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Delicious Zucchini Blueberry Bread
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Zucchini plants growing in the garden produce many fruit, which are wonderful to use in breads, grill, use in soups or stews. With the health benefits of zucchini as well as blueberries, doesn’t it simply make sense to use them together for a super healthy loaf of bread?
According
to the World’s Healthiest Foods, “No category of health benefits from summer
squash is better researched than the category of antioxidant benefits. As an
excellent source of manganese and vitamin C, a very good source of
beta-carotene, and a good source of zinc, summer squash provides us with a
great combination of conventional antioxidant nutrients. But it also contains
an unusual amount of other antioxidant nutrients, including the carotenoids lutein
and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants are especially helpful in antioxidant
protection of the eye, including protection against age-related macular
degeneration and cataracts. While we often think first about carrots as
providing us with antioxidant-related eye health benefits, we also need to
start including summer squash in our list of antioxidant-rich foods that can
provide us with health benefits in this area.”
According to US Highbush Blueberry Council, “With
just 80 calories per cup and virtually no fat, blueberries offer many
noteworthy nutritional benefits. Here’s the skinny on blueberry nutrition: Blueberries
are packed with vitamin C. In just one serving, you can get 14 mg of Vitamin C
– almost 25 percent of your daily requirement. Vitamin C aids the formation of
collagen and helps maintain healthy gums and capillaries. It also promotes iron
absorption and a healthy immune system.” They go on to say that, blueberries
are full of dietary fiber, manganese and antioxidant activity. “Antioxidants
work to neutralize free radicals — unstable molecules linked to the development
of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as
Alzheimer’s. Substances in blueberries called polyphenols, specifically the
anthocyanins that give the fruit its blue hue, are the major contributors to
antioxidant antioxidant activity.”
Things Needed to make Zucchini Blueberry Bread
Mixing bowl
3 eggs
1 ½ -2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut or olive oil
3 tsp vanilla
Mixer
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded zucchini, fresh not frozen
3 cups flour
Rubber spatula
2 cups blueberries, fresh not frozen
2 loaf pans
Instructions to make Zucchini Blueberry Bread:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. If your oven
doesn’t come with a built in timer for this 30 minutes will be sufficient.
Grease two loaf pans.
- Shred the zucchini and set aside until needed.
- Taking your mixing bowl beat the eggs until
light and fluffy. Add to the eggs, the sugar, oil, vanilla.
- Mix in the cloves, cinnamon, salt, baking soda,
baking powder and the shredded zucchini.
- Beat in the flour, a little at a time, until
combined.
- Using a
rubber spatula, stir in the blueberries. Avoid over stirring the berries.
- Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean.
Now after reading all the health benefits of zucchini
and blueberries what are you waiting for, try making Zucchini Blueberry Bread
for your family.
