Low Carb Zucchini Bread

The zucchini is a member of the squash family of vegetables. Squash can be traced to South America as far back as 5,500 B.C. With the colonization by Europeans, squash was sent back to Europe, where it is believed a mutation occurred in the 19th century in Italy that resulted in the zucchini we know today. With the advent of leavening agents around the same time, zucchini soon became a popular quick bread.

Benefits of Low Carb Eating

Eating low-carb foods exclusively might help lower your weight and decrease your cholesterol, provided you use polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. A low-carb eating plan limits the consumption of starchy vegetables, pastas, breads, fruits, beans and sweets. Decreasing the amount of carbs in your diet decreases blood glucose levels and lowers insulin secretion, which causes the body to turn to its fat stores for energy. A typical low carb meal plan limits the total daily carb intake to between 50 and 150 g.

Exercise and Low Carb Foods

The foods you eat after exercise can affect your metabolism for hours, and possibly days, afterward. A 2009 study in the "Journal of Applied Physiology" put nine healthy men through various exercises, then observed their physiological responses to a low-calorie meal, then a low carb meal. The results showed that eating foods low in carbs after exercise maintained an insulin sensitivity better than eating foods low in calories. A slice of low carb zucchini bread after a workout might help enhance the positive effects exercise has on weight loss.

Low Carb Zucchini Bread

This recipe is taken from the website Low Carb Café. Beat 2 large eggs and add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, ½ cup sucralose (Splenda for baking), 1 cup grated zucchini and 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring. Mix in 1/3 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup pecan meal, 2 tbsp. whey protein powder, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon and a half cup of chopped nuts if desired. Pour into a greased or sprayed 8-by-5-inch loaf pan and bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for about one hour. A tenth of the loaf has about 3 grams of carbs.

Low Carb Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This recipe is adapted from the website Healthy Indulgences. Mix 2 cups grated zucchini, 6 tbsp. melted butter, 1 1/4 cup sucralose, 3 large eggs, 2 large egg whites and 2 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate. Add 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. gluten-free flour such as buckwheat or millet, 1 cup almond meal, half cup each sunflower and pecan meal, 1 tbsp. flaxseed meal, 1 tbsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. each salt and baking soda, half tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Pour into an 8-by-5-inch greased and floured loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. A piece equal to 1/10th of the loaf has about 3.2 carbs.