When Kimberly Dong, an associate professor of nutrition and public health at the Tufts University School of Medicine, names fruits and vegetables that offer the most nutrition per bite, cucumbers aren’t at the top of her list. Still, she said, there are good reasons to eat them.

当塔夫茨大学医学院营养与公共卫生副教授金伯利·董（音）列举每口营养价值最高的果蔬时，黄瓜并非首选。不过，她表示，我们仍然有充分的理由去吃黄瓜。

Low in calories and full of water with some fiber, cucumbers are healthful, she said. And because they’re crunchy, with a mild, refreshing flavor, they pair well with many foods.

她说，黄瓜热量低，水分充足且含有一定膳食纤维，对健康有益。此外，黄瓜口感清脆，味道温和清爽，所以非常适合与许多食物搭配。

Cucumbers come in many variations: standard, fat, thick-skinned garden cucumbers; longer, more slender English (or hothouse) cucumbers with thin skin and smaller seeds; bite-size and bumpy gherkins; crisp, compact Persian cucumbers.

黄瓜有很多品种：粗壮、皮厚的普通地栽黄瓜；更长更细、皮薄籽小的英式黄瓜（或温室黄瓜）；一口大小、表面凹凸不平的迷你黄瓜；以及口感清脆紧实的波斯黄瓜。

However you slice them (or don’t!), here’s why cucumbers are a satisfying summer staple, with recipe ideas from New York Times Cooking.

无论怎么切片（或者整根啃！），黄瓜都是夏日里令人满足的常备食材，了解原因以及《纽约时报》烹饪版的一些食谱建议。

They’re hydrating.

补充水分

As temperatures rise, cucumbers — which are about 96 percent water — are an excellent low-calorie source of hydration, Dr. Dong said.

金伯利·董说，随着气温升高，含水量约达到96%的黄瓜成为了极佳的低热量补水来源。

A 10.5-ounce unpeeled garden cucumber, for instance, contains just over one cup of water and 45 calories.

例如，一根约300克未去皮的地栽黄瓜含有略超一杯的水分，而热量仅为45卡路里。

Gina Jarman Hill, a professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University, said there is a common misconception that cucumbers are “negative-calorie foods” — meaning they contain fewer calories than it takes to burn digesting them. “There’s no such thing as a ‘negative-calorie food,’” she said, but because the number of calories in cucumbers is so low, they’re about as close as you will get to one.

得克萨斯基督教大学营养科学教授吉娜·贾曼·希尔表示，人们普遍存在一种误解，认为黄瓜是“负卡路里食物”——其所含热量低于消化它所需的热量。“世界上并不存在所谓的‘负卡路里食物’，”她说，但是，因为黄瓜的卡路里含量极低，它可以算是最接近这一概念的食物了。

As long as you’re mindful of what you pair them with, Dr. Hill said, there is no reason to curb your cucumber consumption.

希尔指出，只要注意搭配的食物，就没有理由限制黄瓜的食用量。

They may help support metabolic health.

可能有助于维持代谢健康

Because a cucumber has so few carbohydrates (11 grams) and a little bit of fiber (1.5 grams), it has a minimal effect on blood sugar and is considered safe for people with diabetes, Dr. Hill said. Fiber helps to slow digestion, which keeps blood sugar levels in check, she said.

希尔说，由于黄瓜的碳水化合物含量极低（11克），且含有少量膳食纤维（1.5克），所以它对血糖的影响微乎其微，被认为是糖尿病患者的安全食品。她表示，膳食纤维有助于减缓消化速度，从而控制血糖水平。

There is also some limited research in animals and humans showing that eating cucumbers — or their extracts — may benefit insulin, cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure levels.

此外，在动物和人类当中进行的一些有限研究表明，食用黄瓜或其提取物可能有益于胰岛素、胆固醇、甘油三酯和血压水平。

In a clinical trial published in 2016, for instance, researchers split 47 patients with slightly elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels into two groups: one that took a daily capsule containing cucumber seed extract and another that took a placebo. After six weeks, the cucumber group had improved blood cholesterol readings compared with those in the placebo group.

例如，在2016年发表的一项临床试验中，研究人员将47名胆固醇和甘油三酯水平略有升高的患者分为两组：一组每天服用含有黄瓜籽提取物的胶囊，另一组服用安慰剂。六周后，与安慰剂组相比，黄瓜组的血液胆固醇指标得到了改善。

These studies are promising, Dr. Dong said, but still preliminary.

金伯利·董说，这些研究令人充满希望，但仍处于初步阶段。

They’re the perfect snack and mealtime companion.

它们是完美的零食和佐餐伴侣

With subtle flavors and a satisfying crunch, cucumbers can be an excellent complement to — or replacement for — many foods. Slices or spears can be healthier substitutes for processed snacks like chips and crackers, and can act as vehicles for fiber-rich bean dips and hummus, Dr. Dong said.

黄瓜味道清淡，口感爽脆，可以成为许多食物的绝佳搭配或是替代品。金伯利·董说，切片或切块的黄瓜可以作为薯片和饼干等加工零食的健康替代品，也可以蘸着富含膳食纤维的豆泥和鹰嘴豆泥食用。

Cucumbers can also make meals feel lighter and fresher by adding volume with minimal calories, said Isaac Bernal, a chef in New York City.

纽约市的厨师艾萨克·伯纳尔表示，黄瓜还可以在几乎不增加热量的情况下增加餐食份量，使菜肴吃起来感觉更清淡、更新鲜。

Fermented pickles, made from cucumbers that have been soaked in a salty brine that encourages beneficial bacteria to grow, may offer some extra health benefits, said Heewon L. Gray, an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of South Florida. Fermented foods have been linked to reduced inflammation and better gut health. (Regular pickles can also be a healthy snack, but they’re pasteurized or made with vinegar to inhibit the growth of bacteria.)

发酵腌黄瓜是将黄瓜浸泡在能促进有益菌生长的盐水中制成的，南佛罗里达大学营养与饮食学副教授希沃恩·格雷表示，它可能会提供一些额外的健康益处。发酵食品已被证明有助于减少炎症和改善肠道健康。（普通腌黄瓜也可以是一种健康的零食，但发酵腌黄瓜经过了巴氏杀菌，或添加了醋以抑制细菌生长。）

You can find fermented pickles in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores. They often have “fermented,” “probiotic” or “containing live cultures” labels, and don’t include vinegar among their ingredients, Dr. Gray said. Keep in mind that pickles — fermented or not — are salty. One dill pickle spear has 326 milligrams, or 14 percent of the daily recommended limit.

你可以在食品店的冷藏区找到发酵腌黄瓜。格雷说，它们通常贴有“发酵”、“益生菌”或“含活性菌种”的标签，并且配料表中不含醋。请记住，无论是否发酵，腌黄瓜都是咸的。一长条莳萝腌黄瓜含有326毫克钠，占每日推荐限量值的14%。

Whether on the side or at the center of a dish, these recipes from New York Times Cooking will help you work more cucumbers into your summer menu.

无论作为配菜还是主菜，《纽约时报》烹饪版推荐的这些食谱可以帮助你在夏日菜单中加入更多黄瓜。

Chinese Smashed Cucumbers With Sesame Oil and Garlic

中式芝麻油蒜香拍黄瓜

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Simon Andrews.

The classic Chinese dish of smashed cucumbers becomes a main dish with the addition of shredded chicken. For a no-cook meal on a hot day, use a store-bought rotisserie bird.