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Vaida Budrienė, communication manager for retail chain Iki, says that watermelons are attracting many shoppers to the thermometer columns and their sales increased by as much as 117 percent during the last hot weekend, compared to the same period. from last year.
“When the country is hit by record heat, the contents of the shopping baskets also change: people buy more ice cream, water and watermelons. On hot days, watermelons get a lot of attention and conquer the shopping baskets. .
Compared to the same time last year, watermelon sales were up 117 percent over the hot weekend. Residents also protect themselves from the heat by buying ice cream: sales of large packages of ice cream more than doubled during the hot weekend compared to the previous weekend, ”says V. Budrienė.
Water sales also increased during the heat: According to the communication chief, water sales increased 56% during the hot weekend compared to the previous weekend.
Provides the body with fluids and vitamins.
Jolanta Sabaitienė, a fruit and vegetable expert at the aforementioned retail chain, says that consuming watermelons by heat has many benefits.
“The hot sun can damage the body because it loses fluids faster. But watermelons help prevent heat stroke. They have a cooling effect, which facilitates the increase in heat when eating watermelon. Because watermelons are high in water content, they not only cool down, but they also help maintain fluid balance. In addition, they are rich in antioxidants. Watermelons help maintain the acid balance in the body, which helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure, ”said a fruit and vegetable expert in a news release.
According to J. Sabaitienė, including watermelons in your daily diet will improve cardiovascular health and strengthen the immune system. Watermelons are extremely low in calories. There are only about 80 of them in a small watermelon cup, so this fruit is also perfect for those who lose weight.
They are rich in vitamin B6. Eating this fruit also helps balance the hormones responsible for good mood. Watermelon is a great source of vitamin A, which not only improves eye health, but also helps maintain healthy skin, teeth, and mucous membranes.
Not just a sandwich, but a side dish.
According to J. Sabaitienė, there are four main types of watermelons: seedless, seedless, small, yellow / orange. But the world is dominated by bright red pulp fruits.
“Watermelons are not only very fresh, watery, but also sweet, that’s why children especially like them. And although we usually eat watermelon alone as a snack, this fruit is also ideal for savory dishes. In Greece, for example, this product it is combined with feta cheese. Watermelons go well with halum cheese and mint and basil, and in Mexico it is eaten sprinkled with salt and chili, “says a fruit and vegetable expert.
According to the expert, watermelon is also ideal for grilling. Such preparation is extremely simple. Watermelon should only be cut into thicker pieces, greased with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
Grilled watermelon becomes less sweet, takes on a spicier, salty and smoky flavor, so it is also perfect as a garnish for a variety of meat dishes, especially poultry: turkey, duck or chicken. Of course, watermelon can also be used to make a variety of fruit smoothies, sorbets, ice cream, or fruit salads.
J. Sabaitienė also offers several recipes in which you will use watermelon creatively.
Watermelon and Halum Cheese Salad
Will need: 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped; A handful of fresh mint coarsely chopped; Garlic cloves; 1/2 cup of olive oil; Handfuls of cherry tomatoes; Pinch salts; A pinch of pepper; Halium cheese; Watermelon cut into small triangles.
First, heat the grill over medium heat. Then add the basil, mint, oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to the blender; grind everything well. Spread a few tablespoons of basil and peppermint oil over the tomatoes and halum cheese. Then place the tomatoes and cheese on a hot grill. Bake these items for several minutes, turning frequently. Lastly, place the sliced watermelon well on the plates. Put cheese and tomatoes on top. Season the dish with the remaining sauce and garnish with fresh mint.
Watermelon ice cream from two ingredients.
Will need: 3 cups of watermelon; 1/2 cup of coconut milk or plain yogurt.
Cut the watermelon into small pieces and put them in the freezer for four hours. Then put the frozen watermelon on a grater, pour in the coconut milk or yogurt and mash everything. You can eat the prepared ice cream right away or put it in a bowl and put it in the freezer for half an hour. This will make the ice cream stronger. Delicious!
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