Healthy Zucchini Bread: Low Calorie Too!

Have you had a zucchini summer? That’s when you feel a little overwhelmed with summer squash of all kinds! Healthy zucchini bread and muffins can be a great solution! Eat some now and freeze the rest. Choose a low calorie version and it gets even better. However, most recipes include more fat, sugar, and calories than you might want for a weight loss or maintenance diet. I have a few recipes for you that will keep you on track!

I’ve actually been inundated with yellow squash recently. The one yellow squash plant in my garden this summer has turned out to be as prolific or more than any zucchini plant I’ve ever had! So I’ve been learning more about summer squash and what to do with it. Thankfully, it seems that any summer squash recipe will work equally well for whatever summer squash you might have, zucchini or otherwise.

[****EXAMPLE OF RECIPE TO AVOID****Healthy low calorie recipes follow]

In doing some searches on the web I found four great sounding zucchini bread recipes that I decided to test out. I’ve now made two of the recipes and I’m pleased! I’ll get to the other two soon. However, before I share these recipes, I’d like to show you the nutrient breakdown of a fairly common and well-liked zucchini bread recipe so you can see why some basic modifications wouldn’t hurt!!

Here are the ingredients for what seems to be a fairly standard zucchini bread recipe. If the amount of each ingredient seems to be a lot that’s because the recipe makes 2 loaves. Even so ½ cup of oil and a cup and a half of sugar per loaf are clues that this may not be the best choice.

[****EXAMPLE OF RECIPE TO AVOID**** Healthy low calorie recipes follow.]

Ingredients to make two standard-sized 9-inch loaves

* 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 4 eggs, beaten
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 cups grated zucchini
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

My analysis of the calorie and nutrient content is based on 12 slices to a loaf, which seems about right. Another reason to calculate based on 12 is that the same results would hold true if you choose to make 12 muffins with the recipe instead of a loaf of bread.

Nutrient Analysis:

277 calories per slice Yikes! (Who stops at one slice? If you do, good for you! Anyway you can see how the calories can add up quickly. Note: To learn more about how many calories you need when dieting whether 1200, 1500, or more read: 1200 Calorie Diet: Getting Started! )

13.2 grams of fat (This isn’t too bad if you stop at one slice. Read: How Much Fat Do You Need?)

1.2 grams of saturated fat

262 mg of sodium

25.8 grams of sugar (The 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend the average American woman keep “added” sugar consumption to less than 8 tsp. or 32 grams per day. Sugar, in many different forms, is added to a wide range of food products so achieving this recommendation is tough! See Hidden Sugar: What You Need to Know )

1 gram of dietary fiber

By the way, this particular recipe is very popular. At last check it had received 452 5-star reviews! Just because a recipe includes veggies and nuts and people like the taste does not necessarily make it a healthy choice. We have to consider the whole story! Although it could easily be worse, 277 calories is quite a lot for just one slice of zucchini bread. It is possible to do better and still have good taste.

[****HEALTHY ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPES****]

The WholeFoods Market (grocery store) took on the challenge of modifying a similar zucchini bread recipe a customer had submitted to them. The changes they made saved about 70 calories (original recipe 300 calories per slice) and 4 grams of fat and added 2 grams of dietary fiber per slice of bread. Not bad! The newly revised recipe sounds good. They also share some helpful tips on achieving a healthier profile when modifying a zucchini bread recipe.

The WholeFoods Market story is a good read. I recommend you check it out. The final calorie count for the new recipe has 230 calories per slice. That’s better than 277 but I have a few recipes that do better yet.

Zucchini Carrot Bread or Muffins (Makes one 9-inch loaf or 12 muffins)

I made muffins rather than bread. Mmm..they turned out good! Only 141 calories per muffin or slice! Including grated carrots along with the zucchini makes this bread extra good in the nutrition department. Although I didn’t have any on hand, pecans would have added to the nutritional value of the muffins.

The original recipe can be found at the University of Maine Wellness Program site. I made a few changes to reduce the calorie count and improve the nutrient profile. (1/2 cup applesauce rather than ½ cup vegetable oil. I also substituted ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour for ½ cup white flour.)

1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 and ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 egg, beaten
½ cup applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini
½ cup grated carrots
½ cup pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger in a large bowl.
3. Add the beaten egg, applesauce, grated zucchini, and grated carrots in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Combine the flour and liquid mixture and blend till the dry ingredients are moistened but not over mixed.
5. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan or a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and add the batter. (I like to use a ¼ cup measure to quickly and easily scoop out the batter when I make muffins.)
6. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

[*UPDATE: I have now made the recipe with ¼ cup applesauce and ¼ cup oil for lighter, less compact muffins or bread. This would increase the calorie and fat content by just a little but not much.]

The nutrient breakdown:

141 calories per muffin (a little more if you use 1/4 cup canola oil and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)

4.1 grams of fat

0.4 grams of saturated fat

150 mg of sodium

12.3 grams of sugar

2.1 grams of dietary fiber

Healthy Zucchini Bread or Muffins (Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins)

The original recipe can be found at the Glamour magazine site. I made only a few small changes from the original.

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works best)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 and ½ cups of grated zucchini (yellow squash also works)
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda (don’t know that this is necessary)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

[Note: I mistakenly left out the 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract when I prepared these muffins but they turned out fine without it! And I did not add raw pumpkin seeds on top as recommended in the original. I’m sure they would add additional flavor and nutrients but I found the muffins to be fine without them.)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well (sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg).

3. Combine the liquid ingredients in a small bowl and stir well (egg, vegetable oil, unsweetened applesauce, zucchini).

4. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan or a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and add the batter. (Tip: I like to use a ¼ cup measure to quickly and easily scoop out the batter when I make muffins.)

5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf or muffins comes out clean.

This recipe makes a light and moist muffin that is surprisingly good, almost like a spice cake! I was skeptical about adding so much cinnamon. It turned out fine although I may reduce the amount to only 2 teaspoons when I make this again. Cinnamon is a terrific ingredient. It enhances the sense of sweetness while adding hardly any calories. And it is a significant source of healthful antioxidants.

The nutrient breakdown:

161 calories per muffin or slice

6.9 grams of fat

0.6 grams of saturated fat

133 mg of sodium

9.9 grams of sugar

1.5 grams of dietary fiber

[If getting a little more calories would not be a problem for you, I recommend adding ¼ to ½ cup chopped nuts for additional flavor and nutrients. Pecans and walnuts work well.]

Another great sounding low calorie zucchini bread recipe that I have yet to try is Chocolate Zucchini Bread . Doesn’t that sound good? Check it out. You’ll find it in the Food and Wine Section of the Sacramento Bee online newspaper. (Only 178 calories per slice with 12 slices per loaf. Although the recipe states 134 calories, the calculations are based on 16 slices per loaf not 12.)

[Update: Just found another healthy zucchini bread recipe at the Mayo Clinic site. This one includes unsweetened pineapple, walnuts, and raisins along with whole wheat flour, applesauce, and zucchini. All this for only 173 calories a slice!]

Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!