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Can't Top A Loupe

Walking through the processed food-packed aisles of your supermarket, you might forget that all fruits and vegetables are Right Stuffs...and that some, like cantaloupe, are among the cream of the crop.


A cup of cubed cantaloupe (about a quarter of a medium melon) supplies more than a day’s vitamin A, nearly a day’s vitamin C, 12 percent of a day’s potassium, and 9 percent of a day’s folate. All for only 50 calories, no saturated fat, and virtually no sodium to burden your blood vessels. Even an apple, pear, or banana has around 100 calories.

You know a cantaloupe is ripe when it has a strong aroma, the blossom end (opposite the indented end where the stem used to be) yields to gentle pressure, and the rind has a yellow cast. What to do with your ripe melon?

Cut into chunks, spritz with fresh lemon or lime juice, and dig in. Or top with shaved Parmesan and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Or serve with a bit of goat cheese over a bed of mixed greens tossed with a red wine vinaigrette.

You can also use half a melon as a bowl for a handful of berries. Or cut up chunks of cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, and kiwi and top with fat-free Greek yogurt and (if you prefer) a touch of honey.

For a quick lunch, fill half a melon with low-fat cottage cheese and a sprinkle of toasted sunflower seeds. Small cubes of melon also add a refreshing, cool, lightly sweet crispness to shrimp, chicken, or crab salad.

It doesn’t get any easier...or better for you.
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