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Shea Simmons is the Assignments Editor at LifeSavvy. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer with a focus on beauty and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Bustle, Allure, and Hello Giggles. Read more...

You swallowed a watermelon seed. Now what? If your family told you a watermelon would grow in your belly, that’s obviously not true. But what really does happen?

Turns out that swallowing a watermelon seed really isn’t a big deal.

When you’re chowing down on some fresh-cut watermelon that hasn’t been deseeded, you’ll find both white and black seeds inside. The white seeds are softer and easier to chew, but the black seeds are often removed because of their toughness.

Sometimes, though, those seeds are unavoidable and get swallowed. When that happens, they’ll simply pass through your system undigested and likely won’t even cause upset. So you won’t have a growing watermelon in your tummy, and you’ll likely be just fine.

Slice, cut, and core your melon with this handy tool.

While swallowing an unexpected watermelon seed isn’t fun, you can eat them. Watermelon seeds—like chia and flax—are nutritious, containing healthy fat and protein as well as magnesium, zinc, and potassium.

Just as you’d toast pumpkin seeds, you can do the same for watermelon. Bake them in the oven with a bit of olive oil and sea salt, and they’ll be delicious. Some of the nutrition will be lost, but it’s a simple, easy-to-make snack that’s healthy.

The next time you buy a watermelon, don’t be freaked out if you swallow a few seeds. In fact, you might want to save them for a snack later.

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