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Keto is one of the most popular diets in the world. The reason for this is simple – it works! On keto, you keep your carb intake to 50 grams or less per day and fill up on meals of healthy fats and protein.
Cutting carbs forces your body to use more fat for fuel, which is what makes keto such a good weight loss diet.
However, going keto means giving up high-carb foods, many of which are nutritional staples. Things like bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals, and grains are off the menu, as are most fruits.
This leaves a lot of ketogenic wondering exactly what they can eat and asking the question, “is this keto?”
With regards to fruit, there aren’t many that are keto-friendly. Avocados and coconuts are the obvious exceptions because they contain more fat than carbs. Berries are also an acceptable keto fruit because they’re very low in sugar.
Another fruit that may be keto-friendly is watermelon. As their name implies, watermelons are mostly water and very low in calories. They’re refreshing and delicious, and their subtle flavor is very popular.
So, is watermelon keto? Providing you don’t eat too many carbs elsewhere in your diet, watermelons can be part of the ketogenic diet, but you’ll have to make sure you don’t eat too much.
In this article, we reveal how to eat melon on the ketogenic diet.
Is Watermelon Keto?
What Are Watermelons?
Watermelons are large, yellow, and green striped fruit with juicy, pink, or red flesh.
They originate in Africa, and there are Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting watermelons that are over 5,000 years old.
They were buried with kings and queens to nourish them in the afterlife.
Watermelons came to Europe and the West in the 15th century via the Chinese trade routes, and now America and China are the largest growers of watermelons.
Probably the largest fruit, watermelons grow from 15-45 lbs, but there are smaller verities, called personal watermelons, that weigh between 1-7 lbs.
There are over 300 varieties of watermelon, and most have seeds. Watermelon seeds are edible, although some people prefer not to eat them. There are also several seedless varieties.
Every part of a watermelon can be eaten, but most people discard the rind. To make the rind edible, it needs to be cooked. Watermelon flesh is usually eaten raw but can also be used to make a refreshing juice.
Nutritional Information
Like most fruits, watermelons are very nutritious and are packed with beneficial nutrients. The nutritional breakdown for 2/3 of a cup/100 grams/3.5 ounces of raw watermelon are:
- 30 calories
- 0.6 grams of protein
- O.2 grams of fat
- 7.6 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.4 grams of fiber
- 7.2 grams of net (useable) carbs
In addition, watermelon is a good source of the following micronutrients:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin A
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Copper
Watermelons are also high in several healthful plant compounds, including carotenoids, lycopene, and cucurbitacin E.
The Benefits of Eating Watermelon
With its high nutrient content, watermelon is very healthy. Some of the benefits of eating watermelon include:
Hydration – watermelons contain a lot of water, so they can help keep you hydrated even if you don’t drink a lot of fluids.
Anti-Cancer – watermelons are high in cancer-fighting compounds, including lycopene and beta-carotene.
Better heart health – high in potassium, eating watermelons may help relax blood vessels for easier blood flow and lower blood pressure, leading to a lower risk of heart disease.
Anti-inflammatory – watermelons are high in anti-inflammatory compounds. Inflammation is a leading cause of chronic illness.
Better eye health – the lycopene and vitamin A in watermelons is very good for your eyes and could lessen macular degeneration.
Faster recovery after exercise and less muscle soreness – watermelons are high in L-citrulline, which is a common ingredient in pre-workout supplements. It’s an amino acid that may boost exercise performance and enhance recovery.
Treatment of erectile dysfunction – the L-citrulline in watermelons may increase blood follow to the penis and could be a viable alternative to ED drugs, such as Viagra.
Is Watermelon Keto?
With just 7.2 grams of net carbs per ¾ cup serving, watermelon is most definitely a keto-friendly fruit.
You can eat a reasonable amount of sweet, refreshing watermelon on keto without derailing your diet.
That said, because watermelons are large and reasonably cheap, invariably, they’re served in very large slices.
Because of this, it would be all too easy to lose track of how much you have eaten and end up inadvertently consuming too much carbohydrate.
Avoid this problem by scooping your watermelon out of its skin, cutting it into chunks, and weighing it. That way, you won’t accidentally eat too much. This is especially important if you juice your watermelon.
Bottom Line
Watermelon is very juicy and refreshing. And, with less than 7.5 grams of net carbs per ¾ cup serving, most people should be able to eat it as part of the low-carb ketogenic diet.
It’s also very low in calories, so eating watermelon instead of higher-calorie foods could enhance fat and weight loss.
Watermelon is more than just a good weight loss food; it’s very healthy, too.
It’s packed with beneficial nutrients, including compounds that are good for your eyes and heart and that could reduce your risk of cancer. Eating watermelon after exercise could also speed up recovery and rescue muscle soreness.
All in all, watermelon is not just keto-friendly; it’s a good food whatever diet you are following.
