Remember those summer holidays when you would come home to freshly served slices of cool and sweet watermelon after a game of hide and seek with your friends? Watermelons are not just good for replenishing fluids; they have several health benefits and provide great nutritional value to prevent various health problems. It can even help manage diabetes and help in your weight loss journey while preventing the risk of developing heart disease and asthma.
Did you know that watermelon contains a whopping 92% water content with each bite you take? Not only does it give you a boost of freshness and hydration, but it also helps avoid overeating by giving you a feeling of fullness. Containing less than 45 calories, it is a super healthy fruit that everyone can enjoy.
Nutritional Benefits of Watermelon for Your Health
Watermelon is a hydrating, micronutrient-rich fruit containing a host of nutrients that do good to your health. Apart from being an excellent hydrating agent, it imparts numerous health benefits while supporting weight loss.
- Potassium: Watermelon is rich in Potassium, an essential mineral to regulate the fluid balance and blood pressure of the body, thereby supporting heart health. Potassium is also good for improving nerve function and facilitating impulses and neural connections. Getting a tingling feeling or experiencing cramping legs? Sipping on watermelon juice can do wonders!
- Lycopene: Watermelon contains lycopene which imparts a beautiful reddish color to it. Did you know that lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that is good for cardiovascular health? Lycopene helps to reduce cholesterol thereby effectively reducing the risk of developing cardiac diseases. Lycopene is also good for eye health and prevents degeneration of the tissues in the eyes.
- Vitamin A: Watermelon is enriched with Beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A that supports eye and skin health.
- Citrulline: Watermelons contain a good amount of Citrulline that helps to modulate the blood pressure in the body, supports heart health, and helps in the removal of post-workout lactic acid accumulation which in turn reduces muscle soreness. Additionally, consuming watermelon also aids in converting L-citrulline into L-arginine which has a tendency to protect against diabetes by controlling glucose and insulin levels in the body. That glass of watermelon juice looks good, right?
- Vitamin C: Watermelon is packed with Vitamin C that helps in enhancing immunity, and skin health and works as a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C aids in decreasing the severity of asthma.
Watermelon is mostly water and due to its property of giving you a feeling of fullness, it helps to avoid unhealthy snacking while still providing the essential nutrients and just enough calories. Watermelons are also helpful in fighting inflammation, thereby preventing many serious diseases. Not just that, you can say bye to your gum problems if you just add some watermelon to your diet!
Delicious and Healthy Watermelon Recipes to Try Today
Consuming watermelon every day may not be exactly a party situation for your taste buds, but incorporating this nutrient-dense fruit in various delicious recipes can surely leave your taste buds craving for more! Before we move on, did you know that watermelon is a cent percent edible? Sounds pretty interesting, right? The tough rind contains low levels of calories, but high concentrations of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Potassium attributing to improving heart and skin health and enhanced immune function. It’s also nutrient-dense, containing high amounts of citrulline, lycopene, amino acids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds that reduce oxidation and inflammation.
Watermelon seeds — dried or raw — are rich in magnesium and folate. Seeds also have the types of fatty acids that lower bad cholesterol in the blood and help avoid heart attack and stroke.
Now that you know, save those pulps, rinds, and seeds for a perfectly healthy recipe. Oh, you’re here for one? Let’s get cooking, then!
- Refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad
What comes to mind when you hear about healthy food? Salad, leafy greens, perhaps some fruits (watermelon, anyone?) But how do you make salad appetizing? Well, of course, cheese makes everything better! The best kind of cheese that goes with salad is feta cheese. Here’s how to make a delicious feta salad with watermelon.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 cup cubed seedless watermelon
- 1 cup medium cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced + coarsely chopped mint
How to Make Water Melon Feta Salad
Step 1: Whisk the vinegar, oil, and salt together in a bowl.
Step 2: Add the watermelon and cucumber slices, and mix them with mint, onions, and feta cheese.
Step 3: Garnish with more mint and salt, and enjoy!
- Homemade Watermelon Milk Popsicles / Jelly
Make your childhood favorite homemade watermelon popsicles now and relive your days of childhood!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of strawberries
- 2 cups of watermelon
- ¼ cup of lime juice
- 2 tbsp of light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp. jelly powder (optional)
Steps to Make
Step 1: Blend the strawberries and watermelon slices in a blender by adding lime juice, sugar, and salt it.
Step 2: After blending it nicely, take out the mixture put it in a freezer mold, and put it in the deep freezer for 6 hours.
Step 3: Take out the mold, thaw a little, and your watermelon popsicle is ready!
- Watermelon Salsa with a Twist
To step up your foodie A-game with watermelons, add a little Mexican twist and make a healthy salsa with watermelon to devour those crispy chips.
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced seedless watermelon
- 1 cup diced red onion
- ½ cup chopped mint
- ⅔ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1–2 finely diced jalapenos, adjust to taste
- Lemon zest and 1 lime juice
Making salsa is pretty easy. Simply take all the ingredients and mix them in a bowl, and it’s ready to serve! You can also keep it refrigerated for up to 2 days by covering the bowl with a wrap.
- Watermelon Rind Curry/ Stir fry/ Dosa
Watermelon rind can be used in numerous ways and adjusted to make your favorite South Indian food. Watermelon rind is easy to grind and easy to store. So you can have it ready to mix and whip up a curry or dosa/idli/rice in just a few minutes!
How to make watermelon rind: After using the watermelon, scrap the fruit part completely, and then cut it into small wedges. Put all the slices in a blender or keep them refrigerated as it is for future use.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice/idli/dosa
- 2 cups watermelon rind
- Salt
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 curry leaves
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 green chillies, sliced
How to Make Watermelon Rind Curry/ Stir fry/ Dosa
Step 1: Wash and soak the rice for 3 hours. Grind it in ice water until smooth.
Step 2: Blend the watermelon rind without water.
Step 3: Transfer the blended rind and rice and set aside for fermentation for 8 hours. If you want to make curry, keep some watermelon rind aside.
Step 4: Use the batter for making dosa or idli. Add the remaining watermelon rind to any curry you wish to make.
- Roasted Watermelon Seeds – Can be added to smoothies, oatmeal, and seed mix.
Watermelon seeds are an excellent source of essential nutrients that can be directly consumed or mixed in smoothies and breakfast cereals. Roasted watermelon seeds taste like caramel and add a salty crunch to your food.
Now that you know how to use watermelon with zero waste, use the MVP of summer fruit to add a twist to your diet and pair perfectly with basically every summer meal!
