Updated on September 5, 2024.
If you're having a craving for something sweet, you can feel full while eating fewer calories by reaching for fresh fruit. Water-filled fruit, in particular, like juicy ripe cantaloupe, can do the trick. Eating foods with high water content tends to be even more filling than drinking water with your meal, says Jonny Bowden, PhD, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.
A hydrating treat
Cantaloupe flesh is 90 percent water, which means it's a wonderful solution for the calorie-conscious. It makes you feel really full when it's in your stomach, but it's also quite low in calories: An entire large cantaloupe has only 277 calories.
What's in that other 10 percent, you ask? Loads of good stuff, like blood-pressure-friendly potassium (427 milligrams per cup of cubed cantaloupe) and cancer-fighting beta carotene (3,000 micrograms).
Melon magic
The best part? Fresh cantaloupe at the peak of ripeness needs minimal preparation and doesn't need much accompaniment. Just wash the rind, slice, and enjoy!
