The Perfect Summer Treat: Healthy Watermelon Recipes for a Juicy Taste

Nothing beats the refreshing taste of juicy watermelon wedges on a hot day. But wait, there are more healthy watermelon recipes on your way for a juicy taste! A watermelon salad topped with mint, a nutritious watermelon smoothie, or a cone of watermelon ice cream is all fantastic, cool, and healthy options. 

Watermelon is a great addition to your menu, with only 50 calories per cup and packed with essential nutrients like potassium and vitamin A. So go ahead and indulge in the juicy taste of summer with these delicious and nutritious watermelon recipes.

The Perfect Watermelon Pickup: Achieving Perfection

HealthishLife understands it can be challenging, but the following tips can provide some assistance:

• When searching for the perfect watermelon, look for one with a large, yellow field spot on one side. This spot indicates that the watermelon has been on the vine for an extended period, allowing it to fully mature and develop a sweet and juicy taste.
• Before making your selection, thoroughly inspect the watermelon. Opt for one that is free from dents or bruises, but small scratches are acceptable.
• Look for a heavy watermelon, as this is a sign of juiciness.
• Avoid watermelons with shiny skin, as this indicates that they are not fully ripe. Instead, choose one with dull skin.
• Stripes on the skin do not necessarily indicate the ripeness of the watermelon, as some varieties have stripes and others do not. Keep in mind that there are over 1,200 different types of watermelon.
• Don’t worry about cracks on the inside of your watermelon, as they are perfectly safe to eat. They can often be sweeter as sugar tends to collect along the crack.

Top 5 Healthy Watermelon Recipes to Make Your Mouth Water

1. Watermelon-Berry Sorbet

When making this frozen treat, choose your desired color. For a purply-blue sorbet, combine blueberries & watermelon. For a red hue, mix raspberries & strawberries.

Ingredients

1 cup water	½ cup sugar
2 cups seeded watermelon cubes	2 cups fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries)
Snipped fresh lemon balm	Fresh lemon balm sprigs
Fresh raspberries and/or blueberries (optional)

Directions

1. For this recipe, start by combining water & sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow it to boil gently for 2 minutes, uncovered. Once done, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
2. To prepare this recipe, place the watermelon & berries in a blender/large food processor. Cover and blend or process for 30 seconds. Then, pour in the warm syrup and blend until the mixture is almost smooth. 
3. Pour the mixture into a baking dish that is either 3 quarts and rectangular shaped or a pan that is 13x9x2 inches in size. Leave it in the freezer for 1-1/2 hours or until it becomes almost solid.
4. Take the sorbet out of the freezer. Take a fork and smash the frozen fruit until it becomes a somewhat smooth mixture. Then, add in some chopped-up lemon balm and mix it in. Put it back in the freezer for an additional hour. 
5. Then, using a fork, break up the ice and serve the sorbet in shallow bowls. Finish it off by garnishing with lemon sprigs and a few blueberries & raspberries.

If the mixture has been frozen for longer than the final hour, allow it to stand at room temperature for about twenty minutes before breaking it up.

2. Cucumber-Watermelon Sangria

This refreshing summer drink, consisting of a mixture of watermelon balls, cucumber, a hint of pressed juice, and an abundance of limes and mint, is the perfect sangria to serve on a scorching day.

Ingredients

One seedless cucumber, thinly sliced	Two limes, thinly sliced
2 cup watermelon balls (or chunks)	24 fresh mint leaves
¼ cup lime juice	1 cup fresh watermelon juice
¼ cup honey	1 750 milliliter bottle Sauvignon blanc or other semi-dry white wine, chilled
1 1 liter bottle of carbonated water, chilled	Fresh mint sprigs and/or leaves (optional)

Directions

1. For this recipe, start by combining the cucumber, watermelon balls, lime slices, and twenty-four mint leaves in a large pitcher. In a separate small bowl, mix the watermelon juice, lime juice, and honey until well combined, and then pour the mixture over the cucumber mixture in the pitcher. Finally, add the wine and stir gently. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. When it’s time to serve the drink, stir in some carbonated water. Pour or ladle the sangria into glasses. Garnish each glass with additional mint leaves for a fresh touch if desired.

Tips:

If the large pitcher is too big to fit in your refrigerator, divide the mixture in half and transfer it to 2 smaller pitchers/covered containers.

3. Watermelon-Berry Limeade

Quench your thirst on a warm summer day with this simple blender mocktail that doubles as a serving of fruit!

Ingredients

½ cup chopped watermelon	½ cup fresh strawberries, hulled
½ cup coconut water	One lime, juiced
Ice cubes

Directions

1. To make this refreshing mocktail, simply blend watermelon, coconut water, strawberries, and lime juice in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture over ice cubes in a glass, and top it off with some extra strawberries & lime slices. This recipe makes one serving.

4. Watermelon-Kiwi Pops

When buying kiwifruit, look for ones that give slightly when pressed smoothly. If the fruit is not ripe, allow it to sit at room temperature for one day/ two until it reaches the desired level of ripeness.

Ingredients

¼ cup water	Two tablespoon sugar
2 cups cubed seedless watermelon	8 5-ounce paper cups
8 wooden frozen dessert sticks	8 kiwifruits, peeled and cut up

Directions

1. To make watermelon popsicles, mix water & sugar in a small bowl until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then, put watermelon cubes and a tablespoon of the sugar-water mixture in a blender and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency. Pour the mixture evenly into paper cups. Cover the tops of the cups with foil and make a small slit in the center of each one to insert a wooden stick, positioning it halfway into the mixture. Place the cups on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours or until they are thick & slushy.
2. Combine kiwifruits and the sugar-water mixture in a blender. Blend until smooth. Take off the foil from the paper cups. Equally, distribute the kiwifruit mixture over the frozen watermelon layer in the cups. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours or until fully solid.
3. To prepare for serving, remove the paper cups.

5. Tomatillo-Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

4 cup 1-inch cubes of seedless watermelon	Two avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
Two avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces	Four tomatillos, husked and thinly sliced
One small red onion, halved and thinly sliced	1 cup crumbled queso fresco (4 ounces)
¼ cup olive oil	Three tablespoon lime juice
Two tablespoon sherry vinegar	One tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile pepper
One teaspoon sugar	One teaspoon snipped fresh mint
¼ teaspoon salt	¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Two tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro	Two tablespoons snipped fresh chives

Directions

1. In a generously sized bowl, mix avocados, watermelon, tomatillos, & onion. Incorporate queso fresco and gently toss to distribute evenly.
2. To make the dressing, mix oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, jalapeño, mint, coriander, and salt in a jar with a screw-on lid. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously until the sugar & salt have completely dissolved. Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro & chives. Serve immediately.

Tips:

Handling chile peppers can be hazardous due to the presence of volatile oils that can irritate your skin & eyes. To minimize direct contact with these peppers, it is recommended to wear plastic or rubber gloves.

 If, despite taking precautions, your bare hands come into contact with the peppers, it is important to thoroughly wash your hands and nails with soap & warm water.