Sue Bedford (MSc Nutritional Therapy)
Love Courgettes? It’s that time of year and there are plenty of around! Have you been growing your own this year? Now is the time to enjoy their fantastic seasonal nutritional benefits.
Fruit or vegetable?
Courgettes are a type of zucchini and belong to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. Although it is treated and sometimes referred to as a vegetable, courgette is actually a fruit. However, as courgettes grow, they result from an overflow of the courgette blossom, which is classified as a berry in botany. The ripened ovary of a flower, which houses the plant’s seeds, is referred to as any fruit. On the other hand, a vegetable must be an edible plant portion, such as a plant’s roots, stems, leaves, or tubers. According to these classifications, courgettes are regarded as fruits in botanical terms. In contrast to most fruits, courgettes, like most other vegetables, hold up exceptionally well when baked, roasted, fried, or grilled. They can be chopped for stir-fries and added to salads. Although theoretically and botanically speaking, courgettes are fruits, most people will continue to refer to and use courgettes as vegetables. They are versatile and are in season at this time of year and are packed with nutrients!
Nutrition wise
Courgettes are packed with nutrients such as folate, vitamin C, zinc, iron, various B vitamins, fibre, and magnesium.
Why are Courgettes good for us?
They help regulate blood sugar levels (very important re fertility and hormone balance)
They contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients (again, both very important re fertility)
Good for eye health as they are packed with antioxidants
Act as a diuretic and a laxative and help water balance in the body.
Contain a good amount of magnesium – a magnesium-rich diet helps keep insulin sensitivity and ovulatory function in check – important when it comes to fertility and for those with PCOS
A great source of folate – helps to reduce the chances of neural tube defects and is important in growth, repair and renewal of our cells, tissues and organs.
Recipe…Summer Courgette Salad
Serves:4
4 small and firm courgettes
80g watercress
1 spring onion
1 lemon, juiced
50g toasted, peeled almonds
5 to 6 mint leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Slice the courgettes into very thin round slices. Slice the onion thinly. Combine the vegetables in a bowl with the watercress and lemon juice. Mix together and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the almonds (chopped) and mint to the vegetables, drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, season, and toss well. Serve cold.
