Super low in calories and 97% water content! You’d be missing out if you didn’t eat this “grateful” vegetable!

When it comes to vegetables with super low calories, winter melon is the best choice! Although it is a little big, it is very friendly to those who need to control their weight. It is low in calories and rich in water, so you won’t gain weight even if you eat a lot. The key is the name of "winter melon", which gives people a very refreshing feeling.

Although it is called "winter melon", it is a vegetable that matures in summer and autumn. Why is it called "winter melon"? Some say that it is because the white wax on the outer skin of the winter melon looks like the white frost in winter, and this layer of wax can protect the winter melon from spoiling during the winter and is more durable in storage, so it is called "winter melon".

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In this article, we will talk about the nutrition of winter melon and which variety of winter melon is the most delicious.

What nutrients does winter melon contain?

Winter melon is relatively heat-resistant, with the most suitable growth temperature being 25~30℃. It has the advantages of high yield and good storage resistance, and is also a very popular vegetable in summer and autumn.

Winter melon has a very low calorie content, only 10 kcal/100 g. Among all melon vegetables, winter melon has the lowest calorie content. It is very difficult to find a vegetable with lower calorie content than winter melon even among common vegetables. Even cucumber and Chinese cabbage, which are considered as "weight loss magic" in our minds, have higher calorie content than winter melon, 1.6 times and 2 times that of winter melon respectively. In addition, the water content of winter melon is as high as 97%, which is higher than that of cucumber, which tastes watery. This is also the main reason why people say that eating winter melon can "diurese".

In terms of other nutrients, winter melon also contains dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, citrulline, succinic acid and other ingredients.

1

Dietary fiber

Although winter melon contains dietary fiber, the content is not outstanding, only 0.9 grams per 100 grams. Fortunately, it is low in calories, so you can eat more. Dietary fiber can enhance satiety and help lose weight; it can also make stool softer, promote gastrointestinal motility, and help prevent constipation.

2

Vitamin C

The vitamin C content of winter melon is 16 mg/100 g, which is higher than that of apples and tomatoes; some literature shows that it is 27 mg/100 g, which is comparable to that of early oranges. However, winter melon is usually cooked before eating, so some vitamin C will be lost, so you can't expect to supplement much vitamin C by eating it.

White winter melon and shrimp soup. Copyright image. Reproduction may cause copyright disputes.

3

Mineral Potassium

Intake of more potassium in the diet is helpful to stabilize blood pressure. The potassium content of winter melon is not excellent if we look at the data alone, only 57 mg/100 g, but it is low in calories. Even if you eat 300 grams, the calories you take in are only 30 kcal, but it can supplement 171 mg of potassium. This is also good news for those who are afraid of obesity. While controlling blood pressure, you can also take into account the plan of losing weight.

4

Citrulline

Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid for the human body. It was originally identified from the juice of watermelon fruit and later found in large quantities in other Cucurbitaceae fruits. Citrulline is an effective hydroxyl free radical scavenger that can effectively protect DNA and enzymes from oxidative damage, increase vasodilation, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, correct erectile dysfunction, and reduce the incidence of vasospastic angina.

Winter melon is rich in citrulline. Among the seven common varieties of Cucurbitaceae fruits (winter melon, cucumber, bitter melon, pumpkin, loofah, melon and watermelon), the citrulline content in winter melon ranks second, second only to watermelon. And the more mature the winter melon is, the higher the citrulline content is.

5

Malonic acid

Winter melon contains a component called succinic acid, which can inhibit the conversion of sugars in the body into fat, thereby preventing fat deposition and accumulation in the body. This is helpful for people who need to lose weight and control their weight.

In general, winter melon is rich in water, low in calories, replenishes potassium, is beneficial to cardiovascular health, and can help lose weight. Even people with high blood sugar levels can eat winter melon with confidence, because the carbohydrate content of winter melon is very low, only 2.4 grams per 100 grams, mainly fructose, followed by glucose and sucrose.

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How to choose winter melon?

When buying winter melon, choose those with a symmetrical shape, smooth skin, no spots or scars, and a layer of powdery white frost, which are relatively fresh.

Many winter melons in shopping malls are already cut into slices. In this case, it is recommended to choose heavier ones among those of similar size, which means they are more moist and fresher, and taste better. You can also press the winter melon flesh lightly with your fingers and choose slightly firmer ones, and eat them as soon as possible after buying them home.

Many people don't like sour winter melon. Generally speaking, the higher the fructose content of the winter melon, the sweeter the fruit; the lower the malic acid content, the less sour it is; the higher the sugar-acid ratio, the better the taste of the winter melon. Therefore, if you want to choose a winter melon with a better taste, you can pay attention to the variety. An experiment has screened out some winter melons with a sweeter taste through the determination of 112 winter melon germplasm resources, such as B662 winter melon, B659 winter melon, B595 winter melon, B661 winter melon, B586 winter melon, B637 winter melon, and B639 winter melon.

Summarize

Summer and autumn are the seasons when winter melon is fresh and delicious. You can buy some home to make winter melon and pork ribs soup, winter melon soup with shrimp skin, winter melon and egg soup, stir-fried winter melon, winter melon stuffed with meat, winter melon fried with shrimp, etc. The most important thing is: winter melon is easy to cook, don't cook it for too long, and use less oil and salt!

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Li Na. Study on drying characteristics and storage stability of winter melon[D]. Henan Agricultural University, 2016. DOI: 10.27117/d.cnki.ghenu.2016.000015.

[3] Wan Xiaotong. Exploration of flavor nutrients in winter melon and screening of excellent germplasm resources[D]. Huazhong Agricultural University, 2022. DOI: 10.27158/d.cnki.ghznu.2022.000371.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert