Adding These 5 Foods to Water Makes It Way More Hydrating (and Taste Better)

While there might be some debate as to how much water an adult needs to consume every day, there’s no doubt around the importance of water consumption. Given that your body is made up of 50 to 75 percent water, it makes sense that it would need it for most of its bodily functions.

According to Everyday Health, “your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it’s important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.”

There are a plethora of foods that contain large amounts of water, including cauliflower, cottage cheese and capsicum. Of these foods, there are a number of vegetables and fruits that can be added to water to substantially increase the hydration levels, while also improving the taste of the non-descript beverage exponentially. These are our five favourites:

Cucumbers

The humble cucumber is made up of mostly water — 95 percent water, to be exact — and is the perfect addition to your glass of water. Cucumbers also provide a small amount of nutrients, which according to Healthline, includes vitamin K, potassium and magnesium. So, by adding cucumber into your water bottle, you’re boosting the hydration levels while also making the water taste delicious.

Strawberries

While you might not think of strawberries as being as hydrating as cucumbers as, strawberries have a water content of roughly 91 percent! Eating strawberries actually helps contribute to your daily water intake, as well as providing a number of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and folate, making them the perfect addition to your water.

Watermelon

With a water content of 92 percent, watermelon is a no brainer for it’s hydrating benefits — think of how juicy the fruit is when you eat it. According to Healthline, one cup of watermelon contains over half a cup of water as well as nutrients like vitamin A and magnesium. That’s some serious bang for your hydration buck!

Grapefruit

While lemon is an obvious choice for water (and is also very hydrating), grapefruit is a more unique citrus to add to H2O. With a water content of 88 percent, half a grapefruit has close to half a cup of water within it, which is a huge contribution to your water intake. It’s also high in immune-boosting vitamin C, delivering 120 percent of your daily needs in half a grapefruit, says Healthline.

Apple

Cutting up apple to pop in your water bottle might seem odd but it’s actually a winner in the hydration stakes. Apples contain up to 86 percent water, making them a great source of water as well as fibre and vitamin C. “An apple and a bottle of water is more hydrating than two bottles of water,” Dr Dana Cohen told mindbodygreen.