This month’s resolution is about hydration! There are lots of hydrating options out there, but sometimes you get tired of flavored bottled waters that may be overly sweet. Or maybe you are looking for an alternative that does not use artificial sweeteners. And we know plain water can get boring after a while. So here’s an idea that gives you a little flavor without a lot of effort….cue the fruit! Voila! Fruit infused water! It’s super simple to make and it will provide just enough oomph to keep your water interesting, and keep you drinking more without getting taste fatigue! And the great thing about it? It hydrates you, gives your water a natural sweet something, and has NO EXTRA CALORIES! As long as you don’t eat the fruit…all you need is:
• Water (tap is fine)
• Fruit of your choice
Directions:
1. Cut up your fruit of choice; smaller amounts for bottles, larger amounts for pitchers.
2. Place fruit in bottle or pitcher filled with water. Don’t be afraid to try fruit combinations!
3. Chill for a few hours and enjoy!
Mix it up and make it fun! You don’t just have to use fruit –feel free to put some herbs and spices in with them. Our intern tried 6 different recipes while experimenting with this. Here are her combos:
• Strawberry Lime
• Strawberry Orange
• Strawberry Lemon
• Blackberry, Lemon, Mint
• Strawberry Mint (can you tell the intern like strawberry??)
• Orange, Lemon, Lime
Pairing a sweeter fruit with the acidic citrus helps to tame it a bit. Her favorites were the strawberry orange, strawberry lemon, blackberry lemon mint, and the strawberry mint! The mint is a nice refresher –just be sure to tear up the leaves a bit to get the flavor going!
Other ideas: use vegetables instead of fruit – sample combos are cucumber & cilantro, cucumber & strawberry, or cucumber honeydew melon!
What combinations are y’all interested in trying?? Let us know!
Chris & Kristin (OU Intern)