Water is an essential nutrient that our bodies need to survive. While we usually drink water to hydrate ourselves, there are also ways we can “eat” water by consuming foods that have high water content. Eating foods rich in water can help us meet our daily fluid needs and keep us healthy and hydrated.
Why Is Water Important?
Water makes up about 60% of our body weight. It is needed for many critical bodily functions including:
- Regulating body temperature
- Lubricating joints
- Protecting tissues and organs
- Aiding digestion
- Absorbing nutrients from food
- Flushing out waste and toxins
Being even slightly dehydrated can cause side effects like fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, dizziness, and reduced cognitive and physical performance. Severe dehydration can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
Experts recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day to avoid dehydration. While drinking plain water is best, we can also get water from the foods we eat.
Water-Rich Foods
Many fruits and vegetables have high water content and can help hydrate our bodies. Here are some foods that contain a lot of water:
Fruits and Vegetables
- Watermelon – 92% water
- Strawberries – 92% water
- Cantaloupe – 90% water
- Peaches – 88% water
- Oranges – 87% water
- Pineapple – 87% water
- Cucumber – 96% water
- Celery – 96% water
- Tomatoes – 94% water
- Broccoli – 91% water
- Spinach – 91% water
- Bell Peppers – 92% water
Proteins and Dairy
- Chicken – 70% water
- Lean Beef – 65% water
- Tofu – 88% water
- Milk – 91% water
- Yogurt – 85% water
- Cottage Cheese – 80% water
Grains
- Oatmeal – 85% water
- Brown Rice – 70% water
Soups and Broths
- Chicken Noodle Soup – 94% water
- Tomato Soup – 93% water
- Vegetable Broth – 96% water
- Beef Broth – 92% water
Consuming these water-rich foods provides extra hydration on top of the water we drink. Their high water content keeps us feeling full and satisfied as well.
Tips for Eating More Water-Rich Foods
Here are some simple tips to help you eat more water-rich foods:
- Eat fruits and veggies at every meal. Aim to fill half your plate with produce at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Keep washed, cut vegetables handy for snacks. Store them in your fridge or freezer so you can grab and eat anytime.
- Add extra veggies to dishes. Mix them into soups, stews, pasta, omelets, sandwiches, casseroles, etc.
- Enjoy fruit for dessert. Grilled peaches, baked apples, fruit salads, or just some grapes or berries make healthy, hydrating treats.
- Drink water-rich juices and smoothies. Whip up drinks using fruits and veggies like watermelon, kale, celery, cucumber, and carrots.
- Choose water-based soups. Chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable, minestrone, gazpacho, etc. pack extra hydration.
- Use lettuce wraps instead of bread. Lettuce leaves like romaine or iceberg contain water and wrap ingredients deliciously.
- Add veggies to dips and spreads. Mix them into hummus, guacamole, Baba ganoush, salsa, yogurt dips, etc.
Meal Ideas to Boost Water Intake
You can easily incorporate more hydrating foods into your regular meals and snacks. Here are some ideas:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal made with milk and topped with strawberries and bananas
- Veggie omelet with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and spinach
- Whole grain toast with avocado, tomato, and poached eggs
- Berry smoothie with yogurt and milk
- Overnight oats with raisins, apples, and cinnamon
Lunch
- Tuna or chicken salad wrap with lettuce leaves instead of bread
- Vegetable soup and garden salad
- Grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumber
- Veggie sub sandwich loaded with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and spinach
- Burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, salsa, and avocado
Dinner
- Chicken stir fry with lots of broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
- Salmon with quinoa and roasted asparagus
- Spaghetti squash boats stuffed with tomatoes, spinach, and turkey meatballs
- Kabobs with chicken, peppers, onions, pineapple, and zucchini
- Taco salad with lettuce, tomato, onion, corn, black beans, avocado, and salsa
Snacks
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Celery sticks with cottage cheese
- Cucumber slices with hummus
- Grapes and cheese cubes
- Banana smoothie
- Carrots and bell pepper strips with guacamole
- Melon chunks with yogurt
- Berries and almonds
Make it fun by mixing and matching your favorite produce combos to get more “water eating” into your daily diet!
Staying Hydrated On-the-Go
It’s not always easy to eat your water when you’re out running errands, commuting, or traveling. Here are handy tips for getting hydration from foods when on-the-go:
- Pack portable produce like apples, bananas, grape tomatoes, carrot sticks, snap peas, etc. They travel well in bags.
- Bring water-packed canned fruits like pineapple, mandarin oranges, pears, peaches, etc. The juice keeps them moist.
- Make instant oatmeal with milk and raisins in a microwavable cup you can take anywhere.
- Fill a thermos with vegetable or bone broth for a nutritious drink.
- Make smoothies and pour into an insulated bottle to drink later in the day.
- Stop for salads, veggie subs, or grilled chicken wraps from restaurants and cafes.
- Choose fruits like oranges and bananas from convenience stores when gas station food is your only option.
A little planning goes a long way. Having healthy, hydrating choices on hand prevents you from getting desperately thirsty and making poor diet decisions when you’re out and about.
Should You Be Eating More Water?
While drinking plain water should be your main source of hydration, there are some situations where getting extra water from foods can be beneficial:
- Hot weather – You may need more fluids when temperatures rise to avoid dehydration.
- Intense exercise – Athletes lose more water through sweat and require extra hydration.
- Illness – Hydrating foods can be easier to keep down if you have diarrhea or vomiting.
- Low appetite – Getting water from high-moisture foods helps maintain fluids when you aren’t eating much.
- Pregnancy or nursing – Breastfeeding moms need to stay extra hydrated and may want more variety than just drinking water.
Additionally, some people simply don’t like drinking plain water. Eating fresh fruits and veggies adds flavor and makes getting hydrated more enjoyable.
As long as you also drink beverages when thirsty, filling your diet with water-filled foods is a healthy choice.
Potential Drawbacks of Food-Based Water
While increasing high-water foods has benefits, there are some potential drawbacks to consider as well:
- Lower nutrient density – Some veggies and fruits have fewer vitamins, minerals, etc. pound for pound than less-watery choices.
- Lower protein – Many hydrating foods are lower in protein, which helps keep you full.
- Lower calorie – For those needing to gain or maintain weight, water-rich foods may be too low calorie.
- Less convenience – Carrying fresh produce isn’t always easy; pre-planning takes effort.
- Higher cost – Certain fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be pricier than other hydrating options.
- Shorter satiety – The high water and fiber content in produce means you may get hungry more quickly.
- Potential waste – Fresh foods spoil faster if you can’t eat them fast enough.
Being mindful of your overall nutrition is important when increasing plant foods. And drinking water should still be your top hydration priority.
Tips for Balancing Food and Beverage-Based Water Intake
Here are some recommendations for getting adequate hydration from both foods and drinks:
- Drink when thirsty – Let your body’s cues guide how much water you need versus getting it from food sources.
- Have a beverage with meals – Pair food-based water with a glass of water, milk, juice, or broth.
- Choose produce you enjoy – Stick to fruits and veggies you truly like and will eat consistently.
- Add veggies to dishes you already make – Insert more plants into foods you’ll eat anyway instead of always making side salads.
- Don’t force produce – Getting hydration from food should never feel like a chore.
- Monitor your urine – Pale yellow to clear pee means you’re drinking enough liquid overall.
- Watch your weight – Make sure increased fruits/veggies aren’t leading to unwanted loss/gain.
- Consider supplements if needed – Speak to your doctor about vitamins if eliminating other foods.
Finding a healthy balance between drinking water and eating water-rich foods is key. This helps ensure you meet all your nutrition needs while properly hydrating your body.
The Bottom Line
Eating your water from fresh fruits, vegetables, broths, and other high-moisture foods can be a tasty way to hydrate your body. However, it shouldn’t replace satisfying your thirst by drinking beverages as well. For most people, getting fluids primarily through drinking and using food to supplement their hydration needs is the healthiest approach.
Focus on listening to your body’s cues, choosing produce you enjoy, monitoring your overall diet, and aiming for balance. Pairing water-filled foods with good old-fashioned water drinking is your best route to hydration success!
