The heat and humidity over the last couple weeks have been brutal, and after looking at the national weather map for the weekend, there won’t be much reprieve for many of us. So what’s one to do? Find creative ways to cool down, of course!
One of my favorite activities is eating. I try not to eat garbage, but I’m a big fan of food. It’s delicious, it fuels my runs, and there are so many adventures to be had with cooking and baking. Fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious all the time, but did you know many fruits and vegetables contain loads of water? Some fruits and vegetables hold more water than others, and when it gets really hot and humid out, the most refreshing ones are of course the ones with the most water content. Check out some of my favorite produce filled with water for you to rehydrate with when the mercury rises! Healthy hydrating foods, FTW!
5 Healthy Hydrating Foods to Keep You Hydrated When it’s HOT!
1. Watermelon
As the name of this delicious fruit suggests, watermelon is made up almost entirely of water. It’s lightly sweet and due to its high water content, watermelon will quench your thirst within just a few bites!
2. Cucumber
We’ve been getting lots of cucumbers with our farm share over the last couple weeks, and it couldn’t be coming at a better time. Cucumber is 96% water! Next time you’re hot, sweaty, and need something refreshing, try eating a cucumber. Here’s a fun little fact: The inner temperature of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air. (source: foodreference.com) Now I know where the phrase “cool as a cucumber” came from. #themoreyouknow
3. Romaine lettuce
Romaine lettuce is one of my all-time favorite foods. It’s extremely high in vitamins K and A, and boasts high folate content. Romaine lettuce also contains roughly 8 grams of protein and 200 mg of calcium per head. It’s among the world’s healthiest foods and with its high water content, it’s no wonder romaine lettuce is a thirst quencher. I guess I must be a pretty thirsty person, because I gravitate toward this type of lettuce on particularly hot days.
healthy hydrating foods
Replenishing lunch! Salad always wins in my book.
4. Plums
Plums are pretty darn delicious, right? They’re high on my favorite fruit list, especially now that we’re at the height of plum season. And they have a decent amount of watering, hovering around 84-88%, which explains a lot of the juice that tends to run down our faces or hands when we eat them. Plums are known to increase absorption of iron and are a very good source of vitamins C and K, as well as copper, fiber, and potassium. Win, win, and win!
5. Carrots
Carrots are an easy vegetable to eat. The baby variety is perfect for snacking on-the-go as well as dipping in hummus for a snack. Carrots are made up of almost 90% water and with their nutritional profile and portability, it would be silly not to stock your fridge full of them in the summer (and year round, really).
Ready for this fun fact? My dad was visiting with us a couple weeks ago. One day we were outside playing with the kids and he said, “are you growing carrots?” I looked at him dubiously since I have the blackest of black thumbs and replied no. Well, he was convinced I was growing carrots so he dug one up — one which I thought was a weed. As it turns out, he did dig up a carrot. A wild carrot. Called Queen Anne’s lace. After this shocking and exciting discovery, we sought out all the Queen Anne’s lace (weeds) in my yard and put a halt to my husband mowing them down! I’m now happy to report we are growing wild carrots all around our property. The million dollar question is, when to harvest? If you have any tips, please let me know. Otherwise, Google will have to do.
Other amazing healthy hydrating foods:
Honorable mention goes to: radishes, bell peppers, strawberries (!), leaf lettuce, raspberries, celery, orange, and spinach. These are all fruits and vegetables with very high water content. Eat up!
I love fruits and vegetables. They are among the healthiest and most hydrating foods available. There are some I’d rather not eat (mustard greens, anyone?) and others I wish I could eat all day every day (hi, salads!), but for the most part, I’ll eat them all. My list is not exhaustive of the best foods to keep you hydrated when it’s hot, but hopefully you’ll find something that you like!
Stay cool, everyone!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s one of YOUR favorite healthy hydrating foods?
Do you have Queen Anne’s lace in your yard?
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22 Comments
Melons! Like cantaloupe & honeydew.
I had no idea that the root from Queen Anne’s Lace was edible. For reals? Or that carrots were hydrating! And I eat romaine year round. Guess I was better hydrated than I knew!
So funny about the carrots!
Watermelon is my favorite this time of year– it’s awesome after a hot run!
I definitely eat more watermelon and cucumbers during this season. I eat carrots all year round but did not know about the wild kind!
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams
I love watermelon! It’s probably my favorite summer fruit. It’s really the perfect snack.
When it’s hot like this I CRAVE watermelon. In Dubai they served it with a sprinkle of fresh mint. It was literally $5 a small slice but it was delicious
It’s hard to pick a favorite! I love all the ones you listed. Watermelon is definitely refreshing. Grapes are good too! And you can’t go wrong with a nice fresh salad
The plums are so good right now and I am also loving pineapple and peaches. Summer fruit is so good!
I had no idea there was such a thing as wild carrots! Good discovery by your dad!
I woudl love to be able to grow something edible (whether it’s on purpose or not)…lol
YAS I #nailedit. I eat all of those!
Cucumbers and Watermelon are a must! I never think of carrots as having a high water content! Live and learn 😉
I love watermelon in the summer. I still have some in the fridge from the 4th, and should probably finish it. I also love peaches and strawberries in the summer, and I threw a salad together this week and put both of those in there. I got a couple peaches from Sprouts on Sunday, and they were both ripe before the end of the week. Perfect for summer.
Watermelon is the best! I haven’t had enough of it yet this summer.
I’m allergic to plums and carrots, but I eat the other 3 foods you listed. I can probably eat my weight in watermelon over the summer – oh it’s SO good!!! I also love other melons – cantaloupe, and honeydew to be exact.
I find cucumber so refreshing in the summer! And cantaloupe!
Oh, watermelons and cucumbers are my favorites… but I haven’t had plums in ages! Must buy some!
Too funny about the Queen Anne’s!! I’m not a veggie lover unless I have plenty of dipping sauce (I know, #sobad), but I love most fruits (ahem…except for bananas LOL).
I can’t get enough cucumbers right now plus my pineapples are ripening up- they are a great combo!
I’m a fan of cutting a watermelon in half and just eating the insides haha
Eat all those, and you’ll not only stay hydrated but get so much excellent nutrition! I liked your fun fact about how ‘cool as a cucumber’ is actually true!
I was surprised carrots made the list! They seem like a more solid/dense vegetable. But then any reason is a good reason to eat more carrots 🙂
I agree, they do seem an odd one. But they have so much water!
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