2023-06-15 17:40:10
White, water, charentais, green, orange melon: the different varieties of melon
If it exists more than 500 melon varieties known in Europeof various sizes and shapes and whose flesh ranges from white to orange via green, 6 are vying for the limelight on French stalls:
- The charentais melon : Round, light green bark and orange flesh, this melon is without doubt the most appreciated and the most frequent on our stalls.
- The Gallic melon : With its orange-beige skin and very juicy yellow-green flesh, the Galia melon is produced mainly in Anjou.
- The canari melon (or yellow melon): Oval in shape with yellow skin and white flesh, the yellow melon is highly prized for its juicy, melting texture and for its subtly sweet flavor.
- The melon vert olive : This green-skinned oval melon is a winter melon. It is also known as Christmas green melon or Spanish melon.
- The melon boule d’or : Yellow bark and white flesh, the golden ball melon is also a winter melon. It is one of the oldest but also the rarest varieties of melon.
- The melon honey dew : Also known as honeydew melon, honey dew is a variety native to the United States. Round in shape, its bark is creamy-white, its flesh pale green and its flavor very sweet.
The benefits of melon
The melon has many health benefits to its counter.
First of all, with its 90% waterhe has no equal for quench and rehydrate during the hot summer season. Rich in calcium and potassium, melon is a natural diuretic and is recommended to fight against water retention and kidney problems. It is also a fruit rich in vitamin C, since a portion covers a quarter of the recommended daily intake.
Orange-fleshed varieties have a high carotenoid content, making them valuable fruits for fighting oxidative stress and premature skin aging.
Finally, rich in soluble fiberthe melon is a fruit with laxative propertiestherefore very effective in stimulating sluggish transit and fighting constipation.
How many calories in a melon?
The caloric value of melon is quite variable depending on the species and the degree of ripeness of the fruit. The riper the melon, the higher the sugar content.
On average, melon provides 35 to 40 calories per 100gbut the charentais melonwhich is also the most consumed in France, has a significantly higher energy value, of 62 cal/100g.
An average portion of melon weighing 150 g, it provides 60 to 90 calories depending on the variety.
Is melon good for diet and weight loss?
Whether white, green, yellow or orange, the melon is a fruit rich in water, vitamins and minerals, and low to moderately sweet and caloric. There is no reason to ban it from a slimming diet.
The soluble fibers that it contains in very interesting quantity, have the capacity to form a gel in the intestinewhich limits the absorption of sugars and fats from the meal.
Finally, its glycemic index (GI) is moderate (65) and its glycemic load is very low, which means that a portion of melon slightly raises blood sugar levels but allows you to quickly reach the feeling of satiety. Putting melon on the menu therefore helps to limit cravings and food compulsions between meals.
For all these reasons, the melon is definitely an allied fruit of the line.
The least sweet and therefore least caloric varieties are those with white to green flesh.
How to eat melon to lose weight?
As part of a weight loss diet, melon can be wisely consumed as a starter or even as an aperitif in the form of small balls to nibble, in order to help fill the stomach and calm the appetite before moving on to the dish. Association with country ham is totally dietetically correctsince the latter is low in fat and rich in protein.
The melon also makes a excellent slimming dessert, alone or with other summer fruits for a fresh fruit salad. It is also delicious in frozen soup or, for a more gourmet dessert, in homemade sorbet with very little coconut blossom sugar (low GI).
Does eating melon at night make you fat?
The melon is no more discouraged in the evening than at noon, since it is the total daily caloric value that will influence weight variations.
And for all those prone to compulsive late-night sweet snacking, it is a very good alternative to cakes, candies or other sweets.
Quid du jus du melon
Melon juice is the flesh of the melon passed through a blender until a drink is obtained, with the appearance of a smoothie. If it is homemade and without added sugar, its caloric and nutritional values are similar to those of the fruit eaten whole.
However, nutritionists still recommend eating fruit rather than drinking it, for two reasons:
– Chewing contributes to obtaining the feeling of satiety: drinking melon juice is therefore much less satiating than eating a slice of melon,
– Fruit juice always raises blood sugar much faster than whole fruit. Drinking a glass of melon juice may cause a spike in hyperglycemia followed by insulin spike secreted by the body to lower blood sugar levels. However, significant variations in blood sugar and high insulin secretions are two phenomena that are harmful to maintaining a stable weight.
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