Flavoured water for morning, noon and night

Let’s make a pact to stay hydrated this summer, okay?

My love of flavoured water almost seemed too simple to blog about, but I reminisced over many, many basic tutorials I’ve shared in this space and reminded myself they are some of my most popular content. So, I’m here to convince you that infusing your drinking water with gorgeous summer produce is the ticket to staying refreshed (and kicking any soda habit) in the hot months to come.

Three flavoured water recipes | Simple Bites #recipe

I’ve never been good about drinking water. My sister Haidi can keep a quart Mason jar on the go all day and chug it back frequently, but I’ve tried that and I always leave the jar someplace and then forget all about it.

Keeping a jar or two of flavoured water at eye level in my refrigerator not only frequently reminds me to drink, but entices me to stop, sip and savour. It sounds totally cheesy, but a lovely infused water is something I actually look forward to throughout the day.

It’s the little things.

Three flavoured water recipes | Simple Bites #recipe

I like to keep things simple and flavoured water is just that: pour filtered water over clean fruits, vegetables or herbs, infuse and enjoy. I generally tend to use up what I have on hand – half a lime, the end of a cucumber, a wrinkled orange – and just go with it.

I think I’m too frugal to spend $6 on organic blackberries or something of the sort just to have them disintegrate in my drinking water. But I’m not judging any of you who do! Search Instagram for the hashtag ‘detoxwater’ or ‘flavoredwater’ and you’ll see berries are a popular ingredient.

Now, experts and non-experts alike claim that flavoured water has cleansing and detox properties and can actually help flush your body of toxins. Do I believe all that? Meh. I’m not even sure if I believe in detox, but I do think that there are mild health benefits to drinking flavoured water.

Water with fresh lemon, for example, can aid digestion, which is why I begin my day with the Citrus Morning. I have it before coffee, before breakfast, and continue to sip it throughout the morning. The ginger also aids digestion and one slice is mild enough to stomach first thing in the morning.

Citrus Morning

Start your day with this simple flavoured water.
4.86 from 21 votes
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Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Essential Ingredient: Lemons
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 litre
Calories: 10kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 5 grapefruit segments
  • 4 lemon slices
  • 1 fresh ginger slice
  • 1 litre filtered water

Instructions

  • Combine grapefruit, lemon and ginger in a 1 quart mason jar.
  • Pour over filtered water to the top of the jar.
  • Cover and chill 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  • Start your morning feeling refreshed.

Notes

For additional health benefits, add a slice of tumeric root to this drink when you can find it fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal

Three flavoured water recipes | Simple Bites #recipe

I like my Parsley, Lime and Cucumber water in the afternoon when I’m often working outside. It’s cool and utterly refreshing. It might be my imagination, but it keeps my breath fresh, too.

I’ve planted tons of cucumbers and parsley in my garden this year, so this combination is going to be around all summer, that is for sure.

Parsley, Lime and Cucumber Flavoured Water

Thirst quenching and flavourful - this is how to stay hydrated during the summer.
4.86 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Essential Ingredient: cucumber
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 litre
Calories: 10kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 1 mini cucumber washed and sliced thinly
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
  • 4 slices lime
  • 1 litre filtered water

Instructions

  • Place cucumber, parsley and lime slices in a quart mason jar.
  • Top with water to fill the jar.
  • Cover and infuse in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 36.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcal

The Watermelon Mint Sipper lasts the longest of the three flavoured waters I’m sharing today, meaning it doesn’t turn bitter or start tasting like compost after 24 hours of infusing (real talk). Even after 48 hours in the refrigerator it’s as good as ever, maybe even sweeter, thanks to the melon.

It’s a great 5-o-clock sipper poured over ice when perhaps you are feeling like a cocktail, but it’s only just a weeknight.

Watermelon Mint Sipper

4.86 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 quart
Calories: 141kcal
Author: Aimee

Ingredients

  • 1-2 cups sliced seedless watermelon
  • 1 small apple sliced thin
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh mint
  • 1 quart filtered water

Instructions

  • Place sliced watermelon and apple in a wide-mouth quart jar.
  • Lightly 'bruise' the mint with your fingertips to bring out the natural oils and add it to the jar.
  • Fill the jar with filtered water.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48.
  • Get refreshed anytime.

Notes

Try adding basil instead of the mint for a delicious twist.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 20.7mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.6mg

And one step past flavoured water is agua fresca, with this honey-sweetened Watermelon Agua Fresca leading the pack. Try it sometime! There’s also a vibrant green Cucumber Honeydew Agua Fresca in my cookbook that is utterly delicious.

Are you drinking flavoured water? What’s your favourite flavour combination?

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29 Comments

  1. Thank you for this! I want to kick my daily, multiple sodas habit (while still leaving room for an ice cold one every once in a while), and these will hopefully give me the boost I need to kick the cravings. I’m going to start with strawberries because that’s what’s in the fridge.

  2. I like celery leaves, lime and cucumber. Sometimes I don’t use the celery leaves and they’re good in the water. And I enjoy some of these very easy tips — doesn’t matter that they’re no brainers — I didn’t think of some of your combinations. Does that mean I don’t have a brain?? 🙁

  3. 5 stars
    These sound good!! I always drink just plain water but these would be interesting for a change!!

  4. 5 stars
    I welcome the ideas put forth. I only have used lemon with water, or had cold mint tea . Thanks luv!

  5. Thanks for the reminder and nice potions! I was planning to do this over the hotter months so this was a timely nudge. BTW, on a different tangent, do you ever read Taproot Magazine (out of Vermont/Maine)? The latest issue has some interesting stuff on foraging and fermentation… and raising kids to love the wild outdoors. Sounds like it’s up your alley : )

    1. I haven’t read Taproot, Pippa, but I heard about it recently as a reader told me they heard about my blog (or was it book?) in the mag. Do you subscribe or do you find it in Canada?

      1. My SIL in Haliburton County gets it, I know they’ll mail to Canada. I’m hoping to read her mags when we visit her this summer – yay! I believe you can order a subscription plus various back issues from the Taproot website. I do receive their email alert when issues are published, and their website/blog has some great stuff.

  6. I love flavored water. I’ve never been a big juice, soda, coffee or tea drinker (really, it’s mostly water and a bit of milk), but flavored water has always been a bit of a ‘treat’ to me. I love just mint in my water, but my family hates it! I find it more refreshing than without, but I usually only put it in there in the summer. I’ll have to try your watermelon -mint recipe!
    Sarah M

  7. 4 stars
    These are incredible sounding recipes- excited to give them a try!

    Detox is a very real thing- this is what our livers and kidney’s do every single day! So I think when you think about ‘detox drinks’ or foods even- it’s more about understanding that those ingredients are supporting the liver and kidney detoxing systems in our bodies rather than actually ‘doing the detox’ themselves.

  8. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I’ve never tried flavored water…..I bet my kiddo would go bonkers for it though! Def. on our summer to do list! Thanks for the idea! We have blackberry bushes like the plague in a yard so I may give a try to the blackberry variety 🙂

  9. How do you pour from those beautiful jars but keep the fruit and such inside? Do you strain each serving? I’ve been doing cold brew fruit tea and have a teensy little tea strainer but not sure it would work here. We are loving BEaJJ and can’t wait for the next book!

  10. I’ve done this for parties several times, but never on a daily basis at home. As bad as it is, I think I’m just too lazy to put it together. But it’s a great idea and you make it look so pretty so maybe I’ll finally muster up a little extra effort. 😉

  11. If I could get to the store tomorrow to buy a cucumber before work, I could totally make the cucumber-lime version. We have parsley in the garden and limes in the kitchen. It would be fun to have flavored water for work.

  12. 5 stars
    I love it when health experts and my taste buds are in agreement 🙂 I’m glad to hear the Watermelon mint lasts longer in the fridge because I’ve found that to be a problem. Do you know if it lasts as long when using basil instead of mint?

  13. If you remove the peeling from your lemon and grapefruit, the water won’t get bitter when keeping it 24+ hours. I haven’t used lime yet so I don’t know about that one but you seemed to mention that the watermelon recipe lasts longer and it is the only recipe without lemon or grapefruit. Maybe I’ll try lime as a citrus substitute that lasts in future recipes.

  14. I love to drink water lime. I take a glass of filtered water because it can change your water lime taste and make it more delicious. Then take some lemon and some sugar in water. Mix all ingredients and enjoy your drink.