The Best Refreshing, Low-Cal, Vegan Afternoon Snack: Watermelon with Tajin

Every year as the weather gets warmer, I automatically crave lighter and healthier foods. It’s almost as if hibernation is over and my body is naturally telling me to start moving again, get some Vitamin D, and put down the box of Girl Scout Cookies (fun fact; Thin Mints are vegan). Now that I’m looking for healthier and more natural snacks, I’ve started to look for ways to make fruits and vegetables a little more exciting. That’s where watermelon with Tajin comes in. If you’ve never had watermelon with Tajin, you’re honestly missing out.

It’s one of my favorite guilt free snacks for so many reasons. Watermelon is high in fiber and filled with water, which makes it the perfect hydrating summertime snack. Add some Tajin and lime and you have a little salty, a little sweet, and a little eat. The IDEAL healthy and easy snack that you’ll want to eat all the time. I buy this from the fruit carts around LA and make it at home myself. It’s literally the easiest thing to make (my kind of cooking is “non cooking”). And although I crave it even more in the summer, I’ll eat it all year long. I love fruit and vegetables with Tajin so much. Honestly, I travel with a little bottle of Tajin in my bag. No shame there.

What is Tajin?

It’s a popular Mexican seasoning used to give foods a chili lime flavor. Tajin ingredients are simple – chili peppers, salt, dehydrated lime juice, and silicon dioxide. If you’re worried about silicon dioxide, you’ll be relieved to know that it is commonly used in foods without any side effects. According to the EPA, it falls on the second to lowest degree of toxicity rating scale. Tajin has no artificial flavors, no sugar, and no weird ingredients. If you’re worried about the ingredients in Tajin, you can replicate yourself with chili powder, salt, and fresh lime juice. Personally, I can’t get enough of the tangy flavor of Tajin. I want to put it on everything! Which brings me to my next point…

More Tajin Seasoning Uses

Truthfully, you can put Tajin on anything you would put seasoning on. The best part is, it can be used with sweet AND savory foods. It’s slightly salty and spicy, but not so much that it’s overpowering. Also, if you love the chili lime flavor, you will like it on pretty much anything. The most popular use is on fresh fruits and vegetables. I love it with watermelon the most, but it also is amazing with mango, oranges, other melons, jicama, coconut, and cucumber. For my favorite spicy fruit salad with Tajin, check out this post.

Anytime you use chili powder, salt, or lime in a recipe, you can add or substitute Tajin. The spicy seasoning also works as a marinade for seafood or meats. It also works well with Bloody Marys and Micheladas. As far as seasonings go, Tajin is SO versatile. It adds spice and flavor to so many dishes. You can get it at pretty much any grocery store – try it for yourself, and let me know what you think!