Watermelon is the new pizza base. Yes, you read that right. Pizza. Health-conscious people up and down the country are turning this amazing superfood into a summer treat, and after this, you will never look at watermelon the same again!
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How Good For You Is Watermelon?
There is a whole host of essential vitamins and minerals contained within watermelon that make it a really good fruit for you to get more of into your diet, but here are a few of our top picks:
- Watermelon contains more lycopene than raw tomatoes. Lycopene is what gives watermelon its red color, and preliminary research suggests that our bodies use this powerful antioxidant to prevent heart disease and even breast and prostate cancers. Additionally, lycopene can even help prevent aging!
- Watermelon certainly takes after its name – it’s 91.5 percent water, helping us to keep hydrated on even the hottest summer days!
- It is the richest known dietary source of citrulline – an essential amino acid that triggers a process in the body, leading to a lowering of blood pressure, as well as facilitating the healing of wounds.
- Finally, there are significant levels of vitamins A, B6, and C in watermelon which are all great for maintaining good health.
Getting more of it into your diet
Getting more watermelon into your diet isn’t really difficult at all, but it can be pretty boring to just sit with a huge wedge of it on your plate! If you want to do it with some style and make something a little different – particularly if you are hosting a summer BBQ – watermelon pizza might just be the answer!
By slicing your watermelon into rounds rather than the more traditional wedges, you can create a ‘pizza base’ which you can then load up with toppings for a healthy alternative to fatty, carb-loaded traditional pizzas. They’re not just for dessert either – you can make them with savory toppings for a surprising blend of flavors, and create a real talking point among your guests.
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All of the recipes are dairy, refined sugar, and gluten-free!
The Recipes:
Top tip for all of the recipes: store your watermelon at room temperature before slicing to retain the most antioxidants possible. All of these recipes are based on watermelon rounds that are about 1 inch thick and you should get quite a few out of each watermelon, depending on the size.
Grilled Watermelon Pizza
Used with permission from My Recipes.
This is a delicious savory watermelon pizza, and the flavors really do work well together! Serve as finger food during your BBQ or as a compliment to the main meal. The nuts and onions provide a wonderful crunch and the salt and sweet make an interesting flavor combination.
Serves: 4
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sliced red onion
- Three tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Two teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Watermelon rounds
- Two tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
- ¼ cup dairy-free cheese
- Two tablespoons small basil leaves
Instructions:
- Mix the salt, onion, and vinegar in a bowl and let stand for around 15 minutes, to allow the onion to soften.
- Take two teaspoons of the vinegar mixture and combine with two teaspoons of olive oil, stirring with a whisk.
- Brush the oil and vinegar mixture onto both sides of a watermelon slice and grill for around four minutes on both sides – you want some grill markings to appear.
- Serve onto a platter and top with the softened onions (with the remaining liquid drained away), pecans, the dairy-free cheese, and a scattering of basil leaves.
Berries and Coconut Cream
Used with permission from Choosing Chia.
A gorgeous dessert pizza, this will provide a cleansing and fruity end to the meal. You’ll get a lot of fruit in one tasty serving and it’s a dessert to really get your guests talking!
Serves: 4
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- Watermelon rounds
- 1 cup coconut yogurt (dairy free)
- ½ cup strawberries, sliced in half
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup cherries, sliced
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions:
- Take your watermelon rounds and use a spatula to spread the yogurt leaving a little ‘crust’ around the edges.
- Sprinkle the berries in any way you wish on top of the pizza.
- Slice into pizza slices and serve!
Watermelon Pizza Dessert
Used with permission from The Cookie Writer.
A slightly different take on the dessert, this time, an alternative to the creamy yogurt for those who prefer a fruitier dessert. This packs a real flavor punch, and the mint brings a refreshing edge to it.
Serves: 4
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Toppings:
- Watermelon rounds
- One peach, sliced thinly
- Cherries, around 10, halved
- Fresh mint, shredded
- Toasted coconut, enough to sprinkled generously on top of the pizza
Sauce:
- Five strawberries
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Couple of mint leaves
Instructions:
- To create the sauce, put the strawberries, lime juice, and mint into a blender, pureeing until smooth. Taste it now and then to determine whether to add more of one ingredient or another, based on personal taste.
- Spread the sauce onto your watermelon rounds and arrange the additional toppings as you wish.
Enjoy!
The next time you are hosting a get together you can really wow your guests with any of these delicious dishes. Plus, you can be safe in the knowledge of the world of health benefits they bring with them. Have a great summer!
*Article originally appeared at Healthy Holistic Living.
