Soft, sweet and thirst-quenching, the melon is one of the favorite summer fruits of the French. As a starter or dessert, yellow or white, round or oval: it's easy to vary the pleasures! But is it compatible with a slimming diet? How many calories does it provide? Is it reasonable to put it on the menu for summer evenings?

Is melon fattening?

White, water, charentais, green, orange melon: the different varieties of melon

If there are more than 500 varieties of melon known in Europe , of various sizes and shapes and whose flesh goes from white to orange via green, six are vying for the limelight on French stalls:

  • The Charentais melon  : round, light green bark and orange flesh, this melon is undoubtedly the most appreciated and the most frequent on our stalls.
  • The Galia melon  : with its beige-orange skin and very juicy yellow-green flesh, the Galia melon is produced mainly in Anjou.
  • Canary melon ( or yellow melon): oval in shape with yellow skin and white flesh, the yellow melon is very popular for its juicy and melting texture and for its subtly sweet flavor.
  • The olive green melon  : this oval melon with green skin is a winter melon. It is also known as Christmas green melon or Spanish melon.
  • The golden ball melon  : yellow bark and white flesh, the golden ball melon is also a winter melon. It is one of the oldest but also the rarest varieties of melon.
  • Honey dew melon :  also known as honeydew melon, honey dew is a variety native to the United States. Round in shape, its bark is creamy white, its flesh pale green and its flavor very sweet.

The benefits of melon

The melon has many health benefits to its counter.

First of all, with its 90% water content , it has no equal to quench your thirst and rehydrate during the hot summer season. Rich in calcium and potassium, melon is a natural diuretic and is recommended for fighting water retention and kidney problems .

It is also a fruit rich in vitamin C , since a portion covers a quarter of the recommended daily intake.

Orange-fleshed varieties have a high carotenoid content, making them valuable fruits for fighting oxidative stress and premature skin aging. 


Finally, rich in soluble fibre , melon is a fruit with laxative properties , therefore very effective in stimulating sluggish transits and fighting constipation.

How many calories in a melon?

The caloric value of melon is quite variable depending on the species and the degree of ripeness of the fruit. The riper the melon, the higher the sugar content.
On average, the melon provides 35 to 40 calories per 100 g , but the Charentais melon , which is also the most consumed in France, has a significantly higher energy value, 62 cal/100 g .

An average portion of melon weighing 150 g, it provides 60 to 90 calories depending on the variety.

Is melon good for diet and weight loss?

Whether white, green, yellow or orange, the melon is a fruit rich in water, vitamins and minerals, and low to moderately sweet and caloric. There is no reason to ban it from a slimming diet.

The soluble fibers it contains in very interesting quantities have the ability to form a gel in the intestine , which limits the absorption of sugars and fats from the meal.

Finally, its glycemic index (GI) is moderate (65) and its glycemic load is very low, which means that a portion of melon slightly raises blood sugar levels but allows you to quickly reach the feeling of satiety. Putting melon on the menu therefore helps to limit cravings and food compulsions between meals.

For all these reasons, the melon is definitely an allied fruit of the line . The least sweet and therefore least caloric varieties are those with white to green flesh.

How to eat melon to lose weight?

As part of a weight loss diet, melon can be wisely eaten as a starter or even as an aperitif in the form of small snack balls, in order to help fill the stomach and calm the appetite before moving on to the dish. . The association with country ham is completely dietary correct , since the latter is low in fat and rich in protein.

Melon also makes an excellent slimming dessert , alone or with other summer fruits for a fresh fruit salad. It is also delicious in frozen soup or, for a more gourmet dessert, in homemade sorbet with very little coconut blossom sugar (low GI).

Does eating melon at night make you fat?

The melon is no more discouraged in the evening than at noon, since it is the total daily caloric value that will influence weight variations.

And for all those prone to compulsive late-night sweet snacking , it is a very good alternative to cakes, candies or other sweets.

What about melon juice?

Melon juice is the flesh of the melon passed through a blender until a smoothie- like drink is obtained . If it is homemade and without added sugar, its caloric and nutritional values ​​are similar to those of the fruit eaten whole.
However, nutritionists still recommend eating fruit rather than drinking it, for two reasons.

  • Chewing contributes to obtaining the feeling of satiety  : drinking melon juice is therefore much less satiating than eating a slice of melon.
  • Fruit juice always raises blood sugar much faster than whole fruit. Drinking a glass of melon juice may cause a spike in hyperglycemia followed by a spike in insulin secreted by the body to lower blood sugar levels. However, significant variations in blood sugar and high insulin secretions are two phenomena that are harmful to maintaining a stable weight.