Favorite WW Friendly Ways to Enjoy Watermelon
Staying calm, cool and collected can be challenging here in the desert this time of year.
My favorite survival strategies include hibernating at home with a good book, hanging out in the comfort of air conditioned movie theaters and planning as many escapes as I can.
Thankfully, there's plenty of watermelon in the fridge to keep me happy and hydrated. I love watermelon and try to keep a container of it on hand all summer long so it's ready for grabbing whenever the urge for a snack hits.
Fresh cut watermelon
Juicy and sweet, a slice of chilled watermelon usually keeps me from diving into the freezer in search of ice cream.
Strategically placed in a clear container in the front of the refrigerator, thankfully it's usually the first thing I see.
While delicious all by itself, there are all kinds of ways to enjoy watermelon in recipes too, which is what this week's Friday Favorites is all about.
I've taken a lap around the web, stopping at all of my favorite Weight Watchers friendly recipe sites to assemble a delicious collection of ways to enjoy watermelon, from spicy to sweet. Enjoy!
Favorite Easy Delicious Ways To Enjoy Watermelon
Watermelon Pizza
Top a slice of watermelon with whatever suits your fancy and then cut into wedges to create a light, fresh and delicious Weight Watchers friendly appetizer, snack or dessert. Take your pizza in a sweet direction by topping it with fruit, blueberries, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries or go savory like Gina from SkinnyTaste did with this Watermelon Feta Balsamic "Pizza."
Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your own watermelon fruit pizza:
Watermelon Cheese Skewers
Start with 3 pieces of Mini Babybel Light and 16 one-inch cubes of watermelon (about 1-½ cups). Cut each piece of cheese into 4 wedges. Thread the following onto each skewer: watermelon cube, cheese wedge, watermelon cube, cheese wedge, watermelon cube, cheese wedge, watermelon cube. Enjoy!
Watermelon with Chile and Lime
Sprinkle chunks or wedges of watermelon with chile powder, salt and drizzle with lime juice. An amazingly simple way to add zing to fresh fruit.
Watermelon Agua Fresca
Light and not too sweet, this is a terrific thirst quencher on a hot summer day. Just blend watermelon with water, a bit of sugar and a little lime juice.
Refreshing Watermelon Smoothies
We love using watermelon as a base for smoothies, while mixing it with other favorite fruits and vegetables – so we gathered some of those recipes here to share with you. Enjoy!
Simple Watermelon Feta Salad
This simple salad is perfect for a hot summer day. The flavor combination might sound odd at first. Truthfully, I wasn't sold the first time I tasted it several years ago. But, I decided to give it another chance today when I was craving something light and refreshing for lunch.
Orzo Salad with Watermelon
Juicy watermelon and tangy feta make this a refreshing and unique pasta salad. (WeightWatchers)
Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad
Chopped romaine tossed with sweet, juicy watermelon, grilled shrimp and goat cheese and a golden balsamic vinaigrette - a perfect summertime salad for seafood lovers. (SkinnyTaste)
Watermelon-Jalapeño Gazpacho with Feta
Again, it's amazing that something so flavorful can be whirred together in the blender (affiliate link) in minutes, for so few calories and WW Points. Talk about a Weight Watchers dream recipe.
Indian Spiced Tilapia with Watermelon Salsa
This refreshing watermelon salsa is no exception. Served atop tilapia fillets that had been lightly dusted with garam masala (a blend of Indian spices) resulted in a really delicious dinner with minimal SmartPoints.
5 Minute Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
This sorbet is ready in minutes, and it is the perfect treat on a hot summer day. The best part is, there is no added sugar, and it is packed with vitamins, so you can feel good about eating it. (Dashing Dish)
Watermelon Cake
Want an impressive looking cake that's not only healthy but also requires zero baking? These fresh fruit "cakes" made from sliced watermelon, peaches, strawberries and other fruit combinations, are just the thing — perfect for summer birthdays and outdoor cookouts! (Craftsy) Or for an easier version, decorate a round of watermelon with whipped cream, fruit and nuts like Jennifer did.
Find More WW Friendly Watermelon Recipes
Watch this video to learn how you can make your own no-bake watermelon cake:
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
6/27/16 GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!
The winner of the kindle fire is: Judy H, who said, "I ride my bike over the same route nearly every day. On my way home, I stop at a garden behind a church, there is a little water feature, a small labyrinth, blooming flowers and trees, and benches with memorials and/or excerpts from scripture. Every day, I read most, if not all of the bench messages, but I always read my favorite. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never ends. The words never fail to calm and comfort me."
Congratulations Judy! Contact support@simple-nourished-living.com to claim your prize. And thanks to all of you who stopped by and participated. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you being part of this community. The more I have the opportunity to read your delicious, thoughtful comments, the more I realize how much we have in common.
And Now for the Giveaway…
TO ENTER GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED, SEE WINNER ABOVE!
To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:
- How do you show yourself love/kindness/compassion?
(Click Here to Read How I Am Working on Showing Myself More Love, Kindness and Compassion)
Just let me know how you show yourself love/kindness/compassion and you'll be entered to win the Kindle Fire! (The Kindle Fire that will be given away has a 7" IPS display, fast 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, rear and front-facing cameras and 8GB of internal storage).
THE RULES
One entry per person, please
Winners will be announced next Tuesday. Be sure to check back to see if you won.
Good luck!
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This giveaway is sponsored by Simple Nourished Living. Awarded prize may differ slightly (color, design, etc.) from images that appear here - based on availability. Giveaway prizes may be forfeited if not claimed within 90 days.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Genie Schlafer
I try to take some time for myself every day, like taking a long walk.
Shana Sadowsky
By giving myself "me" time and going on a walk/run and exercising.
Barb Madden
I show myself love & kindness by helping my elderly neighbors who live alone. One is a 97-year-old who outlived 3 husbands it never had any children. I walk her dog every morning & make sure she is ok. Another one (85 years old) lost her husband this year & their daughter never comes around. She is Cuban so I like to make her rice & beans & other soups from scratch. You wouldn't believe how good this feels!
Mary
I show love and kindness for myself by doing the things I always wanted to do but never had the time to do before I retired--spending lazy days in the park, learning how to eat healthy after years of junk food binging, taking long walks, window sill gardening, and, of course, my Weight Watchers meeting. Haven't missed one since September 2014. I attend college classes for retirees in the fall and spring and am now in classes to become an HHP. At my age I doubt much I will be working in the field, but it's a dream of mine to get that certificate.
Sondra
Every morning after a light breakfast I tske time do a devotion which allows me to be enlightened for the day. Go about my day and then close the day with another devotion which places me in a good place for rest
Deanna Harrison
I show love to myself by taking care of myself with physical exercise, healthy food and time for prayer and reading God's Word.
Marty
I meet my friends every morning at 6:00 for an exercise class.
Tammy
I show myself love and kindness by spending at least an hour everyday getting lost in the pages of a good book and by walking outside with my dog.
Tami Jenkins
Depending on why I need to show myself love/kindness/compassion, will depend on my reward. If I'm feeling down in the dumps, then it's Oreo's or M&M's. I know it's not a healthy reward but ....If I've lost some weight or done a good job at work then I buy myself a new piece of fabric or quilting kit.
Diane Draveski
I sit in my room take a deep breathe and scrapbook/journal in my "The Happy Planner" calendar system I got at Hobby Lobby. It sounds silly but here I am at 49 and those stickers, pens, pretty papers and folders with positive sayingsor bible quotes renew and relax me. I use the notes sections to bible study and journal my weight watchers meetings! It makes me smile.
Shanna Bailey
To show myself love, compassion and kindness I've had to stop listening to those around me tell me what a "perfect" weight would be for me. I've started listening to my own body and watched how my clothes look and make me feel. I've watched my 2 beautiful boys notice a difference in how "mama" gets up off the couch and plays with them...until we are rolling and laughing in the floor. I've had to learn to tell myself, "You are beautiful, no matter what the number on the scale says!" Losing weight and sticking with it and learning to love me for me, is the greatest kindness any woman can show themselves.
Amy
I show myself love by trying to take of myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. I only want the best for me in terms of what I eat, how hard I push myself physically and I pray for peace within me and for those around me.
Amy
I show myself love by trying to take care of myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. I only want the best for me in terms of what I eat, how hard I push myself physically and I pray for peace within me and for those around me.
Kim baker
I love to take the time to read a magazine front to back.
Christine
Last week at Weight Watcher weigh in I had an unexpected gain. Surprised yes, lost my motivation No! I love how I am able to move now. The fact that I'd rather move than sit. I have more freedom and ability to enjoy the little things in life because it is so much easier. I treat myself to an hour everyday on the treadmill where I read. Both things I love and truly enjoy doing.o
Diane Ambrose
I show myself love and kindness when I take a few minutes to walk outside and enjoy nature. Sometimes I am so focused on the work that needs to be done inside that I forget the wonderful happiness that I feel after just 15 minutes outside.
Mary
I try very hard to keep an upbeat attitude every day. I show myself love by looking at my family and animals and seeing how wonderful my life truly is. It makes everything worthwhile.
Lisa T
I love to take my walks in the evening and then I enjoy some quiet time reading or working on one of my knitting projects to unwind before I go to bed. Daily devotionals help me keep in the right frame of mind to keep me on track to enjoy and healthy lifestyle.
Janice Smith
I have learned to schedule time for myself. I schedule time to walk and/or attend an exercise class. I also plan time to read before bed each night. I have to admit it is much easier now that I don't have young children!
Debi
I eat food that is good for my body, drink plenty of water, exercise/do yoga on a regular basis, and have a full body massage once a month! Thanks for asking!
Sarah K
Some of the ways I am leaning to love myself is by actually taking the time to do things I love -- pedicures, reading good books, crocheting, and spending time with family. I'm trying to make those moments we have count.