In summer, it is true, we have a wide choice of sunshine vegetables. But a variety of cucurbits has the gift of filling our stomach without weighing on the scale. This is the zucchini.
Zucchini, a natural appetite suppressant at 17 calories the 100 g
The zucchini, often relegated to the background behind the stars of the diets, may well become your best ally if you are thinking of your line. Little caloric, rich in fiber and water, it checks all the boxes for those who seek to lose a few pounds without depriving themselves.
With only 17 calories per 100 grams, it is one of the least energetic vegetables. It is precisely this low calorie density that makes it so effective. According to Alexandra Murcier, dietician, “The zucchini has a low energy density: it brings few calories compared to the volume. If we consume it with a view to weight loss, it will therefore create satiety without bringing many calories, taking space in the stomach. “
In addition, the zucchini is more than 90 % rich in water. A figure that speaks of itself when compared to other much more calorie vegetables or starchy foods. And in summer, we love it.
Fibers and insulin: Double slimming action
But the zucchini does not just fill the stomach. As Alexandra Murcier specifies, “The zucchini is rich in fibers, which participate in satiety and reduce the glycemic load of the meal, there is therefore less insulin production, hormone which induces storage.” Thus the zucchini thwarts the hormone mechanisms of hunger, it slows the absorption of sugars, lowering the glycemic load of the meal. A doubly beneficial action: you feel full longer and you limit fat storage.
Accessible, inexpensive and ultra simple to cook
Finally, there is no need to be chef to integrate it into his diet. Raw in salads, grated in spaghetti, soup, light gratin, or even dessert … The zucchini lends itself to all variations. Its neutral taste allows it to be easily associated with other vegetables, herbs or spices to enhance it.
“It is easy to cook and is not very expensive, so full of advantages!” Alexandra Murcier still underlines. And indeed, during periods of food prices, being able to eat healthy and light without exploding your budget is one more quality for this unjustly underestimated vegetable.