Yes, you read that right.  Zucchini in your smoothies.  Allow me to explain.

If your innocent looking zucchini plants have turned into giant monster producers like ours have over the course of a couple months, you may find yourself completely overwhelmed with zucchini.  This weekend we harvested 21 zucchinis of various shapes and sizes off our three plants. Last weekend we succeeded in keeping up with the 18 zucchinis, largely in part by adding zucchini to our morning smoothies.  This is only the second week of a bumper crop, and we have all summer to go!  This trick will be coming along for the ride with us as we fully embrace zucchini season.

The thing about smoothies is that everything is blended together, and it’s a great way to use up foods that you would otherwise be reluctant to eat (tired fruit, that weird oat milk that you wanted to try, wilty kale – all work great in a smoothie).  Why should abundant zucchini be an exception to this rule?

First of all, we promise that you can’t taste it at all.  Zucchini by nature is very mild in flavor, and it blends really well with fruity flavors.  At no point has a smoothie been overpowered with strong vegetable notes that might happen with a kale or carrot – zucchini have proven to be incredibly neutral.  Sneak in that extra serving of veggies, your tongue and brain would never know!

Second of all, zucchinis add a little extra bulk to the smoothie while contributing very few calories.  An average zucchini is about 30 calories uncooked, which is not a lot at all.  Zucchinis are essentially water and fiber (a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber), which make it very low calorie, low carb, hydrating, and good for digestive health.  In addition, zucchini are a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and are a good source of antioxidants in the diet.  They are also low sugar, so it’s a great thing to add to smoothies that may easily become high in sugar based on the other items added (milk, fruit, honey, and yogurt all contain natural sugar, which zucchini would help balance out).  Incredibly nutritious, low calorie, and neutral tasting – a perfect addition to your morning blend!

I’ll post my morning blend in a separate post for a detailed recipe to start out with using zucchini in your smoothies, but I wanted to add some other flavor combinations here as a starting place to get you on your way to future zucchini smoothies!

• Something Tropical: Zucchini, pineapple, orange, coconut milk
• Something Pink: Zucchini, strawberry, yogurt, coconut water
• Something Green: Zucchini, banana, kale, coconut water
• Something Baked: Zucchini, banana, cinnamon, almond milk
• Something Purple: Zucchini, blueberry, banana, coconut water

I hoped this inspired you to use your abundant zucchini harvests or farmers market hauls in a new way!  I would love to hear any combinations you try as well, so send me some comments of your blends!

Happy blending, friends!