Melon: High Value Food

Tutti Frutti - recipe below

Instead of eating fast food value meals, choose one of the best nutritional values: melon!

Here are 5 reasons to celebrate melon:

1. Melon is an excellent low calorie choice. Why? First of all, melon is inexpensive—a melon in season (cantaloupe or watermelon) is around .06 per ounce. Second, it is low in calories and full of water and fiber, which helps you feel fuller on fewer calories.

If you ate a pound of melon, it would cost, on average, about .90 cents. Better still, it would only contain about 144 calories and barely any fat or sodium.

Compare that to the "value item" double burger from McDonald’s. One double burger costs about $4, but it is only 5.3 ounces, so you would have to eat three of them to equal one pound. That is $12 and about 1170 calories, 2760 mg of sodium, and almost 60 g of fat.

You might laugh because you would not eat a whole pound of anything at any one sitting. But over the course of the day, you probably eat several pounds of food. The important question is the overall picture: Is it mostly fast food or mostly fruits and veggies? When you want value, consider your health and overall dietary plan.

2. Melon is a great "shopping stretcher."

Whole melons can be stored at room temperature for a few days if they are not too ripe. So, the melon is getting riper while you eat all the produce that perishes faster, like peaches and berries. After a few days, you can slice it and have fruit for the rest of the week. It is like you went shopping again! Cut melon should always be stored in the refrigerator and has a shelf life of 3-5 days.

3. Melon is a multi-vitamin source food

A 2-cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamins A, B6, and C plus a healthy amount of potassium - 270 mg.

4. You can be an artist with your melon:

It is easy to cut melon into fun shapes or to carve a watermelon.

5. It is a crispy treat - For best results, follow the SEE principle for melon preparation: Slice, Eat, Enjoy!

Tutti Frutti

Here is our favorite melon recipe, which is wonderful when made with fresh summer fruit.

3 cups diced watermelon

1 cup halved strawberries

1 cup diced cantaloupe

1 cup diced pineapple (canned or fresh)

2 oranges, peeled, seeded, and diced

juice of 2 limes

Dice all the fruit and place in a large mixing bowl. Add lime juice and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe looks very nice if served in a half-watermelon shell or tall glasses.

Servings:

Serves 6.

Per 1 cup serving:

Calories: 74, Total Fat: 0.6g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Trans Fat: 0g,
Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 2mg, Carbohydrates: 18g, Dietary Fiber: 2.7g, Sugars: 16.7 g, Protein: 1.3 g,