12 Health Benefits of Zucchini, Plus Tasty Recipes to Try This Zuke Season

As soon as summer starts to arrive, seasonal produce lovers know exactly what that means: It’s officially time to reap all of the zucchini benefits. Not only are both green and yellow zucchini super delicious, widely available, and easy to cook with, but they offer so much in the way of nutrition. That's why we caught up with an expert to talk about the health benefits of zucchini and how to add more of it to your diet. Here's what they had to say.

The History of Zucchini

Botanically, zucchini is technically a fruit from the Cucurbitaceae family of gourds, alongside watermelon, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and cantaloupe. Often referred to as courgette in the United Kingdom, this particular variety of squash (scientific name: Cucurbita pepo) is a favorite worldwide, due to its delicate flavor and tender texture, which lends itself to countless savory and sweet culinary applications. Grown on a vining plant that will happily take over your garden, zucchini imparts a subtle sweetness, allowing it to shine in both raw and cooked dishes.

While traces of zucchini’s plant ancestors were first found thousands of years ago in Central and South America, the first evidence of this fruit dates back to 1901 in Milan, Italy. This makes sense given all the delicious Italian dishes featuring the summer favorite (squash blossoms, anyone?). Soon this “veggie” became popular all across Europe with infamous dishes like the classic French ratatouille. It wasn’t before long that cultures across the globe also adopted zucchini, highlighting this fruit in some of their tastiest dishes.

Zucchini Nutrition

“Zucchini contains many important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help support multiple facets of our health,” says Asmita Batajoo, MS, RD, clinical dietitian. According to the USDA, a 1-cup serving of zucchini, chopped, offers about 21 calories, 1.5 grams of protein, less than half a gram of fat, 3.9 grams of carbohydrates, including 1.24 grams of fiber and about 3.1 grams of (natural) sugars. This summer squash is also teeming with important micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, plant-based antioxidants, and pigments that work to boost your health in a number of ways.

12 Zucchini Health Benefits

In case you need more reasons to add zucchini to your diet, here are some science-backed reasons to eat more of it.

1. Support Immune Health

In zucchini you’ll find tons of vitamins A and C, plus plenty of plant compounds, including polyphenols and carotenoids, a group of plant pigments. All of these micronutrients are antioxidants that help the body to reduce inflammation and fight off free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that, when allowed to build up in large amounts throughout the body, can lead to almost every chronic disease you can think of, from heart disease to cancer.

2. Enhances Eye Health

When it comes to supporting healthy eyes and vision, zucchini may also be beneficial. Two of the carotenoids found in this squash, lutein and zeaxanthin, are linked with improved eye health, as is vitamin A. Lutein and zeaxanthin actually accumulate in the retina, helping to stave off age-related eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration. Vitamin A is also closely tied to eye function as a key player in retina health and overall eye function.

3. Promotes a Healthy Heart

Courgettes are known to support heart health as well, thanks to their fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K content. In zucchini you’ll find pectin, a type of soluble fiber that binds to cholesterol on the gastrointestinal tract, excreting it from the body through waste as opposed to being absorbed into the blood. When we have high amounts of the “bad” kind of cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) in the blood, there’s a potential that it could cause plaque formation in our veins and arteries, potentially leading to heart disease down the line.

4. Improves Gut Microbiome

Your gut health can get a boost from eating this tasty summer squash. The soluble fiber found in zucchini is beneficial for the healthy bacteria that reside in the lining of your gut. These bacteria live in the large intestine in a greater community of microorganisms known as the gut microbiome and are vital for not only digestive health but our overall health, as well.

5. Strengthens Bones

When it comes to healthy foods for bone health, dairy products aren’t the only options we can turn to. Many veggies and fruits can help us to maintain and support strong bones, including zucchini. It contains magnesium, manganese, and vitamin K, all of which are linked to maintaining and growing strong bones.

6. Promotes a Healthy Nervous System

In addition to all the aforementioned nutrients found in zucchini, you’ll also find the B vitamins folate and vitamin B6. Folate is an especially vital micronutrient for pregnant women as it’s critical in neural tube formation in growing babies in utero, as well as healthy blood and cell formation across the lifespan. Vitamin B6 helps prevent anemia, maintains a healthy nervous system, and can even help boost brain health.

7. Aids Muscle Growth

Muscles need vitamins and minerals like potassium, which is found in zucchini, to contract, as do the nerves for proper functioning. Some studies show that higher dietary potassium intake only decreased the odds of lower muscle mass in men, but the same couldn't be said for women. However, research shows conflicting results with other studies reporting that potassium does indeed help muscle mass for both men and women.

8. May Aid Weight Loss

Because zucchini is so low in calories and rich in water, it can help you feel full faster and for longer. And studies show that foods with high caloric density are linked to weight loss. In fact, one study suggests that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, including zucchini, tend to have lower energy density values and lower levels of obesity.

9. Lowers Blood Pressure

The fiber intake from zuchinni can also lend to normal blood pressure levels. Meanwhile, potassium and magnesium are electrolytes that play a vital role in normal heartbeat rhythm. And finally, Vitamin K is integral in healthy blood clotting, yet another important aspect of overall heart health.

10. Aids Digestion

You’ll also find some insoluble fiber in zucchini which acts as roughage for the digestive tract, supporting regularity. The high water content found in zucchini isn’t just hydrating—it will also help support digestion, facilitating nutrient absorption and preventing common concerns like constipation.

11. Enhances Skin Health

Zucchini is full of carotenoids, which have been linked with ultraviolet light ray protection, helping to naturally protect our skin from sunburn and skin cancer. By boosting the skin's defense against UV radiation, they help to improve the overall appearance of the skin, as well. Carotenoids work by acting as antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress.

12. Flavors Foods

Zucchini is a convenient fruit that's easy to incorporate into all kinds of dishes, especially since you can eat it raw or cook it in a multitude of ways. While it's a summer staple, you can generally find zucchini in most supermarkets and farmer's markets all year; it's normally readily available.

Enjoy Zucchini Raw or Cooked 

“Cooking zucchini really helps to enhance its natural-yet-subtle sweetness. However, it can also be consumed raw in salads and with dips,” Batajoo says, “Many people even enjoy spiraling zucchini into spaghetti as an alternative to pasta to help manage blood sugars.”

Easy Zucchini Uses and Ideas

Beyond making for an excellent, plant-forward pasta swap, summer squash are also delicious additions to pasta dishes like lasagnes, pasta salads, or tossed in with your favorite simple sauces. They’re also divine salad toppers—raw, roasted, sautéed, or grilled—and even make a great secret baking ingredient. And no need to peel them, as the skin is fully edible, tender, and adds a pop of bright color.

Zucchini bread and muffins are tasty homemade baked goods, and an easy way to get the kids eating more produce. The delicate, edible blossoms of zucchini can also famously be stuffed with ricotta, herbs, and garlic, then lightly battered and fried, served alongside a hearty tomato sauce in the classic Italian squash blossom dish. “While there are many ways to incorporate zucchini into our diet, my favorite way is to slice it thinly, marinate it with olive oil, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and black pepper, then air fry them until crispy,” Batajoo says.

Zucchini Recipes

Whether you opt for sweet or savory, zucchini is not only a beyond tasty, versatile ingredient, but a superfood in its own right, offering so many amazing health benefits. Have fun trying different zucchini recipes this summer with your loved ones, as there will undoubtedly be an abundant supply across the country in the coming months. Here are some of our favorite ways to incorporate zucchini into healthy, crowd-pleasing dishes.

Simple Roasted Zucchini

Simple roasted zucchini is a simple seasonal side dish that has just two ingredients: zucchini and olive oil. A little bit of salt and pepper adds some additional flavor.

Udon with Seared Beef and Zucchini

This 30-minute noodle dish calls for Udon (a thick Japanese noodle made from wheat), some seared beef, shiitake mushrooms, and, of course, zucchini. You can make a vegetarian version using tofu instead of the beef, as well.

Summer Squash Farro Bowls

This Summer Squash Farro Bowl is a summer staple, calling for chickpeas, Greek yogurt, avocado, Farro, combined with red onion, and both yellow squash and zucchini. Add lime and cilantro for more flavor. It takes just about 35 minutes to whip together for a refreshing and zesty meal.

Zucchini Tzatziki Slaw

Shredded zucchini combines with dill and creamy yogurt to offer an alternative to your average cabbage slaw. This one has a nice crunch thanks to added pepitas, and a small pinch of salt helps to draw out some of the moisture from the zucchini.

Zucchini Pesto Pasta

This zucchini-cashew version of pesto adds dimension to an otherwise everyday pasta dish. You can also keep some jarred to have it on hand for later in the week when you're feeling like grilled chicken or minestrone instead.

Summer Squash With Scallions, Chile, and Parsley

You don't even need to cook zucchini for it to be delicious. This summer squash salad combines it with scallions, chile, and parsley for a flavor profile that's as rejuvenating as it is satisfying. Tossing the squash in some salt helps to soften them up and absorb some of the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.

Spicy Summer Squash Stir-Fry

The mix of summer squash and eggplant adds to the heartiness of this dish, while the red jalapeño makes it nice and spicy. The rice balances out the heat. And you can top it with unsalted peanuts, finely chopped garlic, and soy sauce for more flavor.

Zucchini-Butter Spaghetti

Grated zucchini, garlic, and shallots mix with butter for a rich and creamy pasta dish. You can also make it a gluten-free dish by using brown rice pasta instead and keeping the zucchini-butter mixture the same.