Hey there! Hot
enough for you? It was about 31 here yesterday and promises to be the same
today. The newsfolk keep talking about Ottawa or Toronto being hotter than New
Delhi or somewhere else. Maybe so but Bangkok is the hottest city on Earth day
in and day out. It was 36C there yesterday! Pour yourself an Icespresso, why
don’t’cha and help yourself to a virtual supermuffin while you’re about it. Speaking
of super...
When we talk about
superfoods, we tend to focus on expensive, exotic things like goji berries or
aronia berries. But there are plenty of incredibly healthy foods that are
within reach on a tighter budget. You can add cantaloupe to your growing list
of affordable superfoods!
Superfood can be a
confusing term, because it’s one that marketers often use to tout a food’s real
or inflated health benefits. The meaning of the word superfood has been a bit
altered by marketing efforts, and I think it’s time for us to co-opt it again.
Can we just use superfood to mean food with proven health benefits? Isn’t that
what we expect when we see “superfood” in the news or on food packaging?
We know that foods
like quinoa, kale and collard greens are nutrient-dense, but there are lots of
more humble fruits and veggies that deserve space on our plates. Cantaloupe is
one of those unsung nutritional heroes, but not in the way that you might
expect.
Cantaloupe’s
Health Benefits: Just the Facts
A cup of
cantaloupe has only 60 calories and is a good source of antioxidants. It
delivers 120 percent of your daily vitamin A along with 108 percent of your
daily vitamin C and 14 percent of your daily potassium requirements. It’s a
good source of fiber, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid.
Cantaloupe is also
an incredibly hydrating food, which is good news during this scorcher of a summer.
A 177 gram serving of cantaloupe contains 160 grams of water, making it more
than 90 percent water.
All of that is
good, but overall it’s nothing to write home about. Lots of fruits and veggies
provide these nutrients. What makes cantaloupe so special is its price point.
World’s Healthiest
Foods explains that cantaloupe’s biggest benefit is that we tend to eat more of
it than other fruits because it’s more affordable. I know that at my house we
ration out the fresh berries, because a tiny pint-sized container costs a
fortune. A cup of cantaloupe costs 40
cents on average, while a cup of blueberries costs four times as much.
Consuming more
fruits—including cantaloupe—is associated with a decreased risk of metabolic
syndrome, according to a 2006 study. Metabolic syndrome is actually a blanket
term for conditions that increase your risk of stroke, heart disease and
diabetes. It refers to symptoms like high blood pressure, a high waist to hip
ratio, and high cholesterol.
When 20 to 25
percent of North Americans are suffering from metabolic syndrome, we need to
promote healthy foods that are within reach, even on a budget. There’s a perception
that eating healthy food has to cost a lot of money, and the way companies
market pricey superfoods is part of what builds that false idea.
Cantaloupe
seeds—which most people discard—are incredibly healthy, too. They’re a great
source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. An analysis of a cantaloupe seed
drink found that it was a good source of iron and magnesium, as well. There’s
not a ton of research on the benefits of cantaloupe seeds, but what’s out there
is definitely promising.
Cantaloupe gets a
bad rap as the boring part of fruit salad, but there are more ways to eat it
than just chopped up in a bowl without any fanfare. My favourite cantaloupe
preparation is as a whole-fruit juice. Just throw some cubes into the blender,
puree until smooth, and chill until you’re ready to drink or serve it up over
ice. If you want a thinner drink, just add water until you reach the
consistency you’re going for. Since cantaloupe is so high in water, you can
drink chilled cantaloupe puree without straining out its healthy fiber. It has
the consistency of tomato juice, and it’s super refreshing on a hot day.
You can also try
chopping it up into a cucumber salad, baking it into muffins, freezing into a
sorbet, or blending into your next smoothie. If you want to tap into the
benefit of the seeds, try roasting them, like this recipe from The Kitchn:
To roast
melon seeds, rinse, drain, and pat them dry. Toss the seeds with olive oil,
salt, or other seasonings and toast them in a skillet until crispy and golden.
You can also use the oven; spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet
and roast at 325°F for 20-40 minutes. Some people also brine the seeds
first.Hey...there are lots of things you can do with a cantaloupe without getting arrested. Let me know if you try any of the above, okay?
See ya, eh!
Bob
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