[DIAPORAMA] Watermelon is undoubtedly the fruit that symbolizes holidays and the sun. Full of benefits, it has no equal to refresh during the hot weather. Discovery of a fruit to savor without counting with Mathilde Gibeaux, dietician nutritionist and president of Miam, an association encouraging the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Low in calories (34 Cal per 100 g), watermelon is the ultimate slimming ally. Composed of 90% water, it is perfect for hydrating and pleasantly quenching thirst in hot weather. “Its water content also has an effect on the feeling of satiety”, explains Mathilde Gibeaux, dietician nutritionist and president. by Yum. “And its fibers help fight against munchies.” Much better than ice cream to cool off after the beach, unless you choose to consume it in the form of homemade equiments.
In video: the recipe for watermelon eskimos
A fruit rich in antioxidants
“Watermelon is a good source of beta-carotene. This precursor of vitamin A helps, among other things, to maintain good vision and beautiful skin”, underlines our expert. It is also a fruit rich in antioxidants. “Its flesh is stuffed with it. It contains lycopene, which gives it its pretty color (yellow watermelon contains less) and helps fight against certain diseases, including hypertension“According to American studies, a daily consumption of watermelon would also be beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease.
To note : “Watermelon is one of the foods that can be implicated in oral allergy syndrome (itching in the mouth), affecting some people sensitive to pollen and almost always preceded by hay fever.”, Points Mathilde Gibeaux. Avoid if this is the case.
The different varieties of watermelon
- Classic: green with a red flesh studded with black seeds. There are several varieties: Sugar Baby, with a beautiful plain green skin; Crimson Sweet, streaked; Charleston Gray, with a rather marbled bark; Golden Crown with yellow skin. Their flavor is more or less the same.
- Seedless: iowing to a natural genetic mutation, the watermelon Apyrene has the particularity of being seedless. We find it more and more on our stalls (Queen of hearts, Jupiter, Reina…). But the dietician tempers: “The seeds are edible and provide a significant amount of vitamin C, excellent for the immune system, and vitamin B3 (niacin) necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system. They also contribute to good iron intake. and in magnesium. Finally, they have a slightly laxative effect. “The condition for benefiting from their advantages? Chewing or crushing them well (without abusing them …). Another tip, toast them in a pan to give a touch of crunch to salads .
- With yellow flesh: surprisingly, with a slightly sweeter taste. To be served with its red cousin in alternating quarters.
>> We can also drink it. After coconut water, here is the madness of watermelon water. Well endowed with minerals like potassium, it also contains lycopene, vitamin C and L-citrulline, an amino acid that would boost physical performance and reduce muscle pain. The singer Beyoncé was not mistaken, who invested in the start-up WTRMLN WTR (name imagined from the consonants of “watermelon water”, or “watermelon water” in English). A company that distributes cold pressed watermelon juice in bottles. To take advantage of it, you can also mix the flesh and squeeze it through a sieve.
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Tomato-mozzarella and watermelon
Remove the seeds from 200 g of watermelon, and cut into triangles. Cut 200 g of red and yellow cherry tomatoes in 2. Peel and slice 1 red onion. Peel a black radish and cut it into thin sticks. Mix in a food processor 1 bunch of basil, 2 tbsp. pine nuts, 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese and 1 garlic clove, peeled, until smooth. Pour 3 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil and mix again. Salt and pepper. Divide the watermelon, tomatoes, radish sticks, onion, watercress and 2 mozzarella balls cut in half. Drizzle with a little sauce and serve the rest on the side.
