[Revised 6/14/17]
Increasing the amount of water you drink can be challenging, but possible. Enhancing the flavor of plain water by using fruits and vegetables is an effective way to make water more palatable. Stay hydrated this season with infused water. Here’s how.
Amp up the flavor
A healthy way to enrich the flavor of water is to infuse it with fresh herbs, spices, fruit, and/or vegetables. The end result is a delicious and refreshing beverage that you will enjoy drinking. Select your favorite flavors and combine them with water. Follow these seven steps and you will soon be drinking more (flavorful) water.
How to infuse water in seven simple steps
- Gather your favorite ingredients from the list below.
- Thoroughly wash ingredients.
- Place ingredients into a glass mason jar, jug with handle, beverage dispenser or travel fruit infuser water bottle.
- Fill the container with high quality water.
- Seal container with a lid.
- Place container in the refrigerator.
- Let the flavors infuse for at least 2 hours before you start hydrating.
Note: If you plan to infuse for longer than 1-2 hours, remove the rinds, piths, and peels from all citrus fruits before adding to the water. This will prevent bitterness.
Infused water ingredients
-
Herbs and spices
- Basil
- Cinnamon
- Chamomile
- Dill
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
-
Fruit
- Apple
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Lime
- Lemon
- Mango
- Orange
- Peach
- Pear
- Pineapple
- Pomegranate
- Raspberry
- Starfruit
- Strawberry
- Watermelon
-
Vegetables
- Cucumber
- Ginger
- Fennel
- Jalapeño
-
Other
- Black tea
- Green tea
- Hibiscus flower
Examples of ideal flavor combinations
To help you get started, check out the following flavor combinations and select the ones that sound tasty to you.
- Apple, cinnamon
- Blackberry, lime, orange
- Black tea, raspberry
- Cucumber, lemon, mint
- Cucumber, jalapeno, mint
- Cucumber, lime, strawberry, mint
- Cucumber, rosemary, fennel
- Grapefruit, rosemary
- Lemon, ginger
- Lemon, pomegranate
- Lemon, raspberry, rosemary
- Lemongrass, mint
- Lime, ginger root, basil
- Mango, mint
- Orange, blueberry, basil
- Orange, pineapple
- Pear, fennel
- Pineapple, thyme
- Raspberry, lime
- Strawberry, basil
- Strawberry, jalapeno
- Strawberry, lemon
- Strawberry, orange, blueberry
Five bpa-free water bottles ideal for infused water
If you are like me, you like to travel with water. I bring a water bottle with me wherever I go. When using a water bottle, you will want high-quality bottles that are good for the environment, free of toxins, and don’t leave a nasty aftertaste. Look for bottles that are non-leaching, BPA/BPS-free, with no phthalates, PVC, or polycarbonates. Glass and food-grade stainless steel are great options. Here are five of my favorite water bottles.
Note: To purchase or to learn more about these bottles, please click on the corresponding links or photos to be redirected Amazon.
1) Lifefactory 22-Ounce Glass Water Bottle With Flip Cap And Silicone Sleeve
2) Klean Kanteen 27-Ounce Classic Stainless Steel Bottle With Sport Cap
3) S’well Vacuum 25-Ounce Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Double Wall
4) Infusion Pro Water Infuser 24-Ounce Fruit Infused Water Bottle
5) Hydro Flask 40-Ounce Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Leak Proof Sports Water Bottle
Infuse your water, increase hydration
Infusing your favorite flavor combinations will help you increase the amount of water you drink each day. Follow the seven steps listed above and before you know it, you will be drinking the recommended amount of water for your body.
Thoughts? What are your favorite flavor combinations?
- Do you drink naturally flavored water?
- Please comment below and share with me your favorite blend of ingredients for infused water.
I hope to gain some inspiration from your ideas.
Happy hydrating!
Bamboo Core Fitness is a fitness and wellness company that focuses on holistic nutrition coaching, performance conditioning and lifestyle management. Using C.H.E.K Institute, MovNat, and NASM coaching principles, Bamboo Core Fitness delivers a comprehensive and integrative approach to achieving physical, psychological and spiritual health. 
can the fruit that you used to infuse the water be used again? I just started and was wondering why it is always bitter. I never took off the rids of the citrus fruit and I always infuse my overnight.
Thank YOU
Hi Karen,
I choose not to reuse the fruit, as I have found that this can dilute the flavor, create a bitter taste, and make the water look cloudy and less appealing. When I drink half of the water from the container I replenish it with fresh water, but after a day or so I make sure to switch out the old fruits and veggies with fresh.
I am guessing that reusing the fruit and the rinds/peels on the citrus fruits is making your water taste bitter. The longer you leave fruit to infuse, the more bitter it will taste because the acidic flavors from the rinds will infuse into the water. If you use fruits with rinds, do not infuse these fruits for over 4 hours.
I suggest that you make a batch of infused water with rindless fruit. Use a knife to cut the rinds/peels off of the citrus fruit (lemon, lime, orange, etc.). Also, cut as much of the pith (white part) away as possible. The pith of the citrus fruits can also taste bitter. Do not reuse the fruit.
See if this helps and please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks!
I’ve been an herbalist for 20 years thanks for the info.
You are welcome; I am glad you enjoyed this article! 🙂