The Most Hydrating Foods

+ recipe for Tomato and Peach Salad

If the meme of the stereotypical American hauling around a clownishly large water bottle is any indication, most of us are doing a pretty good job staying hydrated, which is especially critical during this brutally hot summer. (Such a gargantuan bottle is probably not necessary, but who am I to judge?)

Yes, we need to drink a lot to stay hydrated in the heat. (For specifics on how much, check out this newsletter issue.) But it’s not only what we drink that adds up – the food we eat can have a big impact too.  In the U.S., roughly 22% of our water intake comes from food. Adding more water-rich foods to your life does more than help with hydration, it has other benefits too.

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Most foods contain at least some water. Even those we consider dry, such as nuts, crackers and pretzels are about 3% water.  Pizza is about 45% water (yay pizza!). But by far, vegetables and fruits are the most hydrating foods out there. Eating more of them means better hydration, plus all the other nutritional benefits of eating more produce: antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a more beautifully colorful and filling plate of food.

Nearly all produce contains at least 70% water, so you cannot go wrong just picking whatever you love, but some fruits and vegetables are especially water-packed. Here is a select list some of the most hydrating produce out there (source: USDA FoodData Central):