp;
- processed cheese – 150 gr;
- garlic – 1 head;
- greenery;
- salt.
Preparation:
- Cut the zucchini into rings, add salt and leave for 10-15 minutes.
- Mix grated cheese, pressed garlic, cheese and herbs.
- Grease a circle of zucchini with cheese and mayonnaise sauce, put a circle of tomato, coat with sauce again.
- Place on a greased baking sheet or wire rack.
- Bake in grill mode or at the very top of the oven at 200°C for 40-50 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and herbs.
Zucchini soup with mushrooms
The calorie content of the finished dish is 36 kcal per 100 g. If you do not sauté the vegetables and do not add potatoes, the calorie content will decrease by a third.
Ingredients:
- mushrooms – 300 gr;
- zucchini – 300 gr;
- potatoes - 3 pcs;
- carrots – 2 pcs.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- green onion – 1 pc.;
- greens, salt, pepper, bay leaf;
- water – 500 gr.
Preparation:
- Boil wild mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini) for 30 minutes, drain. Just wash the oyster mushrooms and champignons.
- Immerse chopped mushrooms in boiling water.
- Chop the onion, grate the carrots and sauté in vegetable oil.
- Cut the potatoes and zucchini into cubes and add to the mushrooms. Add the saved vegetables there.
- After boiling, add salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
- Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are done.
- Add finely chopped green onions and herbs.
Note! It is possible to add cream, puree with a blender and serve as a puree soup. Garnish with herbs and rye crackers.
Squash caviar
Celery plays a huge role in weight loss. Therefore, we will give an example of squash caviar with celery root. Calorie content is 95 kcal per 100 g. Caviar without frying vegetables will help reduce calories.
Ingredients:
- zucchini – 3 pcs.;
- celery root – 1 pc.;
- onions – 100 g;
- carrots – 150 gr;
- dry mustard – 5-7 g;
- spices;
- salt.
Preparation:
- Grate the zucchini on a coarse grater.
- Fry onions and carrots.
- Dilute mustard with boiled warm water in a ratio of 1:10.
- Chop the greens.
- Mix everything, add 100 grams of water.
- Cook after boiling for about an hour until a puree-like mass forms.
Let cool and serve with bread.
Pickled zucchini
Vegetables according to this recipe can be eaten after 3 days. If long-term storage is desired, the chopped fruits are placed in jars with horseradish and currant leaves. Calorie content is 20 kcal per 100 g.
Ingredients:
- zucchini – 500 gr;
- citric acid – 1 g;
- salt – 2 tsp;
- sugar – 2 tsp;
- dill;
- peppercorns;
- water – 500 ml.
Preparation:
- Cut the zucchini into circles or plates. Place in the required container, sprinkle with dill.
- Pour salt, sugar, lemon, pepper into the water and boil.
- Pour in the marinade and leave for 3 days.
Let's celebrate! The example of dishes shows how you can significantly reduce the calorie content of any dish. You just need to follow a few simple rules.
How to cook healthy food from zucchini - useful tips
Almost any recipe can be “turned” into a dietary recipe with simple tips:
- It is quite possible to stew food in water.
- Fry without oil using a grill, special mats, in a non-stick pan or in baking paper.
- Replace mayonnaise with sour cream.
- Instead of whole eggs, use only whites.
- If you cannot refuse potatoes as part of a dietary dish, you can boil them separately in their skins. Moreover, it is not often possible to boil potatoes without oil.
- The lack of salt recommended in diets can be compensated for with herbs, spices, a small amount of soy sauce or apple cider vinegar.
Note! Proper nutrition and many diets are built on the basis of these principles, including the zucchini diet and zucchini fasting days, but the vegetable must be chosen and prepared correctly.
How to choose zucchini for dietary nutrition?
You should choose fruits that have not reached enormous sizes. The optimal option is considered to be a vegetable no more than 30 cm.
The peel also matters. To prepare dishes from whole (cut in half or slices) vegetables, it is better to choose green fruits; they are juicier, more tender, practically seedless, and you can cook them with the skin.
For recipes where you need to grate fruits, you can use yellow and white ones. The number and size of seeds are larger, but the pulp has a denser texture and produces less juice.
Is it possible to lose weight on zucchini?
Zucchini diet
The zucchini diet can last from 3 to 14 days. The basis is the rules described above, in addition:
- refusal of alcohol, sugar, flour and canned food and potatoes;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime;
- drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day, and you need to drink it 30 minutes before and at least 30 minutes after meals;
- It is advisable to replace coffee and tea with herbal decoctions (chamomile, rose hips, linden, ginger-lemon drink and the like), fruit drinks, unsweetened compotes, and dilute fresh juices in half with water;
- try to heat-treat the zucchini as little as possible;
- If the diet lasts more than 3 days, it is recommended to take a vitamin complex.
During the diet, you are allowed to eat only 1.5 kg of zucchini in any form (except frying), a couple of glasses of kefir, fruits (except banana and grapes), other vegetables, cottage cheese, lean fish and meat (no more than 150 grams per day ), 10 grams of vegetable oil and honey per day, bran, crispbread, a slice of day-old rye bread in the morning, 2 hard-boiled eggs, natural yoghurts.
An approximate daily diet might look like this:
- Breakfast: vegetable/fruit salad with natural yogurt/zucchini stew.
- 2nd breakfast: fruit/baked zucchini.
- Lunch: stewed zucchini with meat/fish.
- Snack: fruit/dried fruit/stew/squash caviar with bread.
- Dinner: vegetable salad/stew/baked zucchini.
Let's celebrate! During the zucchini diet, you can lose from 2 to 14 kg, depending on the duration and compliance with the recommendations.
Fasting day at zucchini
Allows consumption of 2 kg of zucchini in any form, except frying, and at least 2 liters of clean water. In one day of unloading you can get rid of 1 to 1.5 kg.
If this option is difficult to endure, you can add a couple of fruits/vegetables/berries/fresh juice/kefir/cottage cheese, but weight loss will be significantly lower.
It is not only possible to lose weight on zucchini, but it is also advisable to unload the body at least once every three months. A healthy vegetable will not only help remove excess fat, it will saturate the body with the necessary healing components.
Let's celebrate! And during the summer squash season, the healthy fruit simply must be in the diet at least once a week. Moreover, dietary zucchini dishes are not only healthy and low-calorie, but also tasty and varied.
Zucchini and zucchini are vegetables that are ideal for weight loss diets and proper nutrition. They contain very few calories, but can be very filling, especially when combined with other foods.
These recipes are ideal for weight loss, dishes are prepared quickly and tasty, which saves time and improves your mood. Oven-baked zucchini requires virtually no oil and goes well with dietary foods such as eggplant and chicken (especially chicken breast). And you don’t have to rack your brains about how to cook something simple and tasty according to your diet.
Simple zucchini stuffed with eggplant
For this simple dish you will need the following ingredients:
- zucchini - 5 pcs.;
- small eggplant - 1 pc.;
- onions - 2 pcs.;
- cherry tomatoes - 8 pcs.;
- breadcrumbs - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- vegetable oil - 1-2 tbsp. l.;
- salt.
IMPORTANT: If you want to reduce the calorie content of the dish, you can exclude breadcrumbs and butter from the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and start preparing the dish:
- cut the zucchini lengthwise, but not in half, but so that the top part is slightly smaller than the bottom;
- remove the seeds and carefully cut out the pulp so that about 1 cm remains on the walls;
- chop the pulp and place in a bowl;
- add small cubes of eggplant and tomatoes cut into quarters;
- add finely chopped onion and sprinkle everything with herbs;
- add breadcrumbs, pour oil;
- move carefully;
- put the filling into the resulting boats;
- cover with the top;
- bake for 45-50 minutes.
This is a good option for a tasty and healthy dinner. Is a vegetarian dish.
REFERENCE: instead of an oven, you can use a convection oven, setting the appropriate temperature.
For a hearty dinner, you can add pieces of chicken to zucchini boats with vegetables. Chicken breast is especially good for this - it has the least calories, and when baked it is simply incomparable. If you want to diversify the taste, then add your favorite spices.
Delicious boats with cottage cheese for breakfast
Don't be afraid that they contain honey— a small amount is taken, but it gives the dish a pleasant aroma and caramelization.
Take:
- 2-3 zucchini, preferably small;
- a pack of cottage cheese with a low fat content;
- 1 tbsp. l coconut flakes;
All you need to do is:
- if the vegetables are ripe, peel them;
- then cut lengthwise and remove the pulp from each part;
- mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl;
- stuff the boats with them;
- bake for 30 minutes at 170 degrees.
The remaining pulp can be used in other dishes: for example, make soup or stew.
Quick zucchini baked with chicken
This dish can not only be served on an everyday table, it will also look good on a holiday table. Therefore, it is worth learning how to cook dietary zucchini in the oven, stuffed with a delicate filling. After all This is a win-win option to quickly and tasty feed your guests.
Take:
- chicken fillet - 1 piece;
- zucchini - 2-3 pcs;
- cheese - 150 g;
- carrots - 1 pc.;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- egg - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- salt.
How to cook:
- Cut whole zucchini into pieces about 3 cm thick, cut out the pulp from the resulting circles;
- Cut a piece of foil for each part and place them on a baking sheet;
- place vegetables there;
- chop the onion, carrots and garlic, place in a blender bowl and chop;
- chop into small pieces or prepare minced raw chicken breast;
- place the meat with the vegetables, beat in the egg;
- stir thoroughly, adding salt;
- fill the zucchini with minced meat;
- Cover each circle with foil, carefully securing its edges;
- place in the oven at 180 degrees for about half an hour;
- then remove the top foil;
- sprinkle with grated cheese and send back for another 10 minutes.
After this, you can serve the aromatic dish on the table.
How to cook differently
Food should be enjoyable and diet should not interfere with this. The menu for her can be made up of simple and tasty dishes that are good for weight loss. Various preparations of zucchini will help you with this: it is good fried, stewed, baked in the oven and boiled, as well as in salads.
And what a aroma of home-cooked vegetable stew with it and eggplants! And if you add chicken meat (preferably breast), it will also be very satisfying. Thanks to this vegetable, you can significantly diversify your diet, knowing how to prepare dishes quickly and tasty. Check out the step-by-step recipes and you will see that many diets are easy to follow.
Vegetable stew in a slow cooker
To prepare it you will need:
- 2 small zucchini;
- onion head;
- 2 carrots;
- 1 eggplant;
- 4 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
- 1 large sweet pepper;
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil;
- salt and seasonings to taste.
After all the vegetables have been prepared:
- cut the onion into half rings;
- pour oil into the multicooker bowl;
- add the onion there and turn on the frying mode for 5-10 minutes (the main thing is that the onion becomes golden);
- cut carrots into slices;
- do the same with pepper;
- add vegetables to onions, fry for 2-3 minutes;
- Cut the zucchini and eggplant into small pieces, mix them in a bowl, add salt and leave for about 15 minutes;
- drain the resulting vegetable juice, mix the vegetables with tomato paste;
- pour them into the slow cooker;
- simmer in the desired mode for 20 minutes.
After this, you can serve the vegetable stew to the table.
Zucchini soup
Light soups are a common part of diets and proper nutrition: they fill you up, help replenish fluids, and are low in calories.
To prepare, take:
- 500 g cauliflower;
- 500 g zucchini pulp;
- 200 g leeks;
- 1 carrot;
- greens (celery is best);
- 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- salt and spices to taste.
The step-by-step recipe for making this soup is very simple:
- grate the carrots;
- cut the onion into slices;
- pour oil into a saucepan;
- fry the onion a little, then add the carrots;
- After a couple of minutes, add the chopped zucchini;
- after three minutes, add chopped cabbage;
- salt and mix, add spices;
- pour in enough boiling water to cover the vegetables;
- cook until the ingredients are soft;
- Using a blender directly in a saucepan, chop the vegetables into a uniform puree.
You can serve it to the table, garnished with celery.
Fried zucchini
This type of preparation is the most delicious, but also the most high in calories. But sometimes it’s quite possible to fry these fragrant circles.
Take:
- 1-2 zucchini;
- 1 tbsp. l. rye flour (you can use buckwheat);
- 2 eggs;
- 2-3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 1-2 cloves of garlic.
All you need to do is:
- peel the zucchini and cut them into thin slices;
- beat the eggs and mix them with flour;
- pour oil into a frying pan and heat it;
- dip the zucchini in the batter and fry until nicely browned;
- Cut the garlic into slices and rub the vegetables with them.
But remember that You shouldn't overuse this dish.
Elegant snack
The festive table can be made low-calorie, but still tasty.
Try to surprise your guests with a snack that... required:
- 1 or 2 zucchini (depending on their size);
- 1-1.5 kg of tomatoes;
- 3 onions;
- 150 g of low-fat cheese;
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil;
- salt.
Everything is prepared quickly:
- cut off the top of the tomatoes and carefully remove the pulp, it is best to do this with a teaspoon;
- grind the removed pulp;
- Finely chop the zucchini, fry a little along with the chopped onion;
- mix with tomato pulp;
- spread the mixture over the tomatoes;
- sprinkle with cheese;
- bake for 25 minutes at 125 degrees.
This snack is always popular due to its excellent flavor combination.
Curd snack
This dish is more dietary than the previous one, since it does not use butter and cheese, and accordingly, the calorie content will be much lower.
You will need to take:
- 1 small zucchini;
- a pack of low-fat cottage cheese;
- 1-2 cloves of garlic;
- dill;
- salt.
This appetizer is prepared very quickly:
- Divide the zucchini into thin slices;
- place on a baking tray lined with baking paper;
- keep them in the oven at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes;
- at this time, mix cottage cheese with dill, salt, add chopped garlic;
- take out the vegetable slices and let them cool;
- Put a little filling on each layer and roll it into a roll;
- secure with a skewer.
Spicy and tender appetizer is ready
Nothing signals the start of summer like a bountiful harvest of fresh, homegrown zucchini. This means it’s time to prepare zucchini dishes before the harvest begins to get out of control.
There are plenty of recipes for this versatile vegetable, from creamy lasagna to tempting pies.
Just don’t forget to pick zucchini from the garden in a timely manner before they become large, since the smaller the zucchini, the better.
4 recipes with zucchini in the oven
Zucchini dishes are allowed on almost any diet. By using one of the recipes for cooking this vegetable in the oven, you can prevent additional calories from entering the dish and preserve all valuable nutrients as much as possible.
French ratatouille
This is a classic French dish that takes a long time to cook over low heat, but thanks to this, it has a silky and juicy texture. It is best to cook it in a thick cast iron pan or frying pan.
So, you should collect the following ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil;
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced;
- 1 red bell pepper, divided into pieces;
- 1 large eggplant, finely chopped;
- 2 small zucchini, chopped into thin slices;
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped;
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper;
- 1 large spoon of red wine vinegar;
- 20 g chopped fresh marjoram.
Preheat oven to 425˚C. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and ¼ small spoon salt.
Simmer (10 minutes), stirring frequently, until peppers are soft and onions begin to brown. Remove from heat and carefully lay out the vegetables, like tiles, in this order: eggplant-zucchini-tomato. Drizzle them with 2 large tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for about an hour until all the vegetables are softened. Then sprinkle the dish with wine vinegar, pour over the remaining oil and sprinkle with marjoram. Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve.
Ships
You will need 3 young zucchini, 1 carrot, 1 kohlrabi, 2 tomatoes, 2 cloves, spices, feta cheese (50 g), salt and olive oil.
- wash the zucchini, separate them lengthwise, take out the middle and chop it finely;
- chop the remaining vegetables, after which the garlic and onion are stewed in oil. Next, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a few more minutes;
- The greens need to be rinsed and chopped, added to the prepared vegetables and mixed. Then fill the zucchini “ships” with the resulting mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Spread the zucchini over the baking sheet and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
Zucchini Casserole with Chicken
To make the casserole, you will need:
- 1 chicken fillet;
- 1.5 kg of zucchini;
- green onions 15 g;
- 1 onion;
- 100 g feta cheese;
- 3 large spoons of low-fat sour cream and the same amount of vegetable oil;
- 10 g basil;
- 20 grams of fresh parsley;
- 10 g paprika;
- 10 g turmeric;
- 2 eggs;
- flour 80 gr.
Cut the chicken meat into pieces. Sprinkle with seasoning and fry for 5 minutes in a pan with a spoonful of oil. Then take the greens and chop them into small pieces, pass the cheese through a grater. Place all the products in a deep container and add the chicken there and stir.
In a special bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, salt, spices, flour and pepper, pour in the remaining oil and beat everything with a mixer.
Bake for 40 minutes at 180˚C.
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Zucchini baked in breading
- You need to take 3 young zucchini, cut them into 1.5 cm slices. And then form them into cubes.
- In another bowl, combine 2 eggs and a clove of garlic, stir well.
- Using a fine grater, chop the cheese (80 g).
- In a special bowl, combine cheese with a small amount of Italian herbs seasoning. Add breadcrumbs (100 g) and a little salt there.
- Cover the surface of the baking sheet with baking paper and place the zucchini sticks on it. Each piece must first be egg-coated and then breaded.
- Bake for only 15-20 minutes.
3 delicious zucchini dishes in a slow cooker
Any dish prepared using a slow cooker will be more dietary and healthy. If you prepare zucchini recipes in it, then you can safely count on improving your body’s health and quickly reducing your overall body weight.
Vegetable stew
The cooking time for this stew in a slow cooker is 45 minutes. 
- First you need to take a carrot (2 pcs) and an onion (1 pc), peel and chop them. Place the vegetables in the multicooker bowl, pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and set the “Fry” mode for 10 minutes.
- At the same time, you need to deal with the zucchini (1 piece), cut it into cubes, do the same with the bell pepper (2 pieces) and chili (1 piece). The peppers are first cleared of seeds and washed.
- After slicing, place the pepper in a slow cooker and set the “Stew” mode to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Now you can move on to tomatoes (3 pcs). Initially, they should be peeled, and then cut into squares and sent to the rest of the vegetables.
- All products must be salted and peppered as desired, then mixed and the stewing extended for another 10 minutes. After the readiness signal, take out the multicooker bowl.
- The dish can be seasoned with chopped garlic (2 cloves) and dill.
Vegetable stew
- Assemble a set of products: 2 pieces of zucchini, 1 eggplant, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 bell peppers, 2 tomatoes, 5 grams of salt, 3 cloves of garlic, spices and herbs to taste.
- Start with zucchini; if the zucchini is young, you don’t have to get rid of the skin, but if it’s old, then it needs to be removed.
- Then the vegetables are cut in a way convenient for you. Next, they are sprinkled with salt and left for 15 minutes so that unnecessary juice and starch are separated from the zucchini.
- Place zucchini in a slow cooker.
- Be sure to peel the eggplant, cut it and soak it in water for 30 minutes to get rid of its characteristic bitterness. After this time, drain the water and place the eggplants in the same multicooker bowl. Do the same with carrots and all other vegetables.
- Before cooking, you should salt the vegetables and sprinkle them with spices, then close the lid and put it on the “Stew” mode. Set the time to 40 minutes, without adding any water or oil.
- After the beep, add chopped herbs and garlic to the vegetables.
Stuffed zucchini
Gather the necessary products:
- zucchini – 2 pcs;
- onion – 1 piece;
- tomatoes – 2 pcs;
- minced meat – 200 gr;
- hard cheese – 50 g;
- sour cream – 20 gr;
- optional.
Combine the minced meat with pre-chopped tomatoes, onions, sour cream and spices.
Knead to obtain a uniform viscous structure.
Cut the zucchini into wide pieces and remove the core to form a “barrel” shape.
Place minced meat in the hollow place, place the zucchini in the multicooker bowl and sprinkle the top with cheese.
The dish is prepared within half an hour in the “Baking” mode.
4 simple zucchini dishes in a frying pan
There are many ways to deliciously prepare low-calorie zucchini. Frying it in a frying pan is one of the methods of heat treatment of a vegetable. Don’t be scared, this process doesn’t take much time, and the crispy crust looks very appetizing.
Zucchini fritters
- Young zucchini (3 pieces) are grated on a medium grater and left in the same bowl for a while until the excess juice drains. Then this juice is drained, and you need to add flour (50 g), beat in 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste.
- It is advisable to add a little parsley or dill to the mixture for flavor, then beat the mixture.
- Next, you should take a frying pan, set it on the fire and warm it up thoroughly. After adding a small amount of oil, spread the dough, forming medium-sized pancakes. Fry until done.
- A special dressing is prepared for them: add chopped garlic cloves to 20 grams of sour cream, lightly salt and add chopped cilantro, stir all ingredients.
Pancakes
- Grate all the zucchini (450 g) on a fine grater and drain off the excess liquid.
- Beat in 3 eggs, add 300 ml of kefir, 6 grams of salt and beat.
- Throw in the chopped parsley and slowly add the flour (350 g).
- While mixing, form pancake dough.
- Add baking soda (0.5 small spoon), mix again and let stand for 20 minutes. Then start frying the pancakes.
Zucchini with a hint of balsamic
- Chop zucchini (2 pieces) into slices. Sprinkle them with garlic powder, Italian herbs and salt.
- Heat the grill pan over medium heat and grease the grate with olive oil.
- Each side of the zucchini is fried for 4 minutes, resulting in a characteristic brown hue.
- Next, apply balsamic vinegar to each slice with a brush and continue heat treatment for another minute.
- Now they can be removed from the stove and served immediately.
Zucchini in sour cream sauce
- This simple recipe is prepared as follows: 2 zucchini are cut into circles 0.5 cm wide.
- Mix some flour and salt in a plate. Roll each vegetable circle in a plate with flour and fry in a frying pan.
- Next, take a large onion, cut it into strips, mix with a clove of garlic and also fry until tender.
- Place the zucchini in the pan with the onions and form layers.
- In a bowl, combine a glass of sour cream and 2 cloves of garlic, pour over the zucchini, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4 quick recipes from fresh zucchini
Even ordinary fresh zucchini can be one of the components of a finished dish. Such recipes do not take much time, so they are very convenient in the summer, when you don’t want to overheat at the stove.
Fennel and zucchini salad
This healthy vegetable salad recipe tastes refreshing. You can serve it with chicken or add a hard-boiled egg to it. It can be prepared from the following components:
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen;
- 3 small zucchini;
- 1 medium fennel bulb;
- 2 cups watercress;
- 1/3 cup torn mint leaves;
- 3 large spoons of olive oil;
- 15 g lemon zest;
- 50 grams of lemon juice;
- ¼ small spoon of salt and the same amount of ground pepper;
- 2/3 cup feta cheese
So, if you need to use frozen peas, then they should be boiled in boiling salted water for 45 seconds. Then transfer it to a bowl of ice water until it cools completely and drain the water.
Thinly slice the zucchini and fennel bulb. Next, combine the peas, zucchini and fennel in a large saucepan with the watercress and mint.
Gently add the oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.
Combine with feta cheese and serve immediately.
Salad with zucchini and cabbage
- This salad is very easy to prepare, you will need: white cabbage + carrots + cucumber + zucchini + various greens (more).
- Separately prepare the sauce for the dressing; it should be sour, so oil mixed with lemon or orange juice is suitable.
- The most important thing for a salad is to thinly slice the cabbage.
- Cucumber, zucchini and carrots should be grated into strips using a special grater.
- After this, all the products are combined in one bowl and seasoned with sauce and a small amount of salt.
Cauliflower salad
- To make this salad, you should take: cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, apple, chopped walnuts.
- As for the sauce, a combination of mustard, honey and butter is better.
- Cut all the vegetables into small pieces, compact them a little, then pour in the sauce and put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Pickled zucchini
- It will take 2 hours for these zucchini to become completely usable. First you need to prepare 4 medium-sized zucchini.
- Then wash them, cut off the ends, and use a vegetable peeler to cut into thin slices. Salt the zucchini strips and leave for 30 minutes.
- At this time, chop 4 tablespoons of dill or cilantro.
- Now it’s time to prepare the marinade: vegetable oil (30 g), honey (20 g), vinegar (30 g), ground black pepper (1/4 small spoon). Beat all ingredients and add chopped garlic (3 cloves) to the sauce.
- Next, drain the juice that the zucchini released, add dill and marinade, stir with a silicone spatula.
- Refrigerate the zucchini for 2 hours, after which they can be served.
There is no need to look for intricate ways to lose weight without harming your health.
It is well known that zucchini dishes will not only help you lose weight, but will also help the body obtain nutrients. With low calorie content, these recipes will make you feel full and relieve hunger for a long time.
Forward to slimness!
Do you want to lose weight without dieting? Do you need help and moral support on your way to a healthy and slim body?
Then let's get acquainted :) My name is Daria Khimchenko and I am the author of the project and part-time certified nutritionist-nutritionist.
Zucchini is not only a tasty and healthy vegetable, but also quite dietary. Fresh zucchini contains only 24 kcal, but even after heat treatment they are not much higher in calories. Of course, zucchini fried in butter and seasoned with mayonnaise is not a low-calorie and dietary food.
Calorie content and BZHU
Regular pizza, even with vegetable filling, cannot be considered low-calorie. But zucchini pizza is a real dietary dish. Its calorie content is only 90 kcal per 100 g, fat content is 2.26, protein and carbohydrate content is 5.39 and 10.9, respectively.
Products
- Young zucchini (25-30 cm long) – 3 pcs.,
- Eggs – 2 pcs.,
- Whole grain flour – 1 cup 200 ml,
- Fresh tomatoes – 3 pcs.,
- Boiled mushrooms – 100 g,
- Hard cheese – 70 g,
- Soda – 1/3 teaspoon,
- Salt,
- Pepper.
Preparation
- Peel and grate the zucchini, squeeze a little.
- Knead the zucchini, eggs, flour, soda, salt and pepper into a semi-liquid dough.
- Pour into silicone or paper mold.
- Place slices of tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 170-180 degrees.
Zucchini sticks
Another dietary dish made from zucchini is delicious sticks, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Calorie content is only 47 kcal per 100 g.
Products
- Zucchini – 2 pcs.,
- Egg – 1 pc.,
- Breadcrumbs – 2 pcs. spoons,
- Grated cheese – 3 tbsp. spoons,
- Salt,
- A mixture of dry aromatic herbs.
Preparation
- Make a batter from eggs, crackers, cheese, and herb salt.
- Cut the peeled zucchini into strips with sides about half a centimeter and up to 5 cm long.
- “Bathe” them in batter, place them on baking paper and bake until golden brown at 180 degrees.
- You can prepare a garlic sauce for the zucchini sticks by grinding the garlic with salt, lemon juice and olive oil. With sauce it will be tastier, but higher in calories.
Steamed meat and vegetable cutlets
Dietary dishes made from zucchini for weight loss can be supplemented with lean meat: chicken: turkey, rabbit, veal, beef. The lowest calorie content can be achieved by steaming. The calorie content in this case will be 81 kcal per 100 g. Baking and stewing without adding fat are also considered ways of preparing diet food.
Products
- Zucchini – 5 pcs.,
- Onions – 2 pcs.,
- Carrots – 2 pcs.,
- Chicken breast – 1 pc.,
- Egg – 1 pc.,
- Fresh greens,
- Salt,
- Pepper,
- Breadcrumbs.
Preparation
- In a blender or meat grinder, turn the vegetables and herbs into minced meat, place in a mesh colander and allow excess juice to drain.
- Make minced meat from the breast.
- Combine vegetables and meat, add egg, salt and pepper. To stir thoroughly.
- Form into cutlets, roll in breading and place in a steaming bowl.
- Cook in a slow cooker or steamer for about an hour.
Chicken soup
Using dietary recipes from zucchini, you can prepare delicious and satisfying first courses.
The calorie content of zucchini soup with chicken is about 60 kcal per 100 g. Not taking into account the volume of liquid.
Products
- Zucchini – 3 pcs.,
- Potatoes – 2 pcs.,
- Carrots – 2 pcs.,
- Onions – 2 pcs.,
- Chicken breast – 1 pc.,
- Celery root – 1 pc.,
- Parsley root – 1 pc.,
- Fresh greens,
- Salt.
Preparation
- Boil the breast with roots: one onion, one carrot, parsley and celery.
- Cut the remaining vegetables into small cubes.
- Place potatoes, onions, carrots, and zucchini into boiling water, maintaining a five-minute interval between each ingredient.
- Five minutes after the zucchini, add the chopped breast to the soup.
- Bring to readiness, sprinkle with herbs and salt.
During barbecue season, you also want to join a group of people cheerfully eating charcoal-grilled meat. Diet is not a reason to deny yourself pleasure. You just need to choose tender, lean meat and dietary marinades. The calorie content of zucchini in this recipe is 80 kcal per 100 g, chicken - 160 kcal.
Products
- Young zucchini – 5 pcs.,
- Chicken thighs without bones and skin – 3 pcs.,
- Large onion – 1 pc.,
- Lemon or lime juice
- Soy sauce,
- Ground pepper,
- Dried herbs.
Preparation
- Cut the zucchini into circles 3-4 cm thick, the onion into thick rings, and the chicken into pieces the size of a matchbox.
- Make a marinade from lemon (lime) juice, soy sauce, pepper and herbs.
- Marinate the zucchini with onions and chicken for an hour.
- Place the zucchini and meat mixed with onions on the grill and cook over hot coals.
- Serve kebab with fresh vegetables on green salad leaves.
- It’s very tasty to wash it down with tomato juice, preferably not store-bought, but freshly squeezed, homemade.
In order not to spoil the zucchini diet dish and not make it too high in calories, you must follow the following rules:
- Don't fry zucchini
- Do not season with mayonnaise or other fatty sauces,
- Use a minimum of fat when cooking,
- Give preference to steaming, boiling, baking, stewing with the addition of water, occasionally cooking over coals is allowed,
- When adding meat to squash dishes, you need to choose low-fat varieties and remove the skin and fat streaks from it.
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