This fruit is so easy to start growing, even in my small window garden.  The seeds did not take long to sprout (about 5 days) and before I knew it, I had plants about 4 inches high.  I am not actually expecting for my plants to yield fruit while just growing them in my small window garden, but I just love to experiment with gardening and it is more of a hobby for me until I get some land to actually expand.

These delicious and nutritious melons are usually oblong in shape, measure 4.5- 6.5 inches in diameter and weigh 450 – 850 gm. Its flesh ranges in color from orange-yellow to salmon and has a soft consistency.  Like most fruits, the riper it is the sweeter it is.   There are seeds in its hollow center that are off-white in color and surrounded by a network of stringy fibrous-like strands.

So, why have I decided to write about this melon…..well, for one it was on sale for a great price at the store and it is in season.  Usually the season starts in April and ends in August for cantaloupe.  I find that if you go with the flow and eat what is in season, you can reap more benefits from the fruit because it will be at its best, therefore, more nutritional benefits for us.  Being from America, I was used to having just about all kinds of produce available almost all year round.  It was not until I came to Israel that I realized that oranges are primarily harvested in the Winter! What!  Imagine the benefit we receive in the vitamin C boost going into the cold and flu season.

Reason number two that I purchased the cantaloupe melon is because of the many nutrients it contains and the health benefits:

• Its very filling and therefore in my opinion helps to tame my appetite and only 34 calories per 100 grams
• Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A (100 g yields 3382 IU or about 112% of recommended daily levels).  Vitamin A is an excellent anti-oxidant and great for eye mucus membrane and skin health.
• Due to the beta-carotene content, it may also be good protection against certain cancers (colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers).
• As a moderate source of potassium (a very important electrolyte) it is important for cell and body fluids and helps control blood pressure and heart rate.  It may help to protect against stroke and coronary heart disease.  It provides 267 mg of potassium in a 100 gram serving.
• If that is not enough, cantaloupe contains a good portion of B-complex vitamins.  Niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin C plus other minerals like manganese take us right back to free radical fighters and antioxidant properties.
• I have found that if I am feeling really weighed down, it really gives me a boost of energy to get me to the next meal and rehydrates me.  It is such a versatile fruit that you can cut it into cubes and eat it cold as a snack, with breakfast or as a dessert.

So, what are you waiting for…….can you give the cantaloupe a chance?  Let me know how you feel about it.  Don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe!

Reference:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cantaloupe.html