JOAN M. OF DALLAS, TX, ASKS: I’ve started counting calories in order to get a head start on my New Year’s resolution, which brings me to a question about one of my favorite fruits: How many calories are in watermelon?
Let me be the first to commend you on your dedication to healthy dieting, especially during one of the most challenging times of the year (Thanksgiving through Christmas).
Your question is a good one and a common one. Unlike most packaged goods found in the grocery store, watermelon and other fruits don’t have those little “Nutritional Information” tables on the side to give us the lowdown on what we’re about to consume. Luckily, the National Watermelon Promotion Board has created one (right). The table not only tells us how many calories are in watermelon (80 per 2-cup serving), but it also gives us the skinny on potassium, fiber and various vitamins.
Feel free to print out the table and stick it to the side of any watermelon you have at home. I might suggest printing out a few hundred copies to stick on the sides of watermelons in your local grocery stores, but I can tell you from experience that proactivity of that sort is frowned upon in most places.