Baked Zucchini Sticks

We guarantee that even the pickiest of eaters will love these baked zucchini sticks from The Skinnytaste Cookbook! The only complaint you’ll expect to hear is that you didn’t make enough. Zucchinis are very low in calories and provide high levels of antioxidants in addition to being a good source of potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or oil mister
• 4 medium zucchini (200g each), ends trimmed
• 3 large egg whites
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with oil.

Cut each zucchini into 16 sticks about 4 inches long and about 1⁄2-inch thick for a total of 64 sticks. Put them on paper towels to blot excess moisture.

In a small bowl, season the egg whites with the salt and black pepper to taste; beat well.

In a medium-sized shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese and garlic powder. Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg whites, and then into the bread crumbs, turning to coat well.

Place the breaded zucchini sticks in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and spray the tops with more oil.

Bake until golden brown and tender in the center, 23 to 25 minutes.

Note: For best results, bread the zucchini in two batches so the crumbs don’t clump up. Divide the bread crumbs in half. Bread the first two zucchinis, then dump the crumbs and use the remaining crumbs to finish breading the last two.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 16 sticks (1 medium zucchini)

Per serving: Calories: 175; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 3mg; Sodium: 231mg; Total Carbohydrate: 29g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 3g; Protein: 9g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 680mg; Vitamin A: 8%; Vitamin C: 56%; Calcium: 6%; Iron: 14%

Gina Homolka is the founder of Skinnytaste.com, the award-winning blog that’s been featured on Fitness, Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour.com, and FineCooking.com, among other media outlets. She lives on Long Island with her husband and their two children. Look for Gina’s latest cookbook, The Skinnytaste Cookbook: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor.

Photo courtesy of Penny De Los Santos. Original recipe published in The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

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