This week’s food is WATERMELON! I LOVE watermelon – this is quite exciting! Jennifer Tyler Lee suggests making watermelon ice pops, watermelon smoothies, or [GET THIS] watermelon gazpacho – that sounds very exciting!! I love unique foods and unique food pairings and combinations. Some of my other favorite watermelon recipes include watermelon caprese salad, watermelon feta appetizers, and pickled watermelon rinds! What unique recipes have you tried with watermelon?
Food Facts
- Watermelon is rich in lycopene – 40 percent more lycopene per ounce than ripe tomatoes and small watermelons have more lycopene than large watermelon
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It also contains other antioxidants including beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and phenols - To choose the ripest melon: look for a melon that is beginning to lose the gloss and the “ground spot” should be yellow, not green or white
- Antioxidant values continue increasing after the fruit has been picked – as long as they’ve stayed out of the fridge
- It is in the Cucurbitaceae family and is closely related to squash, cantaloupe, and pumpkin
- They are a good source of vitamins A, C, B5, and B6, biotin, thiamine, magnesium, potassium, and copper
- High in fiber
- Hydrating due to its high water content and is a diuretic
- Lycopene has been shown to be protective against colon cancer and people with the highest levels of lycopene in their blood had a lower risk of stroke
From The 52 New Food Challenge by Jennifer Tyler Lee, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno, Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson, and Super Foods by Tonia Reinhard
Health & Hugs <3,
Katie