If you are tired of drinking plain, bland water, click here to learn some creative (and healthy) ways to flavor water. You won’t even know it’s still water!
Do you drink enough water?
Many American adults are chronically dehydrated, meaning that they’re not getting enough water or other liquids throughout the day.
Dehydration isn’t good for the body. It can impact your skin health, your digestion, and many other processes that your body needs to go through. After all, humans are about 60 percent water!
Some people don’t like the way that water tastes so they choose not to drink it. While other liquids can contribute to hydration, drinking enough water really is key.
If you’re a water hater, you’re in luck. We have 13 ways to flavor water without using anything artificial.
You’ll get all of the benefits of water without any harmful chemicals or unnatural sugars or sweeteners.
Keep reading to learn more about how to make water taste better so you can get hydrated!
Before You Start
When you’re gathering your ingredients for your fun water infusions, make sure that you prepare them correctly.
Many of them will be going into your water “raw”, so you want them to be clean. When it comes to fruits and vegetables you may want to choose an organic option to avoid any pesticides, but a good wash is also enough to do the trick.
Produce often has dirt and bugs, so give your fruits and veggies a good rinse down before you throw them into your drinks. It’s best to keep them submerged in water for a while to get them as clean as possible.
You also want to choose your water carefully. You don’t need to use bottled water, but check out your tap water. Not all tap water is equal.
Is drinking softened water bad for you? Is drinking hard water bad for you? Depending on your water type, put some research in if you’re not used to drinking water from the tap.
Now, here are some great options for some water infusions.
1. A Herbal Blend
Do you have some fresh herbs sitting around? You can use them to flavor your water naturally.
Not all herbs are going to be to your taste, but making a herbal blend can be a unique way yo jazz up your daily drinks.
You only need to muddle a small number of fresh herbs to get the benefits of this. Combine some of your
favorites and see how it goes!
2. Frozen Strawberries
Do you like your water ice-cold?
Why not add a bit of color and flavor as well?
Throwing a handful of frozen strawberries into your tap water is a great way to encourage hydration on a hot summer day. This can also work with blueberries, or any other berries you have in your fridge.
When you’re done, you have a snack!
3. Fresh Pineapple
Are strawberries not sweet enough for your water?
Try pineapple for something a little bit sweeter. This is a great choice for a hydrating drink that almost feels tropical without all of the sweeteners.
4. Lemon or Lime Juice
Adding a bit of citrus to your water brings a nice, tart addition to your day.
Lemon is great in cold water, but putting it in warm water is a nice way to start a cold winter day. It has a nice dose of vitamin C and it allegedly helps with digestion! You can’t go wrong with a lemon or lime water.
5. Sun Tea
This is a little bit different, but still very cool. Sun tea is the perfect warm-weather drink.
You can make a lot at once so you have it all day!
Take your favorite herbal tea bags and put them in a large glass jar or pitcher. Make sure it can close tight!
You’re going to want eight teabags for every gallon of water, but you can add more for a stronger tea or less for a weaker tea.
Leave it in a warm and sunny spot for a minimum of three hours and you’ll come back to your tea made naturally!
6. Sliced Cucumber and Lemon Juice
Cucumbers are a fresh and mild addition to your daily water bottle.
They’re full of antioxidants and (like the strawberries) they make a great snack for later.
Add a bit of lemon juice or whole slices of lemons for a bit of extra flavor and nutrition.
7. Stevia
Are you missing some sweetness in your drinks but you don’t want to go for the sugar or aspartame present in many store-bought beverages?
Stevia is a natural sweetener. It’s been used for hundreds of years and it’s a great choice for anyone trying to cut down on their sugar intake without completely ignoring their sweet tooth.
Letting some fresh stevia leaves steep in your warm water (even if you cool it off later) is a tasty treat.
By the way, Aspartame and sucralose are two popular artificial sweeteners that serve as alternatives to Stevia. Aspartame, also known by its brand names Equal and NutraSweet, is a low-calorie sweetener that is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is composed of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, which are found naturally in many foods. Aspartame is commonly used in a variety of products, including soft drinks, chewing gum, and desserts. One of its advantages is that it provides a taste similar to sugar without adding significant calories to the diet.
Sucralose, marketed as Splenda, is another artificial sweetener widely used as a sugar substitute. It is made from sugar through a process that replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups with chlorine atoms. Sucralose is nearly 600 times sweeter than sugar, making only a small amount necessary to achieve the desired level of sweetness. It is heat-stable and can be used in baking and cooking, making it a versatile option for those looking to reduce their sugar intake.
Click here for more info about aspartame vs sucralose.
8. Fruity Ice Cubes
These look fun and taste funny.
Use some steeped stevia water to fill an ice cube tray. In each section, add some whole or muddled fruits of your choice (seasonal fruits are great for this during the warmer months).
Once they’re frozen, you’ll have pretty ice cubes that make your water look and taste better!
9. Ginger
Ginger is a strong taste and it’s really easy to use it to flavor water in several ways.
Ginger has a host of health benefits. It’s good for digestion and nausea, and it can help ward off germs and bacteria.
To get the most out of your ginger, there are a few ways you can go about this. You’re going to want to steep your ginger in warm water at relatively high ginger to water ratio (though do it to your taste).
This is going to make concentrated ginger water that you can then add to glasses of ice water for that spicy ginger taste.
If you’re not avoiding sugar, you can also make ginger syrup for a sweeter option. Don’t balk at the sugar amount just yet.
You’re going to want a 1:1 ratio of ginger root and sugar (a cup is recommended for beginners). You need a 1:3/4 ratio of ginger to water, so in this case, 3/4 of a cup.
Combine water and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the ginger.
When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook for about 15 minutes. When the mixture cools completely (after about an hour), strain out the ginger.
This is a very concentrated syrup, so you’ll only have to add a little bit to any of your drinks.
10. Lavender
Flowers? In water?
Dried lavender flowers work best for this, though fresh ones can work in a pinch.
Add your flowers into cold water and leave them to steep for several hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can use hot water so you’re steeping the flowers like tea. Strain out the flowers unless you want to eat them.
The taste might be strange for new flower drinkers, but it will definitely change up your hydration routine.
11. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a great addition to any summer water.
You’re going to use a 1:2 ratio for chopped lemongrass stalks and water for this mixture.
You can also add some stevia leaves for natural sweetness.
This is so easy. You just need to bring your water to a boil and add your lemongrass (and stevia) in.
Leave it boiling for about five minutes before allowing it to cool briefly and straining out the lemongrass stalks.
You can pour this drink over ice or drink it hot on a chilly day! It’s great both ways.
12. Watermelon and Mint
You really can’t get much more summery than watermelon.
A watermelon and mint drink is reminiscent of a mojito. Super great for hot weather!
You’re going to want to infuse or steep your mint ahead of time. If you’re adding it to cold water, you can leave it for several hours. For hot water, you simply need to add it to boiled water as if it were tea.
Take some fresh (or frozen, but the sweetness will come through better with the fresh) watermelon and chop it into cubes. Add those to your mint-infused water.
This combination is so fresh and great for a hot day outside. The mint really makes the watermelon pop!
13. Apple Cider Vinegar
Is sweetness not for you?
Adding a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to your drink is a sour way to get a few health benefits in.
Apple cider vinegar can allegedly aid in weight loss and digestion, and might also be able to lower your blood sugar. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it will give your water an extra boost.
What Are Your Favorite Ways to Flavor Water?
Water doesn’t have to be boring. It’s important to stay hydrated, so finding fun ways to flavor water without a bunch of additives is important! try any of these natural water infusions to jazz up your eight glasses per day.
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