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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