Healthy Avocado Pesto and Chicken Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini Noodles Recipe with Chicken

There are several immunity boosters that contribute to making this recipe top-notch. It has a low amount of sugar (four grams) with a high amount of protein (eight grams). It's one of the best low-calorie foods with tons of benefits that you can have early in the morning.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

Calories 268 kcal

Equipment

• Sauté Pan
• Food Processor
• Zucchini Spiralizer

Ingredients

  

Chicken

• 8 oz Boneless Chicken Breast cut into strips (1/2 lb) (sauté with salt pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 tbsp olive oil)

Sauce

• 1 pc Avocado
• 1/2 cup Milk unsweetened
• 1 tbsp Dried Basil Leaves 15 Leaves if Fresh
• 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese Grated (nutritional yeast flakes is a vegan alternative)
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Zucchini

• 3 pcs Zucchini (you can prep them spiralized as you buy them and store them ready to go)

Instructions

 

• The easiest way to prepare zucchini noodles is to use a zucchini spiralizer. This very cool gadget will allow you to convert a zucchini into noodles in seconds. Before you place the zucchini in the spiralizer cut off the ends. Now, turn the handles and watch magnificent zoodles come out.
• Now that you’ve made your zucchini noodles, the next challenge is to cook them. The key to getting the most nutritional and taste benefit from your zoodles is to cook them lightly. Really, you are heating them rather than cooking them. Ninety five percent of a zucchini is water. If you cook them too much, they will wilt into an unappealing, soggy mess.
• The easiest way to cook-without overcooking-your zucchini noodles is to place them in the microwave for 60 seconds. That way you will get consistency each time you cook them. After 60 seconds, taste your zucchini. If it needs more cooking, set the microwave for another 30 seconds.
• For stovetop cooking, sautéing is the best option. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan and sauté for up to two minutes.
• Zucchini noodles are quite bland tasting. That’s a good thing as it allows you to add them to a wide range of recipes without altering the taste.

Notes

Leave the chicken juice and add 0.5 tbsp olive oil in the pan and add the zucchini to cook briefly for 2 min. Add the pesto and chicken and toss for 1 min on med-high heat. Add parmesan and lemon juice when serving.

What’s So Good About Zucchini?

The zucchini is also known as the courgette. Most people consider it to be a vegetable, though it is officially a fruit. The zucchini is a nutrient dense food. A cup of it will provide you with just 17 calories yet contain 40 percent of the RDI for Vitamin A, 16 percent for manganese and 14 percent for Vitamin C. 

Zucchini is also high in antioxidants which helps the body fight oxidative stress. This fruit is especially rich in a type of antioxidant known as carotenoids. The majority of carotenoids are contained in the skin of the zucchini.

Being rich in fiber, zucchini is an excellent digestive aid. This may also help to normalize blood sugar levels. The high levels of Vitamin A, manganese, lutein and zeaxanthin are also able to improve vision.

To understand how beneficial it is to substitute zucchini noodles for pasta noodles, we only need to compare their calorie and carb counts. A cupful of pasta contains 200 kcal and around 48 grams of carbohydrates, whereas the same amount of zucchini has just 38 kcal and 7 grams of carbs. This provides a much greater energy balance.

How to Cook Zucchini Noodles

The easiest way to prepare zucchini noodles is to use a zucchini spiralizer. This very cool gadget will allow you to convert a zucchini into noodles in seconds. Before you place the zucchini in the spiralizer cut off the ends. Now, turn the handles and watch magnificent zoodles come out.

Now that you’ve made your zucchini noodles, the next challenge is to cook them. The key to getting the most nutritional and taste benefit from your zoodles is to cook them lightly. Really, you are heating them rather than cooking them. Ninety five percent of a zucchini is water. If you cook them too much, they will wilt into an unappealing, soggy mess.

The easiest way to cook-without overcooking-your zucchini noodles is to place them in the microwave for 60 seconds. That way you will get consistency each time you cook them. After 60 seconds, taste your zucchini. If it needs more cooking, set the microwave for another 30 seconds.

For stovetop cooking, sautéing is the best option. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan and sauté for up to two minutes.

Zucchini noodles are quite bland tasting. That’s a good thing as it allows you to add them to a wide range of recipes without altering the taste.

Bonus Recipe: Low Carb Zucchini Chips

(Serves 2) 

Ingredients

• 8oz of bias-sliced zucchini 
• 8oz of bias-sliced yellow summer squash 
• 2 tsp of olive oil, divided into two halves 
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice 
• ⅛ tsp of salt for taste 
• ⅛ tsp of ground pepper for taste 

Method

Place the zucchini and yellow squash in a bowl, add in one teaspoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Place the combined vegetables in an aluminum foil-lined baking pan then place over low heat for two to three minutes until the vegetables become tender. 

Take out of the heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper on top then serve.

Cutting Calories For Weight Loss

In order to successfully lose body fat, you must create a daily caloric deficit. That means that you are taking in fewer calories per day than you are using up. To achieve that goal, you must cut calories for weight loss. Substituting healthy ingredients such as noodles for high calorie/high carb ingredients such as pasta is a great start. Here are three other things you can do to create a daily caloric deficit as you diet for weight loss.

• Increase your protein intake: Protein has a higher thermic effect than fats or carbs, meaning that it takes more energy to digest a protein than carbs or fat. Protein will also fill you up, so that you are less likely to snack between meals.
• Drink water before a meal: Having a glass of water before you eat a meal, will help to fill up your stomach, so that you are likely to eat less food. Many people also mistake thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated may lessen your appetite.
• Avoid snacks: Every time you eat, your insulin levels will rise, which can lead to a spiral of weight gain. Stick to your three main meals and you will be far more likely to end the day in a caloric deficit.

Conclusion

Zucchini makes an excellent substitute for pasta, taking you from calorie and carb laden to nutritious, light and delicious. Use our healthy avocado pesto chicken zucchini noodles as your inspiration to experiment with other pasta substitutions.