5 Benefits Of Eating Zucchini- A Nutritious, Low-Calorie Veggie

You might very well be aware of the advantages of including green veggies and fruits in your child's daily menu. Are you now looking for a veggie that's extremely versatile? Something, which is also pleasing to your child’s tastebuds and at the same time highly beneficial for him/ her? Well, it’s time for you to learn about zucchini. Even though botanically, zucchini falls under the fruit group, it is more often used as a vegetable for the reason that it tastes best when eaten in a cooked form.

What is Zucchini?

The colours of this veggie range from yellow to deep green. It has tender skin and buttery white flesh. Even though a summer crop this is available in the market throughout the year. It can be eaten either raw in salads or cooked

What Makes Zucchini A Wonder Veggie?

The first and foremost reason is, Zucchini is low in calories and highly nutritious. It is loaded with anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Other factors that make zucchini so special are:

• Almost all the parts of Zucchini- skin, seeds, and flesh- are edible. Even flowers of certain varieties of Zucchini are more nutritious and edible
• Being so versatile, you can savour this low-calorie veggie in various recipes.
• Great source of energy

Nutritional Value Of Zucchini

This veggie has 94% of water content. The most outstanding nutrients in a zucchini are Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, copper and manganese. Zucchini also contains a considerable amount of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc and iron. It also contains vitamin, A, E, and K. It has a considerable amount of fiber.

5 Benefits Of Eating Zucchini

1. Helps To Strengthen Bones And Teeth: For children who don’t like to drink milk, Zucchini is a healthy alternative. Just like milk, this veggie also offers the right nutrients for their bones and teeth to grow strong. Zucchini being rich in antioxidants and vitamin K helps with the formation and maintenance of strong and healthy bones and teeth among children.
2. Helps Weight loss: Overweight/obesity is becoming a major health issue among children. Making zucchini part of your child’s daily menu will help to get them back to their ideal weight in a healthy manner. Zucchini is extremely low in calories (A single cup of sliced zucchini has only around 19 calories). It has zero fat. Also, due to its high water content and richness in fiber, it gives your child the feeling of being full. 
3. Enhances Digestion: Zucchini promotes digestion in children by different means. A number of nutrients in this veggie, directly and indirectly, aids in digestion. Being rich in fiber content, zucchini helps to combat constipation.
4. Improves Eye Health Of The Child: Making Zucchini part of your child’s diet can keep your child away from those recurrent issues like itching in eyes, watering of the eyes, and strain in eyes. Zucchini is rich in rich in vitamin A, Omega 3 fats, vitamin C, all of which contributes to enhancing the eyesight, this veggie is more or less is considered as "food for the eyes".
5. Helps To Fight Asthma In Children: Being a potential anti-inflammatory food, zucchini significantly brings down inflammation and brings down the episodes and severity of asthma. Also, some nutrients in this veggie are good bronchodilators, which means they clear and open up the airways in the lungs, thereby, alleviates the annoying symptoms of asthma.

Did you find these tips useful? Do you think you can include this wonder veggie in more interesting ways in your toddler’s diet? Comment on the blog and share with us!