Water is necessary to maintain overall health. You cannot have a healthy body if you don’t drink water. While people can enhance hydration levels with various electrolyte-rich beverages, they can also consume water-rich foods to increase their daily water intake.
You’ve undoubtedly heard of the “eight eight-ounce glasses per day” rule to stay hydrated, but this is somewhat outdated. It doesn’t account for body weight, activity level, age, gender, or underlying health conditions. And while water is necessary for life, many people despise it. Sipping H2O all day just isn’t in the cards for people. This is where diet comes into play.
Dietary Hydration
The foods you eat can help you stay hydrated, but you cannot maintain hydration levels from food alone. You still need to drink water and herbal teas. However, about 20% of the body’s hydration comes from diet (specifically fruits and vegetables), so you eat your water along with various nutrients like vitamins and fiber. Start eating your water by chowing down on the following foods.
1. Celery
Water Content: 95.43%
Celery is a crunchy, green, low-calorie vegetable that is packed with a ton of fiber and water. It makes for an excellent snack, especially if you lather a little raw almond butter or hummus on the stalks.
2. Romaine Lettuce
Water Content: 93.47%
Romaine is an excellent lettuce that is quite versatile. It can be the base of a salad, it tastes great grilled, and the leaves make great tortilla alternatives. It is naturally rich in vitamins A, C, and K, in addition to folate and fiber.
3. Cucumber
Water Content: 96.7%
The cucumber is the ultimate, water-rich produce item. In fact, it has the highest water content of any food! It goes great in salads, sliced up with lime juice and chili powder, or cut into strips and served with hummus. Boost your hydration by snacking on cucumber, and then adding cucumber to your water for extra flavor and nutrients.
4. Watermelon
Water Content: 91.45%
With “water” in the name, watermelon is an excellent fruit for hydrating the body. It is predominantly water, but it does contain vitamins A & C, zinc, potassium, copper, and several B vitamins. Don’t forget that watermelon rinds are extremely nutritious. You can learn all about them by clicking here.
5. Radishes
Water Content: 95.3%
The radish may not be the first vegetable you think of in regards to water-rich foods. In addition to their peppery flavor and vibrant color, radishes have a high water content. Additionally, they are rich in powerful antioxidants, one of them being catechin (found in green tea).
6. Green Bell Peppers
Water Content: 93.9%
Every bell pepper contains water, but green bell peppers are the clear winner. Packed with vitamin C, this nightshade goes great in salads, stir-fries, or cut up in sticks and dipped in hummus. We forgot to mention that they contain lots of antioxidants!
7. Tomatoes
Water Content: 94.52%
The tomato is technically a fruit, but it is often referred to as a vegetable. Tomatoes are rich in fiber, folate, potassium, vitamins C & K, and lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that inhibits cell damage. Here’s a fun fact: most people in America satisfy their recommended daily intake (RDI) of lycopene by eating tomatoes.
8. Spinach
Water Content: 91.4%
Spinach is chock full of beneficial nutrients, including vitamins A & K, iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber, folate, and calcium. It is an excellent salad base, but it can also be steamed, sautéed, or blended with other ingredients into a smoothie. Looking to reduce your caloric intake? Spinach is the perfect nutrient-dense, low-calorie vegetable for you.
9. Bok Choy
Water Content: 95%
Bok choy is in the same family as broccoli and kale, so you know it’s good for you! The consumption of cruciferous vegetables like bok choy is linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers, including lung, colon, and prostate cancers. Bok choy is also rich in magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, & K, and calcium.
10. Zucchini
Water Content: 92.73%
The zucchini is similar to the cucumber, in that they are both rich in vitamins C & K, phosphorus, and potassium. They are also rich in fiber, with one medium zucchini satisfying 8% of your RDI. If you are looking to hydrate the body, opt for fresh/raw zucchini because cooking reduces the water content.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
