This salad is so sweet and juicy. Strawberries are in season and if you are lucky enough to have them in your garden, you are probably looking for creative ways to enjoy the berries. You will love adding them to the crisp watermelon. The mint adds that extra sweetness to complete this dish.

You want to eat strawberries at least 3 times a week for the maximum health benefits of the fruit. Do not let them sit in your house for long or you will loose a lot of nutrients. Freeze or enjoy them the day you bring them home. Below are our first strawberries of the season.

I also love watermelon and basil but when you add strawberries, you really want the minty flavor to compliment both fruits.

Enjoy!

Directions:

1) Cut the watermelon into cubes and add to a bowl.

2) Slice the strawberries and mix with the watermelon.

3) Cut the mint into slivers. Sprinkle on top.

4) Optional- Drizzle with some honey, sea salt, and black pepper.

Why you want to eat this:

Watermelon- These melons pack a punch with very little calories. They are high in Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B Vitamins, Potassium, and Magnesium. Watermelons help remove free radicals and inflammation from your body. The high amount of Lycopene can decrease your risk of colon, breast, lung, endometrial, and prostate cancers. Research has shown that watermelons in combination with green tea are especially effective against prostate cancer. Watermelons can also lower your blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, protect against macular degeneration, and prevent erectile dysfunction like Viagra (a little more information than you needed).

Strawberries- A must have for people with blood sugar issues and Type 2 Diabetes. The polyphenols help regulate your blood sugars. If you consume strawberries at least 3 times a week, you can lower the inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) due to the phytonutrients in the berry. Chronic inflammation can lead to cancer so consuming strawberries may decrease your chance of developing cancer. Inflammation also leads to heart disease, arthritis, and bowel issues like Crohn’s Disease. Strawberries are a good source of Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, folate, iodine, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin K, and omega- 3′s.

Spearmint- This fragrant herb scores a 84 out of 100 on a completeness score for nutritional value. It can help with migraines, asthma, digestive problems, nausea, fatigue and stress by relaxing the muscles. Mint is rich in Vitamin A and C, B-3 (Niacin), Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Manganese and Copper. It is a good source of Fiber, Protein, Thiamin,  Phosphorus and Zinc. It has very little Saturated Fat and no Cholesterol.

 
References:
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/226/2#ixzz1taNvfqg8
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/spearmint.html
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=32