5 hydrating foods you need for summer

On average your body gets about 20% of the water it needs from the foods you eat throughout the day.¹ Raw fruits and vegetables typically provide the highest water content. Any fruits and vegetables with more than 80% water content make a refreshing choice.¹

Luckily, summer barbecues, picnics and garden parties are all good chances to serve up thirst-quenching dishes. Here's what you need in your salads, garnishes, crudités and more.

Made up of around 96% water, cucumbers contain the highest water content of any food. Due to this they’re also low in calories but provide a source of vitamins and fibre.²

Cucumbers are very versatile, meaning they can be used in a variety of recipes. Impress your guests with Asian style cucumber salads, the viral green goddess salad, or with freshly baked cream cheese and cucumber bagels. Or whip up some delicious dips to enjoy with tortilla chips – think cooling cucumber and mint gazpacho or creamy tzatziki.

Crunchy and refreshing, they add great texture and a mild, lightly sweet flavour to any dish – you can even pickle them. Check out our recipe for how to pickle with apple cider vinegar in 6 steps.

For more on kiwis, head over to 5 things you didn't know about kiwi fruit.

Peaches contain 89% water content and provide a good source of vitamins C and A and potassium.⁶

Peaches offer a delicate, floral sweetness and can be used in both hot or cold, sweet or savoury recipes.

Though eating a peach on its own is sweet and succulent, why not try making a tasty grilled peach and blue cheese salad? Or wow your visitors with jars of homemade spiced peach and pepper chutney, bake puff pastry peach and almond slices, whip up a peach melba cheesecake or create a summery and light feta and peach couscous.

As well as helping you reach your hydration goals, most berries will offer you high amounts of fibre too, thanks to their skins and seeds. But with an impressive 91% water content, strawberries are the most hydrating berry.⁷

Strawberries are amongst one of the most popular fruits in the world, offering the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

To get the most hydration out of strawberries, it’s best to eat them in their raw form. However, they can be enjoyed in many ways.

Whether you choose to indulge in a classic strawberry-and-cream pairing, or whip up something more adventurous, these little red, heart-shaped fruits are pretty versatile. If you prefer savoury tastes, strawberries also pair well with goats’ cheese and go well in a salad with balsamic glaze.

You’ll find more ideas in 11 top benefits of grapefruit and how to enjoy it.

Of course, food alone is unlikely to be enough to prevent dehydration. Drinking enough water is vital too. 

• urinary tract infections (UTIs) 
• headaches 
• dizziness that can lead to falls 
• pressure ulcers/skin conditions 
• overall poor health

Head over to our article on the importance of hydration, for more about the benefits of keeping hydrated!

Water is essential for life. Without water, humans can survive only for a few days.¹³

It’s the most abundant constituent of the human body, accounting for 50-80% of body weight, depending mainly on body fat content.¹⁴

Water helps your body:¹⁵

Did you know that 66% of the UK population are not drinking enough water every day? This rises to 79% for the over 65s.¹⁶

And a study involving 1,000 people from the UK, between the ages of 17 and 99 years, found that 26% of people don’t feel the need to drink water, and 45% never even think about it.^{17, 18}

Keeping a bottle of water by your side and when you’re out and about may encourage you to drink more often throughout the day – you can even get bottles that have measurements, to keep you on track.

If you’re not a lover of water, herbal teas offer a fantastic alternative. As well as hydration, they are high in antioxidants, calming and often caffeine free.¹⁹ Or if ice tea is more your thing, check out how to make iced tea at home.

You could even try downloading a hydration timer to your phone, which will remind you to frequently drink water.

There isn’t a set amount of water that causes water intoxication. The kidneys can process about one litre of fluid per hour, so any amount above that over a few hours can be risky.^20,21 It’s better to sip water frequently throughout the day, than to drink large quantities in one go. 

You’ve probably heard about the eight-glasses-a-day (about 64 ounces) recommendation. However, hydration varies from person to person depending on body weight and size, and changes due to heat, humidity, and activity levels.²²

Staying hydrated is key to functioning at your best, so make sure you don’t scrimp on water and supplement your daily intake with plenty of fresh fruit and veg. To get the most from them in terms of fibre as well as hydration, eat them as they are – but you can mix it up with recipes too.

If all that has got you in the mood for food, check out our tips on staying healthy this summer.