Peachy Eats: Toddler Snack, Summer Scoops of Melon

Oh, you know that summer has arrived when melons are no longer mealy and tasteless. When I cut open the two melons I picked up from the grocer's last week, a fragrant mixture cantalope and watermelon scent filled the air.

I was so relieved. I hate buying melons, only to open them up and just be a big disappointment. You know the feeling? .. I would get a craving for something sweet and juicy, pay for the multi-pounder fruit, lug it back home, wait and chill it, only to be let down.

Not this time! The melons are nature sweet without being too ripe. Firm, juicy, and full of vitamin C for TJ. It's the perfectly yummy, healthy snack for my growing toddler. He loves crunching on the balls and of course, toddlers love food in different shapes, familiar to them. Best of all, the melon balls are also easy to put a fork through, so it's hands-off toddler snacking break for me.

My tool of choice? Hands down the OXO Grips Melon Baller! Quick, fast action is the name of the game for getting a healthy toddler snack served up and ready to eat.

1) Quick. I can just quickly scoop out all the seeds with the baller easily, without having to stand there trying to scrape it off with the blade of a knife. It's a lot quicker than cutting cantalope slices. L-O-V-E I-T!

2) Clean & easy. The baller also comes with two different sized baller on each side. The bite size balls are easy for TJ to poke with his fork. There is a time and place for eating messy, juicy dripping watermelon or cantalope slices at picnics and bbq's. But, for everyday life for snacktimes at home, I prefer clean and easy.

I scoop the smaller bite size for TJ and the bigger bite size for hubby and me.

Why melons?

I love melons as a crisp, cold way to enjoy summer. Of course, nothing beats ice cream. But, it's just not health practical to have TJ and myself down scoops of ice cream everyday for snacking. (Plus, I'm serious. Eating ice cream immediately shows up on my hips the next day. I swear! Not chocolate, not pastries, not even candy. But, ice cream. Immediately.)

My two pics for melons are cantaloupe and watermelon. For some odd reason, my tongue and mouth get itchy after eating honeydew.

Here's the lowdown on why cantaloupe and watermelon pack a whole lot of nutrition and goodness.

Cantaloupe is also a great source of key nutrients. It's the highest of all melons in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant in the body and may help reduce the risk of some cancers. It's also a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C.

Cantaloupes (although you might not notice the resemblance) are related to squashes, and rank somewhere between summer and winter squashes in terms of nutritiousness. They resemble summer squashes in their high water content and low calorie count. Excerpted from Peertrainer.com.

Watermelon is concentrated in powerful antioxidants. Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene.

Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing freeradicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause agreat deal of damage. . A cup ofwatermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and,through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A. Excerpted from eMaxhealth.com.

Oh, one last thing. I am so happy to report that the watermelon I bought that was SO sugary sweet was one of those mini-watermelons. I've not had good luck with them in the past, but this time, it was a winner. I love the mini size because I can fit both sliced halves in my fridge. Plus, they're small enough that we can eat finish them without having to gorge ourselves on them everyday. Check it out.

Enjoy!