Watermelon – a sweet but healthy pregnancy snack

Posted: August 1, 2012 In: Food Comments: 1

Oh how I love watermelon! I love how cool, refreshing and sweet it is and my kids love it for all the same reasons. I wonder, is a love for food is hereditary? I loved to eat watermelon throughout my pregnancies. More during my first pregnancy because I was stuck in the HOT Texas summer heat in my last trimester (I looked like I swallowed the watermelon whole) but it always left me feeling full and hydrated Did you know that watermelon is 92% water?

Watermelon Balls

Aside from it’s yummy-ness and high water content, watermelon has a lot of health benefits. According to an article from Fit Pregnancy, watermelon has high levels of lycopene (more than found in tomatoes). It may also ease nausea, heartburn, and raise your skin’s SPF. No wonder it makes the perfect pregnancy snack.

Consuming foods high in lycopene has also shown to reduce your risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy based on a study by the “International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics”.

Vitamin C is also abundant in Watermelon. Vitamin C aids in iron absorbtion which is important for the nutrition of your placenta. It is also rich in antioxidants, how can something so sweet and delish be so good for you? Hey, I’m not gonna complain. Check out more here: Watermelon.Org