Melon
Food · Fruit · Food, Typed Supps
All melons are mostly water. The colour of the flesh tells you what else is in there.
Stage by stage
- Intake (Soft flesh crushed): Chewing ruptures thin-walled cells and releases water and dissolved sugars at once.
- Stomach (Empties quickly): A watery, low-viscosity load leaves the stomach fast, with little fibre to slow it.
- Absorption (Vitamin C and potassium): Water-soluble nutrients absorb readily; the carotenoids need fat in the same meal.
- Circulation (Fluid and potassium): Water and potassium enter circulation, which is why melon rehydrates well for very little energy.
Time to effect
- Under an hour: Water and sugars are absorbed within roughly 30 minutes.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.
In season
June to September in the northern hemisphere, December to March in the southern.
Satiety
The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 15 kcal per 100 g that is 1.6 kg of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.
Environmental footprint
1.1 kg CO2e and 199 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other fruit" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £2 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 15
- Protein: 0.7g
- Carbohydrate: 2g
- of which sugars: 1.7g
- Fat: 0g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 2.1g
- Sodium: 2mg
Food vs. supplement
No supplement replicates what melon does, which is deliver water and volume with almost no energy. Isolated carotenoid supplements have a weak and occasionally harmful trial record.
Kitchen tip
Scrub the rind before cutting — the netted skin of a rockmelon holds onto surface bacteria and the knife carries them into the flesh — and refrigerate promptly once cut.
Common myth
"Watermelon is one of the sugariest fruits." In reality: It is about six per cent sugar by weight — less than apple, grape or banana — and roughly ninety per cent water. The confusion comes from its glycaemic index, which is measured at a carbohydrate dose no one eats in one sitting.
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