Do You Love Watermelon And Count It Toward Your Water Goal?

I hear this a lot in clinic when I ask my patients how much fruit they’re having in a day; “Oh…I LOVE watermelon! I’ll have it throughout the day. It doesn’t upset my stomach, it goes down easy, and it helps me get my water in.”

If this is you, hang on a second.

Watermelon is what we would consider a “slider food” in the bariatric world.

What are slider foods?

Slider foods are easy foods you can tolerate consuming in large quantities, BUT, can pack a caloric punch and don’t offer a significant nutritional benefit to your body.

Unfortunately, they’re usually very high in carbohydrates due to the amount that we end up typically consuming.

Examples of slider foods include chocolate, chips, popcorn, smoothies, crackers, sweets… watermelon 😉.

Here’s a tip:

If you’re looking for fruit, stick to berries (ie: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and as always, be sure to ask yourself this one question every time you’re about to reach for something to eat; “Where is my protein?!”

Sometimes I’ll make myself 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries, throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds (so it’s still chilled) and then drizzle it with 1 tsp of peanut butter (no added sugar). That way, my fruit intake is buffered with a little healthy protein and fat.

Now, back to the watermelon dilemma.

Unfortunately… I would argue that watermelon does not count toward your water goal.

However, try this quick recipe (inspired by Bariatric Dietitian Kristin Willard) to incorporate watermelon into your diet without consuming it constantly throughout the day (and without adding unnecessary sugar into your diet):

Fill a pitcher full of water
Cut up a few big chunks of watermelon (without the seeds) and add to the pitcher
Include a handful of fresh mint leaves
Stir and leave the pitcher in the refrigerator overnight
Take out all of the mint and watermelon except a few pieces
Blend in a blender/ Vitamix until mixed
Pour into ice cube trays
Pop out a few ice cubes into you glass of water to act as a natural watermelon (& mint) diffuser for your beverage!

Voila! An opportunity to enjoy watermelon without the massive quantity and sugar load throughout the day!

Wish you had in depth nutritional support to help guide you on your weight loss surgery journey? At Banana Bariatrics – our membership support group- we have an entire TEAM of Bariatric Dietitians at your finger tips!

With access to months and months of Dietitian led support group replays and access to our Nutritional Masterclass course, you’ll feel more educated and more confident on how you’re using your Tool in your weight loss surgery journey.