Getting enough water every day doesn’t have to come only from liquids. Eating hydrating foods can help you maintain your body’s water balance, which is essential for good health. This article will take a look at how to increase your daily water intake with 15 choices of healthy and tasty foods.
Nutrition guidelines recommend a total water intake of 11.5 cups for women and 15.5 cups for men. However, this guideline assumes you get about 20% of this water amount from food, or about 18 ounces (2.25 cups) for women and 25 ounces (a little over 3 cups) for men. Food is a great way to increase your hydration levels.
Verywell Health acknowledges that sex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Staying hydrated is essential to health. Adequate hydration has the following benefits:
Enjoy these foods with high water content.
Cucumbers are 96% water, and pickled cucumbers are not far behind at 95%. They are not a great nutrient source, but the water in cucumbers contributes to your daily hydration needs.
Cucumbers are good for more than just chopping into salads as an afterthought, including:
It isn’t called “iceberg” for nothing—this familiar form of salad green is 95.6% water. Though iceberg lettuce is not packed with nutrients. Two cups of chopped lettuce contain 16 calories and 20 milligrams (mg) of calcium, while the recommended daily calcium intake is 1,000 mg for adults before menopause.
For low-calorie, crunchy, fresh-tasting iceberg lettuce options, try:
Celery is 95% water and full of fiber, which aids digestion. Its satisfying crunch and ease of use make it a great go-to snack with a dip. Sautéed celery, along with carrots and onion, is part of the basic foundation of flavor enhancers for many French dishes, called mirepoix.
Ways to enjoy celery include:
Radishes are a root vegetable (specifically a taproot) full of peppery flavor, vitamin C, and fiber. They are also 95% water.
Some of the ways to use radishes include:
Romaine lettuce is a mild, slightly earthy lettuce that is 95% water. Despite the similar look, romaine is a different type of lettuce than iceberg, and it’s higher in nutrients. It’s a source of vitamins K and C, plus folate and fiber.
Explore ways to use romaine, such as:
Zucchini, a form of summer squash, comes in at 94.8% water. It provides a host of nutrients, including fiber, vitamin A, manganese, and vitamin C. Zucchini also has a low calorie count of 19 calories per cup.
Zucchini can be hearty enough to form a main ingredient, as follows:
Tomatoes have a high water content of 94%. They contain a good amount of several nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and folate (folate is necessary for fetal brain and spine development in pregnancy). Tomatoes also contain antioxidants (which help prevent cell damage), including lycopene and beta-carotene.
The versatile tomato adds sweetness, umami (meaty or earthy taste), acid, or savory notes to dishes. Consider these options:
Bell peppers are 94% water and add a fresh, bright taste to many dishes. They contain plenty of fiber, are an excellent source of vitamin C, and offer other vitamins and minerals like vitamins E and K, potassium, and folate.
Bell peppers can be red, orange, yellow, or green. Unripened bell peppers are green and have a somewhat bitter taste. Bell peppers, especially the green ones, go well with roasted meats. You can use them in many ways:
Asparagus, the young shoots of a perennial plant, is 93% water. The spears are low-calorie and healthy, containing 27 calories per cup when raw, plus fiber, folate, and vitamins K, C, and A. Asparagus is high in antioxidants. Just-cooked, tender fresh asparagus has an earthy or grassy taste.
Asparagus is quick to prepare and goes well with many other foods.
Portobello mushrooms are 92% water. They are very low in fat and calories, with just 19 calories per cup raw and diced. Their nutrients include B vitamins, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. Mushrooms are the only plant food from which you can get vitamin D, but only when they are grown under ultraviolet light rather than in a darkened area.
Think of portobellos as a great meat alternative. Their umami flavor and dense texture are highly satisfying. Try these options:
Watermelon is a delicious way to hydrate, containing 92% water. It’s a good source of vitamin C and many other antioxidants, including lycopene and carotenoids.
Few treats beat watermelon all on its own on a hot day, but consider these options:
Spinach is 92% water, and it packs a nutrient punch. It’s high in fiber, which promotes healthy digestion, and vitamins A, C, and K, plus folate, calcium, and iron.
Ideas for enjoying spinach include:
Strawberries, which are 91% water, can make sweet treats something special and contribute to your water intake.
Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. They contain antioxidants like anthocyanin, which is associated with heart health, and are high in phenolic antioxidants which may also protect against heart disease, as well as cancer and some inflammatory diseases.
Ways to enjoy strawberries include:
If you are a milk drinker, nonfat (or skim) milk is 91% water. Nonfat milk contains calcium just like full-fat milk, and 1 cup supplies 23% of the daily recommended amount. It also contains phosphorus. The vitamin D is added back during processing since it is lost when the fat is removed.
Ideas besides simply drinking nonfat milk include:
Broccoli, which is 90% water, is also packed with nutrients. It supplies vitamins C and K, folate, iron, potassium, and fiber. Among the antioxidants in broccoli are carotenoids and quercetin.
Ways to enjoy broccoli include:
Staying hydrated every day is important, but some days, it may take a bit more effort than others. Sweating during exercise or on hot days depletes your body’s water supply. Being sick with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is also dehydrating.
Boost your intake of water and hydrating foods on those days. Watch for signs of dehydration, which include:
Staying hydrated is an important part of staying healthy, but you can get some of the water you need through food. Certain fruits and vegetables deliver substantial amounts of water and have the extra benefit of containing nutrients and making your meals delicious and hydrating.
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