Courgette Nutrition Benefits and Facts

Nutritional summary

Courgettes are consistently recommended as part of a high vegetable intake to help prevent chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers .
Because they are high in water and low in energy density, courgettes are a practical tool for weight management; systematic reviews indicate that increasing vegetable intake is linked to lower body mass index and reduced adiposity (body fat) .
For young children, repeated exposure to vegetables like courgettes is a well-established method for increasing food acceptance and establishing healthy eating patterns without risk of harm .
Unlike many other food groups, a high variety of vegetables in the diet is not associated with increased body fatness, making them a safe way to add volume and diversity to meals .

Interesting fact

Botanically a fruit, the courgette was developed in Italy in the late 19th century, long after its squash ancestors were first brought to Europe from the Americas.

Standout nutrients

ACE

SOURCE

Total Lignans

GREAT

SOURCE

Folate

EPIC

SOURCE

Water

kcal per 100g

Protein1.25g

Fat0.25g

Carbs0.05g

Fiber1.00g

Sugar2.00g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat0.10g

Saturated0.07g

Seasonality

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

PeakIn seasonOther months

Diet

VeganVegetarianPescatarianGluten FreeDairy FreeKetoLow FodmapPaleo

Sustainability

Lighter footprint

Low greenhouse gas emissions, though water usage can be high in arid regions.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

5–7 days

Store in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer to manage moisture.

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 3 validated sources

Phenol-Explorer

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Impact on energy, sodium and dietary fibre intakes of vegetables prepared at home and away from home in the USA - PMC

[2]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fruit, vegetables and prevention of cognitive decline or dementia: A systematic review of cohort studies - PMC

[4]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Comprehensive Critical Assessment of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake on Weight Loss in Women - PMC

[5]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vegetables, fruits, and berries – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 - PMC

[6]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Results - Dietary Patterns and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review - NCBI Bookshelf

[7]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of food variety on intake of a meal: a systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC

[9]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPEATED EXPOSURE (TIMING, QUANTITY, AND FREQUENCY) TO FOODS AND EARLY FOOD ACCEPTANCE?

[12]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

100.0

Version

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