When you think of watermelon seeds, you may only think of them as annoying black pips to be discarded before you can tuck into a juicy bite of watermelon. If so, you need to think again. If you’re not saving your pips to snack on later, you’re making one of the biggest cooking faux pas ever.
Where does it come from?
As a greater health and well-being consciousness is growing in people across the globe, more are looking for healthy alternatives for snacking throughout the day. Additionally, more individuals are becoming aware of the waste they produce on a daily basis. The combination of these two trends led to the development of watermelon seeds as snacks. When prepared properly, these seeds make a tasty and fulfilling snack that also reduces the amount of food waste. Although you will still have a small amount of waste from the seed husks, these can easily be added to your compost heap to help grow more food. As well as being a delicious snack, watermelon seeds contain a wide variety of essential nutrients that help to boost your health when eaten regularly. Some of the key nutrients found in these seeds are potassium, folate, iron, zinc and magnesium. They also contain a variety of antioxidants and amino acids that help your body to flush out stored toxins.
How these seeds are prepared
If watermelon seeds sound like the perfect snack to add to your lifestyle, then it’s a good idea to find out how to prepare them. The first step is generally to remove any excess fruit from the seeds and wash them thoroughly. They should then be dried before being roasted for a few minutes at a high temperature. Once cooked they are tossed in seasoning that can include a variety of flavours such as plain salt or chilli. You can then eat them in the same manner as you would sunflower seeds. Bite down on the seed to split the husk before removing the tender inner part of the seed. Alternatively, you could buy seeds that have already been husked.
Accentuate the flavour of these seeds
These seeds are relatively low in fat, therefore they taste great when paired with something that is fairly high in healthy fats. Sprinkle your seeds over some mashed avocado or use these seeds as a topping for some yoghurt or cottage cheese.
How to get your hands on them
Should you would like to add watermelon seeds to your pantry, you’ll want to visit your nearest health foods restaurant. Alternative, you may be able to snatch up a package at your favourite vegetarian outlet.
