It's summer! Bbqs, grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and FRUIT! The best fruit of the year is in season during the summer. There's nothing quite like a cold piece of fruit after a long, hot day at the beach or in the backyard with your friends and family. As with everything else, there is a hierarchy of fruits. Some are just better than others: in taste, content, nutritional value, etc.

Though each fruit is amazing and has its own special qualities that make it so, there has to be a fruit that achieves the status of "Best Fruit of the Summer". So, here are your fruits of the summer, ranked!

10. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes are good, but they're not that good. They're your typical melon. They are good for hydration and some other vitamins. However, they can sometimes be more prone to pathogenic infestation. So, if you're really into cantaloupes, try to pick one out that doesn't have a dent. Dents are an easy pathway for those infectious organisms to get in. I don't know about you, but cantaloupe isn't good enough for me to risk getting sick over it! However, it still makes a good supplemental melon in a fruit salad.

9. Passionfruit

Passionfruit smell really nice, and they're a really good fragrance for a Bath & Body Works Perfume, but I wouldn't say that they're the most appetizing of fruits. Being very tart, they are difficult to eat by themselves, unless you like that taste. Usually, they are better prepared with something creamy and serve as a complementary taste. They are very low on this list because of that, and also because they just look unappetizing.

8. Papaya

I have heard from many people that papaya is one of the best fruits out there. However, from my own experience, I don't think it's all that great. Considering other fruits, it doesn't even come close in comparison. It has some really great benefits, one of which being an exfoliator. However, I don't need my fruit to exfoliate. I need my fruit to be a refreshing and cool snack in the summer. Also, it is also truly unappetizing in appearance. Therefore, it will take this slot at #8.

7. Kiwi

Kiwis are good, but they are on the periphery. No one thinks of kiwi when they think of their favorite fruits. They're okay, but they are nothing special. They also have some benefits, especially if you are hypertensive (they can actually act as a natural blood thinner!) However, their furry exterior makes me feel like I'm about to eat a small animal. Definitely not worth it to me.

6. Orange

Personally, I love a good orange on a hot day. However, most people would rather go for a nice cup of orange juice. Oranges are a hassle to peel and to prepare, and it's definitely easier to just grab a cup and pour juice. Oranges are also typical, and pretty boring. They're in season most of the year, so oranges are not a summer delicacy. However, their Vitamin C is always a plus and it's a yummy way of getting it!

5. Cherries

Cherries are good, but are the pits really worth it? Eating cherries would be so great if there were no stems and no pits to deal with. You have to worry about choking and about throwing out your garbage afterwards. Cherries may lower cholesterol levels and act as an antioxidant, but they also may kill you if you choke on the pit. Just keep that in mind and be careful next time you have one!

4. Peaches

Peaches are one my favorite summer fruits! They are sweet, they are cool, and they are full of essential vitamins and minerals. The only drawback for me is the furry outside and the pit! Fruits with furry exteriors are weird to me, so I find myself steering away from these fruits in the supermarket. However, I love to have them in the little Dole Cups (there are no pits & fuzzy exteriors there)!

3. Mangoes

Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits of all time, which is why it is disappointing that they are only at their very best in the summer months. However, I patiently wait all winter, fall, and spring long until these beautiful, tropical fruits come back to the supermarkets. Although these also may be a pain to prepare, you can always buy them already sliced. They are sweet, refreshing, and really great with ice cream and other desserts.

2. Pineapples

Pineapples are one of the greatest tropical fruits around. They immediately make me want to be on a beach, staring at the waves, and enjoying the summer sun. Pineapples have a ton of vitamins and they are even used for medicinal purposes. Of course, they are also used for their flavors in many different dishes and in mixed drinks. Nothing screams summer quite like a piña colada ... except of course, the fruit that takes the number 1 spot.

1. Watermelon

Watermelon is easily the best fruit on this list, by far! What do people always grab for a bbq? Watermelons. What is always on sale at the supermarkets in the summer? Watermelons. What is the greatest fruit to consume in the summer? Watermelons! Not only are they the tastiest fruit, but they are also lower in sugar than many other fruits, making them a very good way to hydrate (considering their high water content). Watermelon also fills you up very quickly, making it a great snack to have when trying to lose weight!

Even though I have my opinions about fruit, it doesn't really matter which one is best. All of these fruits have health benefits that can be very helpful to many different people. Any one of these fruits is a better choice than that bag of chips or that box of candy. So, do yourself a favor and have some fruit before you have that last piece of chocolate. It will satisfy your sweet tooth & make you feel hydrated and refreshed!