LIVINGLIVING MAKING CARBS COUNT
T
hey can be used in cake,
just like grated carrot
can be used, making a
great foil for chocolate,
and can even be added
to bread (see recipe overleaf). Related
to squash, pumpkin, cucumbers and
watermelons,courgettes like all squash,
has its ancestry in the Americas.
However, the varieties of squash typically
called "zucchini" were developed in Italy,
many generations after their introduction
from the Americas.
They are versatile veg, being able to
be grilled, cut into batons and eaten raw
with dips, or gently fried in butter and a
little oil with garlic and some little tomato
puree added.
Note, researchers have found that
steaming was the best way to preserve
the antioxidant activity of courgette than
boiling or microwaving. Interestingly,
Also known as zucchini
or summer squash, you'll be
amazed at the goodness packed
inside a courgette, and how versatile as
ingredients they can be in cooking.
JOLLY GREEN
GIANTS
even previously frozen zucchini holds
its antioxidant activity fairly well after
steaming, great news if you enjoys
steamed vegetables but need to freeze
surplus for later use.
POWERHOUSE
Low fat, low GI, courgettes are also
full to busting with antioxidant benefits
being a good source of manganese,
vitamin C and beta carotene. They also
contain antioxidant nutrients including the
carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which
are especially helpful in protecting against
age-related macular degeneration and
cataracts. While we often think first about
carrots providing us with antioxidantrelated
eye health benefits, now you can
add in courgettes for doing just as good a
job in this area.
In relation to a subject close to many a
diabetics heart, the metabolism of sugar