Craving some zucchini...

Today the boss brought in zucchini fresh from his garden. It got me to reminiscing about sliced summer squash and zucchini dishes dripping with cheese and warm, fresh homemade zucchini bread right out of the oven with a layer of melted butter. As I wiped the drool from my mouth, I realized my relationship with zucchini wasn't as healthy as it could be.

Zucchini was meant to be good for you, not an excuse to pack in extra sugars and fats into your diet.

At moments of clarity, such as these, I think it's best to give myself a "get real"ity check.

Contender 1: Homemade Zucchini Bread

Stats:

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of the loaf)
Calories: 223
Total Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 26mg
Sodium: 180mg
Total Carbs: 31.4g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 2.5g
Vitamin A: 1%
Vitamin C: 3%
Calcium: 3%
Iron: 9%

*Information provided on AllRecipes.com by ESHA Research

Contender 2: Garden Lites Zucchini Souffle

Stats:

Serving Size: 1 package (7oz. souffle)
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 320mg
Total Carbs: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 7g
Vitamin A: 8%
Vitamin C: 35%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 6%

The first thing that strikes me is the fat content of the zucchini bread - 10 grams!!!

Once my arteries have recovered, I'd like to point out a common misconception. Bread does not equal fiber. You'd have to eat more than 4 1/4 slices of zucchini bread to get the dietary fiber amount that's in one Garden Lites Zucchini Souffle. That would equal 947 calories, 42.5g of fat, 110mg Cholesterol...

Whether you're having a Garden Lites Zucchini Souffle as a side or a mini-meal, the benefits speak for themselves; it's a much healthier, more well-rounded option to eating your vegetables. Each souffle packs 2 full servings of vegetables (compared to the 0.16% serving of vegetables you get from a serving of fresh zucchini bread) and comes without guilt.

Also, it's ready in only 6-8 minutes in the microwave vs. 1 hr 40 minutes to make the zucchini bread.

Winner... Garden Lites Zucchini Souffle!!!