Stay Hydrated with these Water-Rich Foods and Recipes

Are you properly hydrated? Sometimes it can be hard to tell. Signs of dehydration aren’t always obvious, ranging from thirst and dry mouth to headaches, fatigue, and sluggishness. That’s why you should be vigilant about your water intake, especially during the summer months. But drinking glass after glass of H2O isn’t always possible or preferred. 

The good news is that you can supplement your water intake with food. Fruits and vegetables, like melons, berries, bell peppers, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, radishes, leafy greens, squash, tomatoes, and pineapple, all have a water content well above 90%, along with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support your health. Add these water-rich ingredients to meals, snacks, and sweets to stay healthy and hydrated throughout the day. 

Go with Fresh Vegetables Instead of Salty Snacks

A bowl of hummus or salsa is more refreshing when you swap out the chips and pretzels for dippable veggies. Boost the water content of any appetizer platter by adding fresh carrot chips, celery, cucumbers, sliced radishes, or bell peppers to the plate.

Make Your Own Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts

Fruits have some of the highest water content of any food group. To make dessert more hydrating, turn fresh or frozen fruit into popsicles, or a non-dairy pineapple coconut ice cream.

Enjoy Fruit with Every Meal

Along with being excellent sources of hydration, melons, pineapples, berries, peaches, and oranges are also packed with essential vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Add them to grilled fruit kebabs, a summer fruit salad, oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies, or simply eat them right from the bowl.

Put Together a Cooling Salad

Leafy greens are more than 90% water, making them ideal additions to any summer meal. To further increase hydration, upgrade your salad with other water-rich ingredients, like cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini, radish, or summer squash.

Swap Out Burger Buns for Lettuce Wraps

This is a great way to avoid refined carbohydrates while improving hydration. Any meat or plant-based burger, along with toppings, can be wrapped in a crisp, refreshing lettuce wrap. Try using Bibb or butter lettuce; these varieties are pliable while retaining their crunch.