While not as popular as its cousin, watermelon, cantaloupe is still refreshing, bursting with flavor and chock-full of essential nutrients and powerful antioxidants.

Not to be confused with its other cousin, honeydew, cantaloupe can also confer some amazing health benefits when made part of a balanced diet.

Choose cantaloupe for better health

Here’s how cantaloupe stacks up in terms of its health benefits.

1. Keeps you hydrated – When it comes to fruits with high water content, watermelons take top billing – it’s in their name, after all. But cantaloupe isn’t that far behind, containing up to 90 percent water. Plus, cantaloupe is chock-full of potassium, which tends to get lost when we sweat.
2. Boosts digestion – The fiber and water combo in cantaloupe helps keep food moving smoothly along your digestive tract. Fiber also absorbs water inside the colon, making stool softer and easier to pass.
3. Supports weight loss – The fiber in cantaloupe also slows digestion, which keeps you feeling full for longer periods. As a result, you’re less inclined to snack in between meals or to indulge cravings. In the long run, regularly eating cantaloupe may help you control your weight better.
4. Improves vision and eye health – Cantaloupes, like other orange foods, are excellent sources of two important antioxidants for good vision: lutein and zeaxanthin. Both antioxidants help ward off cataracts and macular degeneration, which can lead to vision loss in later life.
5. Supports healthy heart functions – The potassium in cantaloupe is crucial for heart health because it helps keep blood pressure levels within a healthy range. With lower blood pressure comes a lower risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.
6. Maintains healthy hair – Cantaloupe is rich in vitamins A and C, which are both essential for healthy hair growth. For one, vitamin A is needed in the production of sebum, which keeps the scalp moisturized. Meanwhile, vitamin C boosts the production of collagen, which gives structure to hair cells.
7. Promotes younger-looking skin – Collagen also provides structural support to skin cells. Therefore, eating vitamin C-rich foods like cantaloupe can help keep your skin looking young and radiant.

Cooking with cantaloupe

Cantaloupe’s high water content makes it a refreshing addition to all kinds of drinks, snacks and dishes. Chop, whip, slice and shave cantaloupe into these delectable recipes for healthier eating.

5-minute spiced melons

Want to take fresh cantaloupe slices up a notch? Sprinkle them with an aromatic blend of spices for a midday snack like no other.

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 lbs. cantaloupe wedges
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon crushed pink peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sumac

Preparation:

1. Place the cantaloupe wedges on a platter.
2. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the wedges.
3. In a small bowl, combine the salt and spices.
4. Sprinkle each cantaloupe wedge with the spices.
5. Serve the cantaloupe wedges with the bowl of spices.

Cantaloupe and cucumber salad

With cantaloupe as the star, this fruit salad is rife with sweetness. But spices and herbs help balance that out with their sharp, pungent flavors.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 Fresno chili peppers, sliced
• 1 large cucumber, cut on a diagonal into 1/2 inch-thick pieces
• 1/2 large cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Sumac

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, pepper and cardamom.
2. Toss the cantaloupe, cucumber and chili peppers into the bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes, uncovered.
3. Once done resting, add pumpkin seeds, cilantro and mint. Toss to combine. Top with sumac and serve.

Sweet-tasting cantaloupe makes for a nutritious addition to desserts, salads and more. Eat cantaloupe as part of a balanced diet to reap its many nutritional benefits.

Sources:

FoodsForBetterHealth.com

ReadersDigest.ca

MyFoodData.com

Epicurious.com 1

Epicurious.com 2