You're Probably Throwing Away The Healthiest Part Of This Summer Snack

Biting into a watermelon slice is amazing... until you feel yourself breaking down crunchy watermelon seeds.

What if I told you those particular watermelon seeds could actually be incredibly beneficial to your health?

It turns out these "annoying" seeds are some of the healthiest ingredients watermelon has to offer. That's precisely why avid watermelon eaters are holding onto their seeds rather than spitting them out and tossing them in the trash.

So, why should you give these seeds a second chance? Similar to other nutritious seeds out there, these offer healthy proteins, vitamins and other nutrients you were missing out on this entire time.

Not to mention, we're JUST discovering how good watermelon seeds are for the human body, but many health-conscious eaters out there already know this. According to Skip The Pie, watermelon seeds have fewer calories and carbs than almond nuts do, but offer more protein per serving.

The National Institute of Health reports that these seeds feature healthy doses of vitamin B and magnesium, which help stabilize your blood pressure and your metabolism. Other nutrients include potassium, phosphorous, sodium, copper, iron and zinc.

In other words, watermelon seeds are the perfect source of vitamins you never knew you needed (they don't belong in the trash).

Now, I know what you're thinking -- why not go out and grab a watermelon and just eat the seeds with the juicy melon.

Do yourself a favor and let them dry up and sprout. If you're not patient enough to do that, visit your local health food store and buy the seeds separately.

Here are a few ways to snack on these nutritious snacks without being totally boring about it.

Add them to your salad for maximum nutrients.

If veggies aren't your thing, try adding them to a fruit salad.

Throw 'em in your protein shake.

Eat them alone with nothing but sea salt.

You can even top your sweet treats with them because why not.

And if you just can't eat watermelon seeds, at least make fine food art with them.

Citations: Watermelon seeds are the newest healthy snack to become obsessed with (Business Insider)