Can You Eat Zucchini Raw?

Zucchini is very healthy and has the benefit of being extremely versatile in the kitchen. While it makes an excellent addition to any meal, and can be sautéed, battered and fried, grilled, and baked, you might wonder why you don't hear about people eating it raw. Is there a reason more people don't eat zucchini raw? Can you eat zucchini raw? 

Good news for those who have forayed into raw zucchini: It's totally safe. There is nothing about a zucchini, from its skin to its seeds, that mandates that the fruit requires cooking before it's eaten (and yes, botanically, zucchini is a fruit, per Organic Facts, but it's usually prepared as a vegetable).

One of the drawbacks to just chopping up a zucchini and eating it raw is that it's kind of boring by itself. That's one of the reasons it does so well when cooked — it pairs easily with other flavors and can lend its nutrition without packing in a distinct, strong taste to your dishes that could be a turnoff.

There are a few ways to eat zucchini raw, though, that won't send your tastebuds to sleep. One of the more popular ways to eat raw zucchini is to spiralize it into noodles — or rather, zoodles. Zoodles are an extremely easy way to ditch the extra carbs brought to the table in the form of your favorite wheaty, starchy pasta, and better yet, you don't have to cook them since they come out of the spiralizer fairly soft and supple — especially if you're adding them to a "pasta salad" (via skinnytaste).

Another novel way to consume raw zucchini is to slice them thinly lengthwise and use them as the "shell" of a wrap, as described by One Green Planet. Not only does it serve as a vehicle for the contents, it adds extra nutrition on top of what you stuff in there, too. 

So yes, you can and totally should eat zucchini raw. It does not require cooking, and although bland by itself, can be paired easily with other flavorful ingredients to provide an extra nutritional punch to your meal.