Squashes: properties and nutritional value

Squashes grow in the beds of many gardeners.Vegetable is a close relative of the pumpkin. His color is different, and you can cook it in completely different ways. In addition, this non-nutritious product, tasty fried and marinated, is also useful.

Homeland squash is considered to be Northern Mexico. After being brought to Europe, locals unknowingly decorated their houses with them. But then the Italians added zucchini to the food. This is where his story begins as a vegetable, without which not a single summer dish appears today.

Zucchini is very popular in central Russia due to its useful composition. It contains 96% of cell sap, which is well absorbed by the body. The rest is vitamins, minerals, nutrients and everything that helps our body support the immune system.

Potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium - only a small part of those substances that are present in the vegetable, but also contains tartronic, nicotinic acid, biotin and dietary fiber. Vitamin E prevents the damaging effects of free radicals on the cells of the body, it is also an immunomodulator and is very useful for the female body. But fatty acids in it, like cholesterol, no. And if the latter is elevated in a person, then it is shown to include a vegetable in the diet.

With the help of fiber, which is part of it, cholesterol is perfectly excreted from the body. Magnesium strengthens the heart muscle, and potassium removes fluid and fights swelling. Dietary fibers dull hunger, so diet lovers willingly add it to meals. And, of course, the vegetable is very popular among overweight people. The lack of fat and a minimum calorie allow you to eat this vegetable in any quantities. Ascorbic acid fights eye diseases and asthma, while pyridoxine and riboflavin help the nervous system.

In the squash only 24 kcal. Such a low rate made it a popular product among people who adhere to diets, proper nutrition and consider every gram of food eaten. Dishes from it are present in both medical diets and diets to reduce BMI (body mass index). Many nutritionists apply the BJU or CBDU formulation to any product. It displays the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates in the product. Per 100 g of zucchini, this figure is as follows:

• proteins - 1.7 g;
• fat 0.52 g;
• carbohydrates - 2.97 g.

Consider the KGBU per 100 g of the main zucchini dishes recommended by nutritionists.

100 g contains:

• proteins - 0.6 g;
• fat 0.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 4.27 g;
• calorie - 23 kcal.

Such a dish is advised to eat during the recovery period after diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is 100% dietary and easy to prepare.

To do this, boil water in a small saucepan and salt the chopped and peeled vegetables. You can cut them into cubes, slices or long strips like Korean carrots. Boil them need a maximum of 2-3 minutes. Mature vegetables cook longer - about 15 minutes. You can salt them immediately after boiling or directly on the plate. You can use it as a separate dish, and as a side dish. A similar dietary product can be obtained using the same ingredients, only steamed, for example, in a slow cooker.

100 g of the product contains 88.2 kcal, as well as:

• proteins - 1.12 g;
• fat - 6.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 6.6 g

When frying calorie content is increased 4 times. 88.2 kcal per 100 g of finished product. But despite cooking at high temperatures, most of the vitamins in the vegetable are preserved in their original form.

100 g contain 198 kcal, of which:

• proteins - 2.7 g;
• fat - 17.8 g;
• carbohydrates - 6.9 g

Cooking method:

• 2 medium-sized zucchini cut into slices 1 cm thick;
• make a mixture of 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of flour;
• rub each circle with fine salt;
• roll them in the mixture and fry on both sides.

Along with roasted or baked zucchini, a very common variant of stewing vegetables under the lid. 100 g stewed zucchini contains 75 kcal. BJU:

• proteins - 0.7 g;
• fat - 5.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 4.6 g

Ingredients:

• young squash - 300 g;
• tomatoes - 200 g;
• onions - 40 g;
• vegetable oil - 15 g;
• salt to taste

First you need to dice the vegetables. Onion cut into half rings. Pour the oil into the pan, heat it and send the chopped onion to roast until golden brown. Then add zucchini and tomatoes to the onions, salt and simmer all over low heat until ready.

100 g of product contains:

• proteins - 3.6 g;
• fat - 6.9 g;
• carbohydrates - 15.6 g

The recipe for delicious squash pancakes:

• 500 grams of fruit grated;
• mix the resulting mass with 2 eggs;
• add 5 tablespoons of flour and salt;
• bake pancakes in a pan with butter, frying them from both sides.

Calorie dishes is 86.9 kcal.

100 g of product contains:

• proteins - 5.4 g;
• fat - 6 g;
• carbohydrates - 2.8 g

The recipe is simple. Slice zucchini (100 g) and eggplants 50 g into thin slices and fry in a pan with butter for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then break 2 eggs into a frying pan, salt them, cover with a lid and reduce the heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and dill before serving.

Caloric value of a dish per 100 g is 97.7 kcal.

Per 100 g of product accounts for:

• proteins - 4.7 g;
• fat - 7.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 3.7 g

For cooking you will need:

• 900 g of vegetables;
• 3 chicken eggs;
• 300 ml of milk;
• 150 grams of cheese;
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• salt and spices to taste.

Cooking:

• chop vegetables, boil and drain;
• grate cheese;
• mix eggs and milk, salt and pepper the mixture;
• put boiled zucchini in the form, pour the cooked mixture and sprinkle with grated cheese;
• send the form to the oven, preheating it to 200 degrees, for 30 minutes.

This dish will appeal not only to adults. Children from this breakfast just will not give up.

Calorie such soup - 48 kcal.

Per 100 g of food it is necessary:

• proteins - 1.4 g;
• fat - 1.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 7.7 g

To cook zucchini soup, you need to take 2 peeled zucchini, cut it into cubes. Rinse 100 g of rice to clear water, pour it into 1 liter of hot chicken broth, add the juice of half a lemon and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Fry chopped vegetables in olive oil, sprinkle them with lemon zest, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Fry the resulting fry in a saucepan with rice and salt to taste. Grind all the blender. Bring the mixture to a boil and turn off the stove. If desired, you can add fresh greens and croutons to the soup.

Few know that there is such a thing as a glycemic index. This is nothing but the rate of absorption of carbohydrates and the rate of increase in blood sugar. The smaller it is, the slower the food digests in the body, and the slower the sugar level increases. If the glycemic index is high, the blood sugar rises very quickly, which negatively affects human health. Raw vegetables are digested and digested longer. But by applying heat treatment, the glycemic index of the product increases significantly.

The squash has a glycemic index of 15. This is undoubtedly small. But when frying, it increases 5 times, reaching 75. In order not to risk it, if you wish, you can eat vegetables, marinating it tasty or making caviar.

Calorie pickled product - 21.83 kcal.

100 g of product contains:

• proteins - 0.4 g;
• fat 0.15 g;
• carbohydrates - 4.93 g.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg young squash;
• 1.2 liters of water;
• 80 ml of 9% vinegar;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• 10 buds of carnations;
• a bunch of dill and parsley;
• 2 teaspoons of pepper;
• ½ cup of oil;
• 4 teaspoons of salt;
• 8 bay leaves;
• 1 teaspoon of coriander;
• 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

First you need to wash the greens, peel the garlic, squash skin from the squash and cut. Water for the marinade to put on the stove, add spices, bay leaf. After boiling pour vinegar. After removing from the heat, pour the butter into the marinade, stir well. Grind the herbs and mix it with chopped vegetables and garlic, pour the marinade over all. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Sterilize prepared jars and put the mixture in them. Roll them up with a sealer key, turn them over and wrap them with a warm cloth.

Calorie dishes - 97 kcal.

Per 100 g of product accounts for:

• proteins - 1.2 g;
• fat - 7 g;
• carbohydrates - 7.4 g

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of zucchini;
• 0.5 kg of carrots;
• 0.5 kg of onions;
• 75 g of tomato paste;
• 2 tbsp. Sahara;
• 100 g vegetable mass
• la;
• 0.5 teaspoon of acetic acid 70%;
• 100 ml of water.

Cooking:

• chop vegetables;
• put carrot, zucchini, salt and sugar in a cauldron with butter;
• simmer for 10 minutes under the lid;
• add onions, stirring occasionally;
• after reaching the vegetables softness add tomato paste or sauce;
• remove the lid for 10 minutes to evaporate the liquid;
• pour out the prepared vinegar, turn off the fire after boiling;
• mash the contents, pour into a saucepan, put on the fire;
• after boiling hold on the fire for 2 minutes and turn off;
• pour into prepared containers, roll up, turn over the cans, cover with a rug.

Zucchini, like pumpkin, is rich in fiber. It has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, eliminates the negative effects of "wrong food", eliminates gas, swelling and constipation.

Due to the content of dietary fiber, zucchini maintains a balance of cholesterol in the blood, protecting against the development of atherosclerosis and stroke. Ascorbic acid is involved in the synthesis of collagen fibers, which, in turn, are a building material and benefit the whole body. Zucchini affects blood pressure, gently lowering it.

If the nails become brittle, the skin dries, and the head is spinning, then the body needs iron. This element, which is also present in the zucchini, is often in short supply in pregnant and lactating women. Therefore, one should not wait when hemoglobin, which depends on the level of iron, begins to decrease. It is necessary to include in food zucchini dishes in order to replenish the "iron" stock. Otherwise, the condition will worsen, and at the reception the doctor will put a disappointing diagnosis - iron deficiency anemia.

You can not wait for a visit to a specialist, but simply make your diet in such a way that it includes everything that is important for the normal functioning of the body.

Vitamin B, which is part of the vegetable - an indispensable support for blood vessels and heart muscle. Squash diet is also indicated for patients with cholecystitis and pyelonephritis, and zucchini has a diuretic effect. Vegetable dishes from it are useful for children, the elderly and for patients during the recovery period.

Vegetable seeds contain no less useful substances. They are very similar to pumpkin. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, especially potassium. They are found to be helpful helpers in the treatment of certain ailments. Before use, the seeds are dried in an oven at low temperatures.

The therapeutic effect can be achieved in the fight against some illnesses.

• Worms Peel 50 g of zucchini seeds, pour a glass of water into a saucepan, add seeds, put this container on the stove. After boiling, boil for 12 minutes.Leave the infusion for 2 hours, covered with a warm cloth. Use filtered broth 1.5-2 hours after meals for half a cup.
• Diabetes. Dry the seeds naturally and peel. Take 2 tablespoons of dried sunflower seeds and send in a coffee grinder. The resulting powder is mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey. Every morning, before eating, stir a mixture of seeds and honey with 100 g of warm boiled water and drink in small sips.
• Stress, stress. Rub 100 g of seeds in any way. Mix with 200 g of honey and 5 g of cinnamon. Store the resulting medication in the refrigerator. Take 1 tablespoon in the morning before eating.
• Reduced immunity. In a frying pan pour 5 g of sugar, pour it with 100 g of milk. Heated the mixture, add the butter in a small amount. Thicken the mixture, constantly stirring the composition with a spoon. Pour the slightly crushed seeds into a frying pan, stir and turn off the stove. Make improvised balls from the mixture and allow to cool on foil.

Zucchini seeds are also used to solve problems of reproductive function. Its decline is a problem for many men. The zinc present in this vegetable helps to combat this delicate problem, which is one of the causes of infertility. Using only 50 g of seeds, preferably germinated, every morning, the following will occur:

• will accelerate the synthesis of the main male hormone - testosterone;
• semen analysis will show a good result;
• the potency and natural desire will increase.

In certain cases, the introduction of zucchini in the diet can be harmful. There is a lot of potassium in the seeds, and this, of course, has a fruitful effect on a person without health problems. But if there are problems with the excretory system, then the use of products containing potassium, it will be a big burden that will negatively affect the whole body.

People with gastritis and stomach ulcers are not recommended to eat raw vegetables. Their juice can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.

If the harvest of zucchini is large and it is impossible to precisely process all the fruits in the near future, then it is necessary to take care of their proper storage.

Not all zucchini can be selected for long storage. Here are some sorting requirements:

• only flat and smooth vegetables can be stored without damage;
• dark-skinned varieties are best stored;
• to check the keeping quality, you can simply cut the fruit and see the seeds of the zucchini: they should be small, the flesh should be dense;
• better kept small zucchini up to 40 cm in length;
• Watering should be stopped 2 days before harvest and, if possible, arrange it in dry weather;
• the tail should be left a few centimeters long to avoid infection.

Impervious zucchini and to the conditions in which it is supposed to be stored, you can even do without a subfield and basement. The main thing is to comply with the following requirements:

• Do not wash zucchini before preparing for storage;
• seal the tails with wax;
• storage boxes lay straw;
• exclude touching the fruits of each other in the boxes, dividing them with cardboard;
• locate vegetables away from heating devices;
• Store in complete darkness, without access to sunlight.

Powder chalk will help protect the fruit from fungal diseases.If some vegetables are sent for storage, then it is worth wrapping each zucchini in a newspaper.

The apartment also has a place to store them. Darkness and dryness are the main selection criteria. They can be placed under the bed, in the closet or on the balcony, if it is insulated and the temperature there does not fall below 0 degrees Celsius.

When storing vegetables, it is necessary to systematically arrange their inspection, to eliminate rotting copies, to look closely at the tails. It is likely that they may darken. In this case, you should immediately remove from storage such a vegetable. If the selection was made qualitatively, then only the best options will remain in storage, which will lie until planting new vegetables. However, closer to the spring period, the skin of most zucchini thickens, and the taste becomes bitter. Such vegetables should not be eaten. Also, next to the zucchini should not be stored apples. They exude ethylene, which adversely affects vegetables.

Option storage in the refrigerator also has the right to exist. So fruits will be stored up to 3 months. Here, too, there are different options. In general, they are stored in a perforated bag, preferably paper, on a shelf for vegetables and fruits.

In the freezer, zucchini is stored sliced, whole and peeled. In polyethylene they will remain in any variant. However, such a billet can be thawed only once, so you should divide the vegetables in batches, so that one batch is enough for one dish. If you freeze the product with rings, then you should correctly perform the procedure:

• cut zucchini rings;
• distribute the cut on a pallet and put it in the freezer;
• Frozen rings should be carefully put in portion packets and put into the freezer cabinet.

Zucchini is a very undervalued vegetable. Neglecting his landing, a person deprives himself of a large number of vitamins and nutrients. Its properties are useful in the prevention of many diseases. Vegetable undemanding to watering or storage conditions. In the end, it turns out incredibly delicious dishes that do not leave anyone indifferent.

All about the benefits and dangers of zucchini, see below in the video.