Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Lime – Bright flavors for a delightful summer
Mark Twain's opinion is that the flavor of watermelon is simply heavenly, so once you've tasted Watermelon Feta Salad, maybe you know why the angels are always singing "Hallelujah"!
Watermelon is the chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat."
~ Mark Twain
I don’t know about angels, but I do know that this salad has everything you want in a summer side dish - sweet watermelon, salty feta, spicy jalapeno and tart lime juice.
Watermelon tastes like summer to me
Some of my best childhood memories are those long summer evenings in the backyard eating a big slice of watermelon and having a seed spitting contest with the neighborhood kids. Did you know that The world record for watermelon seed spitting is an astounding 75 feet 2 inches and was set in 1995 at a festival in Georgetown, Texas.
I like to think of this as an evolved version of backyard watermelon slices. Your grown-up palate will appreciate the spicy jalapeno and salty feta interplay with the sweet watermelon. Have picky eaters? Serve the feta on the side!
This light watermelon feta salad is a great alternative to heavy mayo based salads for all your summer gatherings.
The ingredients are simple:
- Cubed watermelon
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped jalapeno
- Lime juice
- Basil
This recipe is best eaten fresh, so mix up what you need and save the cubed watermelon separately for later use. Save time by purchasing precut watermelon and crumbled feta!
All About Watermelon
While watermelons are sometimes thought of as the “all-American” summer fruit (at least, by Americans), they’re actually native to Africa. Images and remains of watermelon have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to at least 4,000 years ago!
Today over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown across 96 countries worldwide. China is 1st in worldwide watermelon production, while the United States ranks 7th. Luckily, contrary to the belief of many children, swallowing watermelon seeds is not harmful and you won’t grow a watermelon in your stomach!
Is watermelon good for me?
Nutritionally, watermelons contain lots of good-for-you compounds.
As the name suggests, watermelons have a high water content, which helps keep you hydrated. They’re also high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and carotenoids. In particular, watermelons are high in the antioxidant-rich carotenoid lycopene, which gives them their pinkish-red color.
Although watermelons are also high in natural sugars (about 9.4 grams of sugar per cup) because they’re so high in water, it still turns out to be low on the glycemic load scale. This means that despite their sweetness, eating watermelon likely should not have a big impact on your blood sugar.
Mealtime conversation starters
Within a conversation, you are given a chance to share about yourself as well as learn about others. You have the ability to leave an impression that may lead to new friendships, or bring a smile to another's face as they think about the talk they had with you.
Today ask another:
What are you working on?
Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Lime
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Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon cubed
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tbsp lime juice (the juice of one lime, option to zest)
- ½ cup basil chopped or chiffonaded, packed cup
- 1 sprig basil whole leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a serving bowl and toss
- Garnish with basil leaves
Notes
- Substitute mint for basil
- Serve feta on the side
- Option to zest the lime and add with the juice for an additional pop of color and aroma.
Hand Size Portions
Hand Portions
Some handy advice: You can use your hands to practice calorie control without weighing and measuring.
Using hand position size is an alternative way to decide how much to eat visually. It gives you a way to quickly estimate what's on your plate, using the size of your hand as an alternative to counting macros (which generally has you weighing and reading nutrition labels to count protein, carbohydrates, and fat).
To learn more, read How to Get Started with Hand Portion Sizes.
Coach Karen S Holden helps busy professional women figure out how to prioritize their health while keeping all the plates spinning. She helps women take small imperfectly consistent steps that lead to big change. If your life is overloaded and overbooked, don’t despair – there is a solution.
Find other articles written by Karen on her coach profile. Her insights can help you navigate your journey to making your health as much of a priority as your career – without having to neglect either one!
