How many calories are in zucchini?

A medium courgette (around 200g) contains just 40 kcal — making it one of the lowest-calorie vegetables available. Per 100g, zucchini provides only 20 kcal. For perspective, you could eat five whole medium courgettes and still consume fewer calories than a single slice of bread. This makes it an exceptional food for volume eating.

Is zucchini good for weight loss?

Zucchini is one of the best foods for weight loss. At just 20 kcal per 100g and 95% water content, it provides significant volume with minimal calories. Spiralised courgette (courgetti) is a popular low-carb pasta alternative — a 200g serving has just 40 kcal and 3.6g carbs compared to 260+ kcal and 50g+ carbs for the same weight of dried pasta. It is also NOVA 1, so no hidden processed ingredients.

Does zucchini spike blood sugar?

No. Zucchini contains only 1.8g of carbohydrates per 100g, making its glycaemic impact negligible. It is so low in carbohydrates that it cannot even be meaningfully measured on the standard glycaemic index scale (which requires 50g of carbohydrates — you would need to eat nearly 3kg of courgette to reach that). It is one of the safest vegetables for blood sugar management.

Glucose: Very LowNOVA 1

Nutritional Information for Zucchini

Zucchini (known as courgette in the UK) is one of the lowest-calorie vegetables available, providing just 20 kcal per 100g. From a SpikeSaver perspective, it is essentially glucose-neutral — with only 1.8g of carbohydrates per 100g and a negligible glycaemic index, it produces virtually no blood sugar response. Fresh courgettes are NOVA 1 and a single-ingredient food. Popular as a low-carb pasta alternative (courgetti/zoodles), zucchini is an excellent volume food for anyone watching calories or blood sugar.

Nutrition per 100g

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy	20 kcal / 83 kJ	40 kcal
Protein	1.8g	3.6g
Carbohydrates	1.8g	3.6g
of which sugars	1.7g	—
Fat	0.4g	0.8g
of which saturated	0.1g	—
Fibre	0.9g	—
Salt	0.01g	—

Serving size: 1 medium courgette (~200g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Glycemic Index

Very Low

Glucose risk

Zucchini contains only 1.8g of carbohydrates per 100g, of which 1.7g is natural sugars. Its glycaemic index is negligible — so low it is effectively unmeasurable in standard GI testing because you would need to eat an impractical quantity to reach the 50g carbohydrate threshold used in GI testing. It has virtually no impact on blood glucose levels.

Processing level

NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

A fresh whole courgette is an unprocessed single-ingredient food — just courgette. No additives, no preservatives, no flavourings. Prepared products like Tesco Zesty Courgette Slaw move to NOVA 3 or higher due to added oils, dressings, and other ingredients.

Zucchini at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Tesco Courgettes Loose

£0.52*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Courgettes

£1.29*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Organic Courgettes 3 Pack

£2.40*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Zesty Courgette Slaw 130g

2 UPF markers

NOVA 3 (processed)

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

Plain fresh courgettes are always NOVA 1 and glucose-safe. The only thing to watch is prepared courgette products — the Tesco Zesty Courgette Slaw jumps to 97 kcal/100g (nearly 5x the plain courgette) due to added sunflower oil and dressing. Courgettes are 95% water, making them one of the best volume foods for anyone trying to eat more while consuming fewer calories. They work brilliantly spiralised as a low-carb pasta replacement (courgetti) — a 200g serving of courgetti has just 3.6g carbs compared to 50g+ in the same weight of pasta. Budget tip: Tesco Courgettes Loose at £0.52 each is the cheapest option.

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