- by Jaclyn Foster
Staying Hydrated this Summer with Yummy Flavored Water
We all know water is good for us, and if you are anything like me, you know that a good old glass of water can be one of the most refreshing beverages in moments of thirst and a wonderful way to stay hydrated throughout the day. BUT, have you ever said to yourself, “Man I’d love a beverage with a bit more flavor than straight H20?”
Well, if this is the case for you, you are not alone and I’d like to share a few ways to spice up your water and give you a bit of extra sweetness.
Fresh Fruits & Herbs – A staple way to add more flavor to water is to add freshly sliced fruits, veggies, and herbs to your pitcher. Some flavor combinations you might like include: cucumber, pineapple-mint-ginger, watermelon-mint, apple-cinnamon, lemon-orange-lime, and tomato-basil. If you have some time to plan it out, place your selected items in the water a couple hours before you plan to drink it and let it refrigerate and infuse so the flavors will be even stronger than if you were to mix and serve right away.
Frozen Fruits - One of my personal favorites is buying bags of frozen fruits and adding some to my water bottle in the morning. I have enjoyed frozen cherries, pineapple, mango, and mixed berries. One of the things I love about adding frozen fruits is that as they melt, they tend to infuse the water with more flavor than simply adding in fresh fruits and they make it ice cold which can be extremely refreshing on a hot day. Sometimes I’ll even eat the fruit to top it all off when the water is gone which can be tasty. Keep in mind, if you continue to refill your water bottle more than once, a lot of the flavor will have been put into the water and the fruit will not taste as great. With this in mind, if I refill the bottle or glass more than once, I typically don’t eat the fruit.
Ice Cubes – In addition to using fresh or frozen fruits, another way to bring more flavor is to pre-plan by adding fresh herbs or fruit to your ice cube trays before they are set in the freezer to be frozen. Some great options are mint and basil.
Add some carbonation – If you are someone that loves a bit of bubbly to really feel satisfied or is trying to kick the habit of drinking too much soda, try making good use of sparkling water in combination with juice. Believe it or not, filling a glass with sparkling water and topping it off with orange juice, lemonade, or a juice of your choice can be a delicious way to drastically reduce processed empty calories while still getting a flavorful and satisfying drink. A good ratio would be ¾ sparkling water to ¼ juice.
To add some extra fun to my own personal mixture of sparkling water topped off with orange juice, I drink it in a wine glass. For me, the idea of drinking from a big stylish or colorful glass is such a joyful way to drink a cold summer beverage.
Have fun with these variations and feel free to play with ratios and amounts to find the perfect mix for you.