Not everybody has a
taste for water, but we all need it to ensure that our bodies continue functioning properly. If you want to drink more water, but aren't crazy about the taste (or lack thereof), here are some tips that can make it more enjoyable:
1. Add fresh fruit. Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and 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 and 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,
and apple, are especially delicious. Go for juices that are all natural,
with no added sugars. And remember: Fruits and their juices don't just
taste good — they contain vitamins and antioxidants that can benefit
your health too.
3. Make it bubbly. Many people prefer sparkling to
still water. If plain old water isn't 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 and 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, and 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. And 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 and sophisticated
teas, start researching the vast array of specialty teas that come from
all parts of the globe.
6. Try bouillons, broths, and consommés. If your
palate leans toward the savory, you may pass on tea and start sipping
one of these hot and savory liquids instead. Choose low-fat and
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're looking for a
quick-and-easy flavor booster, you might also consider sugar-free drink
mixes, and flavor cartridges that can be used with your faucet filter
system.