Simple Ways to Stay Hydrated During the Summer Months
JULY 22, 2022
For busy families, it’s easy to throw nutrition out the window during the busy summer months, particularly when you’ve got picky eaters in the house. Instead, we fall back on treats with high sugar and sodium content. Here are some quick tips that will help you make healthy choices for your family as the days grow longer.
Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!
Hydration is important all year long but especially in the warmer months when we sweat more often. Water may not be everyone’s favourite, so here are some ideas to make water more appealing:
- Add fruit/vegetables to water- blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, strawberries, blackberries, cucumber, lemon, lime, orange, celery, peaches, nectarines, pineapple
- Add herbs- mint, basil, rosemary
- Make ice cubes with fruit/vegetables/herbs and add to water
- Add food grade essential oils- lemon, lime, mint, rosemary, etc.
Fruit and Vegetables with High Water Content
Water is a great way to stay hydrated, but it is not the only way. Food can be a great way to keep you and your children hydrated even without them knowing it!
- Watermelon has a water content of 92%. Contains Vitamins A, C and Magnesium and some fibre.
- Strawberry has a water content of 91%. Contains fibre and antioxidants.
- Cucumber is 95% water. Contains small amounts of Vitamin K, Magnesium and Potassium
- Other high water content foods: bell peppers, celery, oranges, cauliflower, broths/soups, lettuce, zucchini, cabbage, grapefruit, coconut water
- Coconut water is a great way to stay hydrated. It contains potassium and sodium which are electrolytes. Add a dash of sea salt to add sodium, another electrolyte.
Tips and Ideas
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- Here’s an idea for a refreshing summer drink. Fill a pitcher with a whole lemon sliced thinly, a whole cucumber sliced thinly and a bunch of mint. Add water, let sit to mingle and serve.
- Make your own popsicles. Purchase a popsicle mold and you can make popsicles with your favourite fruit, juices, and herbs. Use water or non-dairy milk to add creaminess. Experiment and try new flavours.
- Another popsicle idea: freeze left over smoothies into a popsicle mold. These contain less sugar than store bought!
- Choose foods that cool us down rather than heat us up. This is why we tend to crave more salads and raw foods during the summer. Try to avoid spicy foods. According to Ayurveda, sweet, bitter, and pungent foods are cooling.
- Summer is the perfect time to grow our own herbs, fruits, and vegetables. This can save money and is a great opportunity to teach your child/children about growing our own food. Kids love to get involved; watch how excited they get when the fruits of our labour begin to grow, literally!
- Summer is the time to buy fresh produce! It’s easy to buy local and in season right now and your produce will be fresh and full of nutrients. It is a great idea to get to know our neighbourhood summer market vendors. Take your children to the market and teach them about where our food comes from. Talk to the farmers, ask questions about their farming practices. This brings even more meaning to appreciating the farmers who grow our food and how lucky we are to have access to fresh food.
- With the abundance of fresh produce, now is the time to freeze, can, pickle, ferment and preserve our fresh produce for winter. Tip: Freeze your fruit/herbs/vegetables on a baking tray in the freezer and then transfer to a container. This keeps them separated and not clumped together.
- Peppermint essential oil is cooling. Add drops along with a carrier oil to a roller ball or a spray bottle and use when overheated.
References
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Elliott, B. (2019, August 9). 19 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated
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