Fun Watermelon Facts-and a few favorite recipes

Can you believe it is August already? Summer is quickly slipping away and what better time to enjoy the fruit of the season. Is there any other fruit that conjures up such joy and happiness?  Summer, picnics and childhood memories? Watermelon is always an invited guest. It is refreshing and sweet and when chilled, provides a fun way to combat the heat.  You will not find an easier dessert than a slice of watermelon.

Nutritional Information

Most people believe that watermelon is only made up of water and sugar, however, it is actually considered to be a nutrient dense food.  It has a high amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for a low amount of calories. According to an article in the Medical News Today:

“One cup of diced watermelon (152 grams) contains 43 calories, 0 grams of fat, 2 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of carbohydrates (including 9 grams of sugar) and 1 gram of fiber. One cup of watermelon will provide 17% of vitamin A, 21% of vitamin C, 2% of iron and 1% of calcium needs for the day.”

Watermelon also contains thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, choline, lycopene and betaine. Watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable.

Despite being a great source of the above nutrients, watermelon is made up of 92% water.

How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon

According to Eagle Eye Produce, here are a few tips to pick the perfect watermelon every time.

• Find a watermelon that is a uniform size (oval or round) either is ok. You just want to watch out for irregular bumps.
• You want to find the melon that is heavy for its size. This usually means it will be sweeter and will have more water content.
• Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor.
• If the field spot is white that’s a sign that the melon is not quite ripe.
• Larger “webbing” or “sugar spots” means that the melon is seeping out sugar and is usually the sign of sweet melon.
• Look for dark & dull melons which is a sign that the melon is ripe. When the melon is shiny it is underripe.

The Top 10 Benefits of Eating Watermelon

Along with cantaloupe and honeydew, watermelons are a member of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae. There are five common types of watermelon: seeded, seedless, mini (also known as personal), yellow and orange.

Here are the top 9 benefits of eating watermelon:

• Helps you stay hydrated.
• Packed with nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.
• May have anticancer effects.
• May improve heart health.
• May reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
• May help prevent macular degeneration.
• May relieve muscle soreness.  
• May aid skin health.
• May improve digestion

…and a 10th one. Watermelon apparently helps burn belly fat. A hydrating fruit rich in lycopene, it will increase your body’s arginine levels, an amino acid that ups the body’s fat-burning potential. At the same time the juicy red fruit helps the body burn fat, it also builds lean muscle. Just 1 cup a day does the trick. 

Skinny Jalapeño Watermelon Margarita

Now I feel much better about sharing this next recipe, because it is delicious and healthy!  As you know, I am a BIG fan of Monique from Ambitious Kitchen, everything from her food philosophy to her fabulous recipes. This concoction, her Skinny Jalapeno Watermelon Margarita has become my summer cocktail~~and it’s easy to double, triple or quadruple the recipe. It’s not too sweet, but light and refreshing.

You can control the heat of the jalapeno, depending on your personal preference. And look at that beautiful color!!

I have tried different combinations of rim coatings~~ from just coarse salt, to salt/organic sugar mix and the Mexican flavoring, Tajin Classic Seasoning. Tajin comes in the classic flavoring, Chile Lime and a low sodium version too.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing

My second, very tasty, recipe involving watermelon is a Vietnamese-style salad that makes a refreshing accompaniment to any kind of barbecue meat.  Originally this recipe, Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing, appeared in Bon Appetit in July 2002 in their Flavors of the World article. You can find it today on Epicurious.

With 7 simple and fresh ingredients, this salad is so easy to make.  Start with cubes of watermelon and English cucumbers.

Mix them together and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.  Drain and discard the liquid that will accumulate.

In the meantime, make the dressing and chop the fresh herbs and dry-roasted peanuts.

Gently toss all the ingredients together and garnish with the nuts. Not only is this salad delicious, but is full of flavor and crunch. A perfect use for the end of the summer watermelons.

Watermelon Frosè

This is such a simple recipe and can be used with ANY fruit you like (I use peaches,mangos and apricots). Freeze cubes of watermelon (about 4 cups). Place in a blender with a chilled bottle of your favorite rosé and blend. Hopefully your watermelon is sweet, but you can add a squirt of honey, simple syrup or agave syrup if not. Some people add a squeeze of lime, but personally, I like it with just the rosé and the frozen fruit.

Sipping this tasty, slushy drink during a hot day or night is SO refreshing.

As we endure the hot month of August, I hope you have access to great watermelon and can try a few of these recipes and gain all the healthy benefits.

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