Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

Canola or olive oil cooking spray
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), cut into 1/2-by-3-inch sticks
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray.
3. Bake on the center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and just tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 127 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 427 mg sodium; 524 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Potassium (15% daily value).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable

This didn't turn out very well at all for us. The zucchini wasn't very crispy. I was very disappointed.

Anonymous, Vancouver

Very good solid recipe. My recommendation would be to cut back a little on the amount of flour in the recipe - it makes the dish a bit more gooey than crisy. Also, make sure that the oven is at 475 - I made it once at 375 and it just didn't crisp up well.

Anonymous, Millington, NJ

The flavor was good, and I like the concept but I felt this was too floury.

Anonymous, Cincinnati, OH

Based on other comments, I used whole wheat bread crumbs in place of the ww flour resulting in a crispier zucchini stick. This combo also works well with eggplant.

Sandy, Newtown, CT

What a great way to get a extra serving of vegetables, it was fast easy and everyone loved it, nice a crispy.

Brenda, ND

We loved them! We make them once a week. I place the zucchini in the bag and make sure all the excess flour comes off before placing them onto my stoneware. Make sure you turn them at least once during cooking, this will help them brown evenly. If you want to spice things up trying adding a dash of cayenne with the flour!!

poconomom, Amarillo, TX

It seems that everybody likes it or hates it. I liked it. I won't be making it in the hot summer because the oven temperature is so high. I will make it on the cooler nights.

Mary, MS

Haven't you heard? Canola oil is bad for you, very bad. It is genetically modified rapeseed which is toxic to humans. It causes organ failure.

Scott, Killeen, TX

Well i was looking for recipes and came across this one and thought that it sounded really good so i went out to my garden and picked some zucchini. My family loved it so i guess that i will have to add this to the rest of my recipes.

Laura, Wolfe City, T

It sounds wonderful - I'm going to try it tonight. To the person concerned about Canola oil: I suggest you go and learn some simple Biology. Canola oil is made from a variety of Rapeseed that has been bred by conventional methods to have less erucic acid (may lead to heart problems - although the jury is still out on this one) and glucosinolates (taste bitter). So it is not toxic and it is not necessarily GM. GM vaieties are obviously available too!

caroline, Leeds, E

It turned out pretty good--but I used hushpuppie batter instead.

Urzella, Monroe, MI

Great side dish. I'll take some of the comments into consideration when preparing. As for the canola oil, buy organic canola oil and you'll have no worries.

Adam, Cleveland, OH

I haven't tried this but I am going to. I think my kids will like it. As for the comment about canola oil being toxic, check out this site please. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

Angie, Harrisonburg, VA

This is a staple appetizer in our area, but the restaurants deep fry it of course and serve it with a ranch type dip. Anyone got a good, healthy dip recipe to go along with this?!

WesternWilson, Vancouver, BC

If anyone is looking to make crunchy zucchini sticks, i believe it is impossible. If you have ever tried the fried version of these, this way tastes almost EXACTLY the same. They're slightly soggy (but not in a bad way) and they're really good! This will definitely replace the fried version in our house!!

Hannah, Clayton, NC

This has been one of my favorites ever since it appeared in the magazine. Easy, fast, healthy, and super tasty. I use whole grain medium or coarse-grind cornmeal and I think it gives the sticks an extra crunch.

Carey, Seattle, WA

This is just in response to the Canola discussion. While it's not as bad as many think, it's not all that great either. check this out.. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/01/23/canola-oil-update.aspx

Tara, Phoenix, AZ

yummm! I used hummus with sun dried tomatos as my dip. I'll be making this again!

Daisy, Titusville, FL

this was a good receipe - though I did change it up a bit - I did not use the all purpose flour at all and I Mixed some grated Parmesan cheese and some red chilli flakes (the one that you sprinkle over pizza) - it turned out great! Thanks for a lovely receipe.

Anonymous, CA