Cool, juicy watermelons may be the one food that epitomizes summer more so than most others and there are few more refreshing ways to cool off on a hot summer day filled with outdoor activities, such as the coming 4th of July holiday and Labor Day weekend that marks the end of summer fun. To make watermelons even more enticing, new research says watermelons are loaded with nutrients that boost the function of our cardiovascular and immune systems and may help with the fight against disorders ranging from obesity and type 2 diabetes to erectile dysfunction.

One of the components of this much loved summer melon is lycopene, a nutrient that makes tomatoes such a good addition to a healthy diet. Lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, though, meaning we get more benefit from it when we eat it with a little bit of fat, and watermelons contains a lot more lycopene than tomatoes do.

Eating enough fat to get the fullest benefit of the lycopene is an easy mission to accomplish with tomatoes. We can just add tomatoes to salads, sandwiches, and many other foods that appeal to the entire family. But we’d have to live with our heads in a potato sack to know that there are some risks associated with eating tomatoes this summer and many people are avoiding them altogether, just for the sake of safety.

Here are a couple of interesting but truly delicious recipes that feature watermelon, and just a little bit of fat to boost that lycopene intake, that are sure to be crowd pleasers at your next summer get-together.

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Quick and Easy Watermelon Salad

2 cups watermelon, cut into 1” cubes
1 grapefruit, sectioned and seeded
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
Poppyseed dressing

Combine all the fruits. Drizzle with poppyseed dressing. Chill before serving.

Please note: The grapefruit can be a drained jar of the grapefruit sections sold in supermarket produce departments almost everywhere. The ruby red variety of grapefruit is also high in lycopene.

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Watermelon Salad with Feta, Olives, and Arugula

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon red wine or apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves only
Pinch ground cumin, to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until olive oil is thoroughly combined with lime juice and vinegar. Set aside while assembling the salad.

Salad:
4 cups watermelon, cut into 1” cubes
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
1 cup whole Kalamata olives, pitted and drained
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (sometimes sold as “pepitas”)
½ cup sunflower seeds

2 cups arugula

Put all salad ingredients except arugula in a large mixing bowl and toss gently to distribute all ingredients evenly. Drizzle about half the salad dressing and toss again to distribute the dressing evenly. Reserve remaining salad dressing. Chill before assembling and serving.

To assemble:
Place arugula in the bottom and along the sides of a large serving bowl or distribute evenly among individual salad plates or bowls. Top with the watermelon mixture.

Drizzle the remaining salad dressing on top of the watermelon mixture or serve on the side for individual preferences.

WorldFoodReport.com