Produce To Help You Stay Hydrated

It’s mid-July and the summer heat is in full effect across most of the United States. In order to stay at your fittest and healthiest during this time of year, water (and lots of it) is absolutely essential. According to the Mayo Clinic, every person should be drinking at least 9-13 glasses of water per day all year round. Throw in hot weather where you’re sweating and have higher than normal activity (swimming, walking, running, hiking, etc.) and you need to up that by about 1.5 to 2.5 cups of water per hour of regular exercise. Dehydration is a common and sometimes serious problem when the thermostat climbs that manifests itself in headaches, fatigue and flu-like symptoms. Case in point, you should have hydration on the mind. But what about food that also hydrates? There are many raw fruits and vegetables that can help you get the water intake you need to keep you feeling good while you’re active this summer. Here’s five of our favorites:

Watermelon

It should come as no surprise that the fruit that has water in its name is chock full of it. On top of being everyone’s favorite summer fruit, watermelon packs about 93% water and 6% sugar in every bite. That makes it one of the best foods you can eat to help you stay hydrated and energized while you’re off doing fun things in the summer time. Plus, it can be frozen, used in smoothies or other recipes so we recommend exploring creative ways to use watermelon in your diet.

Cucumber

This vegetable is tied with lettuce for having the highest water percentage. One of this online culinary school‘s favorite things about cucumber is just how delicious it is on its own. It has a light flavor that it’s hard not to fall in love with and a great crunch that helps assure you that you’re eating healthy. It’s also incredibly versatile and can make a great addition to salads, smoothies, juices, side dishes or in place of salty chips for hummus, tatziki or any dip you desire.

Young cabbage salad with cucumbers and tomatoes.

Peppers

Peppers are very high in lots of healthy things like vitamin c, potassium and fiber that it should come as no surprise that they’re also really high in water content. Even more versatile than the cucumber and packing more of a flavor punch, peppers are kind of a wonder vegetable. You can snack on them as is, throw them in salads or, like the cucumber, use them to enjoy your favorite dips. A cucumber and pepper salad is sounding pretty good to us right about now. Just remember, cooking them works out most of the water content so be sure to snack on these guys raw.

Papaya

One of our favorite tropical fruits, papaya is amazing for many more reasons other than being high in water. The color, the taste, the health benefits. Oh my! It’s high in fiber, which makes it great for digestive health. It’s also super tasty on its own or in addition to other fruit (watermelon!) like in this Hawaiian fruit salad.

Radish

This vegetable has become a bit of a celebrity in the last couple of years. With their nice crunch, peppery taste and gorgeous color, the radish is a total rock star. But it wouldn’t be on our list unless it was also high in water! The radish is actually right behind the cucumber at about 95% water content. Eat them on their own or in salads for a veggie that’s just as tasty as it is good for you!