Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider Warms Spirits in Holiday Season

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Watermelon warms the soul and spirit in any season! Simmer a pot of Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider for friends and family this holiday season, it’s a hot holiday punch that is naturally sweet and delicious.

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices, this easy-to-make hot punch is features watermelon juice. Fresh watermelon juice is available for purchase in the produce department of many larger grocery stores, or make your own by blending cubed watermelon and straining off the pulp. Check out Watermelon.org for a great demo on how to make watermelon juice.

Ingredients for Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider, a hot holiday punch

This warm holiday punch is primarily watermelon juice, an amazing fresh juice that offers vitamin C, lycopene, l-citrulline, and other beneficial nutrients. I also added spiced apple cider and always use the fresh, no-added-sugar, 100% juice cider from the chilled section of my market.

For a show-stopping presentation (and to make a drink that you can also snack on), add a generous amount of fruit to the pot including diced watermelon, fresh cranberries, pears and apples. Is it a fruit salad, beverage or both? You decide!!!

Spices used in Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider including cinnamon, cloves and star anise.

While simmering on the stove top, add whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, star anise and whole cloves. Watermelon and cinnamon make magic together, you can even just sprinkle a little on a wedge for an instant flavor experience. Also, allspice, nutmeg and cardamon are additional spices that would work well in this hot watermelon drink, use all mentioned or any combination you prefer! Used frequently in in hot beverages, these warming, aromatic spices are called “mulling spices.” Add smaller bits, such as cloves and allspice, to a tea ball so that they can be easily strained out before serving. However, keep the whole cinnamon sticks in – they make fun stirrers!

Completely optional, but a nice add-in to this watermelon apple cider is a bit of brandy – it just blends in so nicely with the fruit juices and spices!

Pro tip: For a lingering brunch gathering or holiday open house, keep the watermelon punch warmed for hours in a slow-cooker set on low.

For more ways to enjoy watermelon during the holiday season, including more watermelon beverages and pairing suggestions perfect for a grazing tray, visit Watermelon.org .

5 from 2 votes

Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Watermelon is wonderful in every season! Ladle mugs full of this warm watermelon punch that is bejeweled with fruit and steeped with mulling spices like cinnamon and cloves!

Course: Beverage, party

Keyword: christmas, cider, entertaining, punch, spiced, watermelon

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

6 cups fresh 100% watermelon juice
3 cups fresh 100% spiced apple cider
Mulling spices of choice* including cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, grated nutmeg, cardamon
1 cup brandy optional
2 cups diced watermelon
1 small apple sliced crosswise and quartered
1 small pear sliced crosswise and quartered
1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions

In large pot or slow cooker, add watermelon juice and apple cider.
Add mulling spices. Cinnamon sticks and big pieces of star anise can be used whole, but smaller spices should be placed in a tea ball for easy discarding after simmering.
Bring juices to low simmer, for 15 minutes, allowing spices to steep. If using slow cooker, heat on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to warm for serving.
If desired, add brandy in the last few minutes of cooking. Drink is equally delicious without alcohol, option is yours.
Ladle out and pour into mugs.

Recipe Notes

*During the holiday season, “mulling spice” blends are sometimes available in the bulk or spice aisle of store for convenience

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org. However, all content, opinions, and enthusiasm for watermelon remain my own!

Runners, triathletes, hybrid athletes, gym rats, fitness enthusiasts, parents with kids in sports, and everyday active folks who are always on the go – I’m talking to YOU!

Watermelon is more than just the quintessential fruit of summer – it’s a highly functional food that can (and should) be enjoyed all year ‘round in an athletes training diet including those who are striving to optimize their health and wellness though consistent physical activity.

So, why watermelon? What are watermelon health benefits and why is watermelon for runners, athletes and everyone on a fitness journey such a good thing?

different ways to cut watermelon thefitfork.com

Fresh and Economical: Watermelon is a fresh, whole food that doesn’t come processed and wrapped up in consumer packaging. Ounce for ounce, watermelon is also the most economical fruit purchase in the produce department. You can even eat the entire watermelon – flesh, seeds, juice, AND rind! All of these perks a win for your body, budget, and the environment.

Full of Fluid: Watermelon has a water content of 92 percent! This means watermelon is a fast way to hydrate before a run or workout or top off your tank afterward. Compared to some of my other favorite snacks (which all have their own inherent benefits, BTW), watermelon is the winner of nearly holding its own weight in water. For example, a banana is 75 percent water, raisins are just 20 percent water, and most nuts only have a water content of 5 percent water.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle - Watermelon is Refreshing Fuel

Functional Fuel: Watermelon is extremely functional when it comes to providing nutrients to support a balanced and active lifestyle. For example, two cups of watermelon (80 calories) offer 21 grams of carbohydrates to help you power through any day, whether running a marathon or just running errands around town. In some circles, carbs get a bad rap, and while I’m not a fan of most highly-processed and refined-sugar carbs, I do rely carbohydrates sourced primarily from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Endurance athletes need properly-timed carbs to provide sustained energy for the long haul.

However, if you are not logging massive miles and need less carb energy (or perhaps are on a lower-carb diet for your lifestyle), watermelon REMAINS a fruit that can be enjoyed. Because it’s a big volume fruit (big serving size versus a denser fruit like, say, dates), the carbohydrates are “spread out.” So, many consider watermelon a low-carb fruit, especially when enjoyed mindfully. A small portion of watermelon can even be eaten and still kept compliant with a keto diet! For me, the little bit of natural sugars from watermelon help soothe my sweet tooth and curb cravings.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle

Watermelon Electrolytes: Endurance athletes (and everyone, in fact), need electrolytes in their diet to help balance water in the body. Electrolytes are found in body fluids like blood, urine, and tissues and also keep pH level in check, move nutrients into cells, move waste out of cells, keep you from muscle cramping, help your nerves and brain, and ultimately ensure that all bodily systems are operating optimally.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle - watermelon has protein in both the seeds AND flesh!

Watermelon Protein: Believe it or not, watermelon is a source of plant protein. YES! There is protein in watermelon, whoohoo! Protein supports an active lifestyle by promoting tissue repair, exercise recovery, injury prevention, immune function and the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

One ounce of sprouted, shelled and dried watermelon seeds contains 10 grams of protein – that’s a nice amount for a post-workout snack! The flesh of watermelon also has a more modest amount, but still more that you’d guess! Two cups of watermelon provide 2 grams of protein and, for a boost, can be paired with other protein-choices like yogurt, cottage cheese, chia seeds, quinoa, seafood, and more.

Better Workout Recovery with Watermelon: Two cups of watermelon also provide between 286mg to 1266mg of L-citrulline, an amino that boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body. For athletes, research is suggesting that the juice from watermelon can help to reduce recovery heart rate and muscle soreness in the 24-hour window after exercise.

Watermelon is Simple: Some of my favorite ways to enjoy watermelon in a manner that supports my nutrition goals as a runner and athlete are SO SIMPLE. Eat it plain with salt and lime juice, freeze chunks to use in smoothies, make watermelon seed trail mix, and drink the juice!

I’ve also created and used other watermelon race fuel and watermelon recovery recipes for runners:

Concentrated Electrolyte Ice Cubes for Runners

Warm spiced Watermelon Lemonade for Winter Workout Recovery

Watermelon, Beet and Chia Shot Blocks for Endurance Fuel

And, finally, you can actually WORKOUT WITH WATERMELON – did you see my recent Fit & Fresh Freestyle Watermelon Workout?

For EVERYTHING you ever needed to know about watermelon and MORE, visit Watermelon.org and @watermelonboard on Instagram!

Fit & Fresh Watermelon Workout + Juice as Exercise Sports Drink

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored byWatermelon.org, however all editorial opinions and content, unless otherwise noted, remain my own – as does the enthusiasm for watermelon.

Many of us are still avoiding the gym and working up a sweat in the family room, garage or backyard instead. But, what to do if things start to get boring or you don’t have the right equipment on hand?! Do what I do and just improvise to freshen up your home fitness routine – and add a WATERMELON to your workout!

Grab a watermelon or two, and sweeten up your home sweat sesh with this fun workout. Full body, cardio and strength with exercises that use a tote bag to allow a greater range of movement in this watermelon workout. Exercise can be both serious, and practical (what a great fitness hack)! -- and don't forget watermelon and watermelon juice is the perfect pre and post workout snack for runners and athletes.

This Freestyle Fresh & Fit Watermelon Workout will sweeten up your home workout and bring a smile to your face – it’s a silly and a serious sweat sesh at the same time. If you know me, you gotta realize by now that exercising with a watermelon is one of my FAVORITE home fitness hacks. I’ve done everything from watermelon pool workouts to home watermelon workouts you can do inside on a mat to high intensity interval workouts with watermelon for the backyard or park.

Use watermelon as impromptu "weights" in your workout! It's a great fitness hack!

Jumbo, standard and personal-sized watermelons offer different weight options. I’ve used watermelons as big as 30 pounds to exercise with – you DON’T want to drop them! Today, I’m keeping it more moderate (but still challenging) with a 15-pounder and a 5-pounder mini watermelon.

Also, I’m showing many watermelon exercises with an “in the bag” trick that allows the unwieldy, round-ish fruit to be used safely for even more movements. Adding a watermelon to a totebag with sturdy handles is a great way to turn it into a piece of equipment you can swing like a kettle bell, hang over your shoulders like a wieght vest, and more safely hold overhead or in other exercise positions without worry of dropping and smashing the watermelon . . . or your face!

The Freestyle Fit & Fresh Watermelon Workout, lets you choose your order of cardio exercise holding watermelon and strength exercise with watermelon. I’ve squeezed my demo of this garage or backyard watermelon workout on super speed above so you can get the idea.

Another great way to use the whole fruit is to DRINK THE WATERMELON JUICE. There are so many great reasons to drink this fit and fresh beverage. It’s 100% natural, just juice from a watermelon. No funny colorings, preservatives or added sugars. Of course, there are some natural fruit sugars in it, but that’s a good thing in my opinion because topping off glucose stores during and after intense, prolonged exercise is needed for optimal performance.

Also, Vitamin C and amino acid l-citrulline, both found in watermelon and watermelon juice, are beneficial for my active lifestyle. There are more watermelon benefits for runners and athletes. For example, some studies have shown that Vitamin C can help boost immunity during high training cycles and that l-citrulline may help to minimize post-workout fatigue and soreness by increasing reparative blood flow to the muscles.

Another sports hydration trick I like to do with watermelon juice is to mix it with an electrolyte drink mix for even more “oomph” on those days when I’m slogging through many miles in the Texas heat. To save money and have more control over the ingredients (I don’t want artificial colors or flavorings), using a recipe for homemade electrolyte powder (with sodium, potassium and magnesium) is the ideal mix in for watermelon juice. I also water down the watermelon juice too so the natural sweetness doesn’t overwhelm me when I’m out there working hard in the sun and my stomach is a little off.

There are several ways source watermelon juice. It’s can be expensive, but purchasing already prepared is an option. But buyer beware, make sure you are getting the actual juice and not some sort of sugar-added drink. If you want a lot of juice in a hurry, you can put cubed watermelon in your blender, blend up and pour through a strainer to pull the pulp off (Watermelon.org has a great demonstration of how to make watermelon juice this way).

BUT the method usually share when people ask “how to make easy watermelon juice” is to just pour it off the container of my big watermelon I buy every week in the summer. Once cut, juice slowly seeps out and I always pour it off every morning to drink later – even freezing portions. ALL OF THE WATERMELON JUICE you seen in that sports bottle above was poured off the cutting up of a single watermelon. But that makes total sense actually, as watermelons are nearly 93% water!

Drop me a comment if you try the watermelon workout or making watermelon juice!

Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is part of a blogger recipe challenge sponsored by Sam’s Fresh Salsa.

Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad is a delight for lunch or a light dinner this hot weather time of year! It’s a delicious watermelon quinoa salad that is a little bit sweet, a little bit savory, a little bit salty and just a tiny bit spicy – so many flavors that shine bright!

Celebrate summer with this cool, refreshing vegetarian salad that offers enough protein to make it a meal! Watermelon, corn, spinach, seeds, queso fresco and cheese come together with a dressing made from olive oil and fresh watermelon jicama salsa.

Watermelon and quinoa are namesake ingredients, but it’s also loaded with corn, fresh spinach, seeds, green onions and crumbled queso fresco. The whole entrée salad comes together in minutes if you’ve pre-cooked the quinoa and is flavorfully festive with a dressing made from Sam’s Fresh Salsa and a bit of olive oil.

If you know me AT ALL, have used the search bar to look for watermelon recipes here, or follow my Instagram, you know that I am a mega super-fan and advocate of watermelon. It’s hydrating, it’s packed with vitamin C, natural sugars to fuel my active lifestyle, the amino acid l-citrulline said to possibly reduce post workout soreness are among the many reasons I love watermelon – -and, oh yeah, it’s delicious!

I also love an easy, healthy recipe that doesn’t require me to turn on the oven in the summer. Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad can be made a bit ahead too, and served later that day – perfect for pool parties, summer celebrations like July 4^th, and outdoor entertaining and potlucks (so glad these are all coming back)!

Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad also can be layered up in a jar for a pretty presentation, or to take to work and then shake up right before eating. The trick is to layer the dressing made from Watermelon Jicama Salsa on the bottom of the jar and then load up in order of “delicateness” – so like watermelon, corn, quinoa and seeds, spinach, and cheese!

This watermelon salad fits with vegetarian diets – and if you leave the cheese off it is suitable for a vegan lifestyle. As written, the vegetarian version recipe (with cheese) offers 19 grams of protein – but if you are looking for more protein, it is also delicious paired with grilled shrimp or fish. It also has more that 100% DV for vitamin A, 54% DV for vitamin C, 37% DV iron, and 21% DV calcium.

I am really loving these new refrigerated salsas from Sam’s Fresh Salsas with a thumbs-up clean label featuring fresh fruits and veggies with absolutely no preservatives or anything artificial. In addition to the Watermelon Jicama Salsa there is also Salsa Verde and Cantina Medium Salsa. You can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway or ask your store to stock it!

You can also learn more about Sam’s Fresh Salsa at SamsSalsa.com on Facebook and Instagram!

5 from 3 votes

Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

cooling

10 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Celebrate summer with this cool, refreshing vegetarian salad that offers enough protein to make it a meal! Watermelon, corn, spinach, seeds, queso fresco and cheese come together with a dressing made from olive oil and fresh watermelon jicama salsa.

Course: entree salad, Salad, Side Dish

Keyword: quinoa, watermelon

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 443 kcal

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 ½ cups water to cook quinoa
1 ½ cup diced watermelon
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
½ cup frozen corn thawed
¼ cup chopped green onions whites and greens
2 tablespoons toasted hemp hearts or can use sunflower seeds or pepitas
½ cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
2/3 cup Watermelon Jicama salsa from Sam’s Fresh Salsa
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ tsp. salt

Instructions

Place rinsed quinoa in medium pot and add water. Cook, with lid on, for approximately 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed and it is tender.
Let quinoa cool to at least room temperature. Spread out on a cookie sheet and stick in the fridge to quick cool for 10 minutes.
Add diced watermelon, spinach, corn, green onions, hemp hearts (or seeds), and crumbled cheese to a large bowl with quinoa.
In small bowl, whisk together salsa, olive oil and salt.
Pour over salad and mix well.

Recipe Notes

Watermelon Benefits for Athletes + Easy Pre- and Post-Workout Recipes

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org. However, all opinions, content, comments and extreme watermelon enthusiasm remain my own.

Watermelon is a wonderful food for runners, athletes and every BODY with an active lifestyle, plain and simple! Over the years, I’ve shared so many healthy benefits of watermelon and creative ways to use watermelon in recipes AND workouts!

As we burst into spring and soon enough into summer, and fill our hours with more outdoor activities and recreation, I just wanted to touch on the fitness-focused nutritional benefits of watermelon. These include 1) hydration, 2) natural energy, 3) workout recovery, 4) important vitamins and antioxidants

HYDRATION: Watermelon is a fruit you can eat and DRINK! You can actually drink watermelon by making watermelon juice, but eating it is a drink in itself – watermelon is 92% water. For example, 16 ounces of watermelon hydrates your body with about 14 ¾ ounces of water! I think that’s why it tastes extra refreshing after a summer run or day working in the yard. There are many other ways to “drink” your watermelon, these are some of my favorites:

Watermelon Electrolyte Ice Cubes: Watermelon juice and lime juice mixed with Himalayan sea salt, baking soda and maple syrup, frozen and meant to be melted straight in the mouth or dissolved in water. A great way to prevent cramping in high sweat-output athletes.

Watermelon Coconut Cream Soda: Cure your cravings for bubbly without drinking sugary, chemical-laden soda with this easy-to-make fountain-style drink made with watermelon juice, coconut cream, sparkling water and stevia.

NATURAL ENERGY: Watermelon is also a source of natural sugars to fuel your adventures. Most runners go further and farther fueled with carbohydrates! Some mistakenly avoid watermelon thinking it is too high in sugar, but really, it’s quite reasonable and most everyone can eat it as part of a balanced diet. To understand this more, you need to realize that the watermelon Glycemic Load (GL) is actually low at 2 for 100grams of watermelon . . . even though the Glycemic Index (GI) which everyone seems to get stuck on is considered higher at 72 on a 100 scale (BTW, GI isn’t everything, calories vitamins and other nutrients are important too – not JUST the GI number and that’s why you need to consider the GL number too). In fact, many nutritionists feel Glycemic Load (GL) gives a more realistic value of how different foods affect blood sugar than GI because it also takes into consideration the amount of carbohydrate in the food, not just how quickly it turns to glycogen. For reference, foods with a low GI level (under 10 considered low, over 20 considered high), are less likely to raise your blood sugar levels.

WORKOUT RECOVERY: Not only does watermelon replenish your body’s glycogen stores after running and rehydrates with fluids, but it also contains L-Citrulline. Exciting new areas of study suggest that L-citrulline (286- 1266 mg per 2 cup serving) in watermelon may help to support vascular health and help maintain healthy blood flow. With respect to athletic benefits, the optimized blood flow created by l-citrulline may help performance and accelerate recovery. Here are a few post workout watermelon beverages I like to enjoy after a run or workout.

Watermelon Beet Workout Recovery Smoothie: A satiating treat after a hard workout – a protein boost for muscles from cottage cheese and the l-citrulline helps lessen next-day soreness.

Hot Spiced Watermelon Lemonade with Collagen: In cooler weather, I can be chilled to the bone – especially once I stop running. This hot drink is a watermelon workout recovery treat that warms me up, provides all the benefits of watermelon but also with some collagen for joint and muscle management, plus turmeric for anti-inflammatory relief.

jennifer fisher thefitfork watermelon lake austin

LYCOPENE & OTHER IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS: Lycopene is a carotenoid in watermelon that makes the hue so beautifully red. In fact, watermelon is the “lycopene leader,” containing higher levels of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable (12.7 mg per 2-cup serving) – even tomatoes that get a lot of attention. Researchers linking lycopene to benefits in positive cardiovascular health. Also, great news for outdoor lovers! While not a substitution for sunscreen, lycopene in watermelon is an antioxidant that is being studied for its role in sun protection when eaten. A 2-cup serving of watermelon is also a good source of vitamin C (21% RDI) and Vitamin A (18% RDI) and also some b-vitamins, magnesium and potassium.

Here are a couple of my favorite watermelon and tomato recipes, for a double-dose of lycopene and so many vitamins!

Watermelon Veggie Reviver Drink: watermelon, tomato juice, cucumber and a bit of lime and cayenne pepper blended smooth into a tonic that does the body GOOD!

Watermelon, Tomato & Jicama Salad with Tajin Dressing: enjoy the double-punch of lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon (and crunchy jicama) paired with a spicy-sweet dressing.

HOW TO EAT WATERMELON: The easiest way to eat watermelon is to slice it up and enjoy cold! A good watermelon is even delicious room temperature, and some science shows that it could maintain more nutrients that way. One thing to know about watermelon temperature though is that if you buy it cold, it should stay cold. But if it is room temperature, it can last about three weeks from harvesting (so I would say 1 week at home, before cut open, just to be safe).

I also think watermelon is amazing with simple seasonings (check out these 4 Ways to Season Watermelon that will Blow Your Mind) or even grilled. Also, another way I add watermelon to my day is just to use as an ingredient in salads (like this quinoa watermelon salad) or no-recipes “throw everything together” watermelon salads (see above) with whatever I have on hand! Today it was watermelon, oranges, avocado, spinach, kale, Marcona almonds, coconut, and dandelion flowers (yes, they are edible)!

How are you incorporating watermelon into your active lifestyle?

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Tag Archives: watermelon

Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider Warms Spirits in Holiday Season

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle

Fit & Fresh Watermelon Workout + Juice as Exercise Sports Drink

Watermelon Quinoa Summer Salad

Watermelon Benefits for Athletes + Easy Pre- and Post-Workout Recipes

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