We all know that we are supposed to drink more water. But water can be so boring. Many don’t know that you can add different fruits and vegetables to your water and get a completely new taste. And there are so many combinations to choose from, you are bound to find a few that you like.
Summer means hot temperatures and it also means that you should be drinking even more water. Flavored water is a great way to let the kids help make their own cold beverage and try to get them to stay away from soda and other sugary beverages. I like to set out a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and let the kids pick out what they want. They fill a water bottle with their choices, then we fill it with water and put it in the fridge for a couple hours. After playing outside they each have a very refreshing beverage.
Flavored water is really just about adding sliced fruits or vegetables, and possibly some herbs, to your water. You can drink immediately but it is usually better to let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The longer it sits the more the flavor will be released into the water.
Here are some items that you can try to get you started, but you can essentially choose any item, or combination of items, from the list below and enjoy!
Strawberries
Lemon
Cherries
Cucumbers
Mint Leaf
Watermelon
Cranberries
Lavender flower (or another edible flower)
Orange
Kiwi
Pineapple
Raspberries
Some of my favorite combinations include:
Cucumber and Mint
Lemon and Lime
Cherry and Lime
Watermelon and Mint (pictured above)
Get creative and experiment to find the flavors you will enjoy the most. There are really endless possibilities for flavors. The above is just to get you started thinking about what you can use.
