1. Add fresh fruit. Citrus
fruits, such as lemons, limes, & oranges, are classic water enhancers, but
other fruit flavors might also tempt your taste buds. Try crushing fresh
raspberries or watermelon into your water, or adding strawberry slices. Cucumber
& fresh mint are refreshing flavors as well — especially in summer.
2. Use juice. Any fruit juice can
be a good base flavor for water, but tart juices, like cranberry, pomegranate,
grape, & apple, are especially delicious. Go for juices that are all
natural, with no added sugars. & remember: Fruits & their juices don't
just taste good — they contain vitamins & antioxidants that can benefit
your health too.
3. Make it bubbly. Many people
prefer sparkling to still water. If plain old water is not inspiring to you,
try a naturally effervescent mineral water — which will give you the added
benefit of minerals. Or try bubbly seltzer, a carbonated water. You can add
fresh fruit or natural juice flavors to your seltzer, as suggested above, or
look for naturally flavored seltzers at your local market. If you become a
seltzer devotee, you might want to consider getting a seltzer maker for your
home.
4. Get creative with ice. Some
say that ice water tastes better than water served at room temperature. If that's
so, flavored ice cubes may make an even better drink. Use some of the flavoring
suggestions above & start experimenting with fresh fruit, mint, or cucumber
ice cubes. Simply chop your additive of choice, add it to your ice cube tray
along with water, then freeze. You may also consider juice, tea, or coffee
cubes. If you want to be more creative, use ice cube trays that come in fun
shapes, like stars, circles, or even fish.
5. Drink tea. Herbal, fruit,
green, white, & red teas are generally considered to be better for you than
black teas (or coffee, for that matter) because they contain little to no
caffeine. & there are countless flavors of these teas to choose from. Start
with the selection at your local market or health food store. If you're interested
in pursuing more exotic flavors & sophisticated teas, start researching the
vast array of specialty teas that come from all parts of the globe.
6. Try bouillons, broths, & consommés.
If your palate leans toward the savory, you may pass on tea & start sipping
one of these hot & savory liquids instead. Choose low-fat & low-sodium
versions for maximum health benefits. Because soup is water-based, a cup of hot
soup will count toward your daily fluid consumption.
7. Add fast flavor. If you are looking for a
quick-and-easy flavor booster, you might also consider sugar-free drink mixes,
& flavor cartridges that can be used with your faucet filter system.
