A reader recently wrote to the What About Watermelon experts with the following dilemma:<\/p>\n
I live in Iowa and LOVE watermelon. I have a sugar addiction and this summer I ate about 1\/4 watermelon a day and lost 20 pounds. (And I didn\u2019t have much to lose cause I\u2019m a daily runner and biker.) I have found it to be THE best substitute for the processed sugar I crave. The problem is I can\u2019t get it for most of the year, and what tiny ones the grocery stores do have cost a fortune. Though I eat other fruit as well, nothing helps me stay off the junk sugar like watermelon, and I would like to find a way to get it (economically) all year long. Any suggestions?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 Roger<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a great question, and an issue many watermelon lovers face every year. After all, even though watermelon is available in most places year round, the prices can fluctuate a bit in the \u201coff-season.\u201d If more stores were to stock watermelon during the winter months, the price would come down, but until more stores add watermelon to their winter produce selection, we\u2019ll have to cope with the variable prices that affect nearly all fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n My personal advice to Roger was to continue purchasing watermelon but to find ways to stretch his watermelon (and his dollar) by incorporating the watermelon into various recipes.<\/p>\n Roger\u2019s question also inspired this month\u2019s poll question. In most areas of the United States, we pay anywhere from 30 cents per pound (on sale) to 60 or 70 cents per pound for watermelon during the peak summer months. But how much would you be willing to pay in the winter \u2013 or if watermelon suddenly became a scarce commodity \u2013 to satisfy your watermelon cravings?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A reader recently wrote to the What About Watermelon experts with the following dilemma: I live in Iowa and LOVE watermelon. I have a sugar addiction and this summer I ate about 1\/4 watermelon a day and lost 20 pounds. (And I didn\u2019t have much to lose cause I\u2019m a daily runner and biker.) I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8],"class_list":{"0":"post-137","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-general","7":"tag-watermelon","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n