The last couple of days have brought wonderfully warmer climes to Toronto. It’s insanely welcoming, back to the park, time to pack your coat type-of-weather.  And just like every year, as soon as the weather changes- so do my cravings. Watermelon spells summer for me. It’s the perfect thirst quencher and it’s just great to entertain that sweet tooth that also seems to pop up far more often with warmer weather.

One of my favorite ways to have watermelon these days in in a smoothie. It makes for one of the best smoothies you’ll ever try. Watermelon is so rich in water content (about 90%) that you don’t even need to add water or milk as a base for this smoothie. It only has about 50 calories per cup and is rich in Vitamin C and lycopene. Lycopene is thought to possess anti-inflammatory properties and is still being closely studied. It’s also a natural diuretic and is rich in antioxidants. Not that I need any more convincing…. I love this fruit!

This smoothie has 4 ingredients and takes 3-5 minutes to prepare.

• 3 cups of watermelon chunks
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries  (frozen fruit adds texture and you don’t need to add any ice cubes)
• 1/2 a banana for creaminess
• 1/2 tablespoon of hemp hearts for protein

Blend on high for 20 seconds or until smooth and enjoy!