by Corinne Schmitt
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I created this beginner’s guide to infused water because flavored water makes it so easy to stay hydrated! Everyone knows all the benefits of drinking plenty of water every day but sometimes it’s not easy to drink as much water as we should. Adding a little flavor to our water is a simple trick to make staying hydrated easy and more enjoyable.
Infused water not only makes it easier to stay hydrated, but also provides lots of nutrients and antioxidants from the ingredients you use to infuse your water. Even better,infused water has hardly any calories or sugar, so it’s much healthierthan the flavored water you find at the stores.
InfusedWaterSupplies
If you never infused water before you’ll probably be surprised at how easy it is. You just need a few simple items:
- A glass container– plastic can distort the taste
- Ingredients – vegetables, herbs, and fruits
- Water – some people prefer filtered or sparkling water but regular tap water works too
You’ll also need patience. Infused water needs tosit for a while to make sure the ingredients you added seep into the water. If you’re infusing water overnight you might want to let it infuse in the refrigerator. But if you’re infusing at room temperature, 4 hours is usually enough.
Infused Water Ingredients
With time, you’ll be able to try new ingredients and make your own infused water recipes, but to start with, here are some of the most commonly used ingredients:
Berries
Blackberries, blueberries or raspberries are all anti-inflammatories. They’re packed with the vitamins you need and they’re proved to help you look younger.
Cucumbers
This vegetable helps cleanse your system in multiple ways. Cucumbers also help the digestion and they’re perfect to help your body getting rid of toxins.
Kiwi
Kiwi is rich in vitamins C, E, and K, plus it has a good dose of folate, potassium and fiber too. It’s as rich in nutrients as it is in flavor.
Lime
Lime is commonly used on weight loss programs. Limes vitamins are also good for the skin, the digestion and the eyes.
Lemon
Lemons are perfect to balance your body’s pH. Lemons also offer plenty of benefits for your health.
They’re really positive for the liver and they have cleansing power. They’re one of the most popular fruits used in drinks, and they’re equally popular in infused water recipes.
This Lemon Infused Chia Water is refreshing and good for you!
Mint
Mint is a wonderful infused water ingredient because of it’s ability to soothe indigestion. Plus, it’s fresh flavor has a wonderful cooling effect, which is helpful in warm weather when you really need to stay hydrated.
Orange
You already know that if you’re looking to get vitamin C, you don’t have to look any further. What you might not know is that orange also helps reducing cholesterol and helps your heart. Oranges are not just a source of vitamin C. They have plenty of minerals and vitamins and they will add a good flavor to your infused water.
These 7 ingredients are just a small sample of all the ingredients you can try on your infused water. But even with these 7 ingredients, you can already mix and match and come up with plenty of different recipes. You might be surprised with how well most of the infused water recipes will taste, and how fun is to try different recipes.
Here are some using some of the ingredients above:
- Blueberry Lime Cilantro Infused Waterfrom Crystal & Co.
- Strawberry Lemon Infused Water from Simplistically Living
- Kiwi Pear Infused Water from Vegetarian Gourmet
- Cranberry Lemon Infused Water
- Strawberry Lime Basil Infused Waterfrom A Cultivated Nest
When you’re ready to branch out and try some other ingredients, try one of these:
- Pear Ginger Infused Water from Vegetarian Gourmet
- Grapefruit and Cilantro Infused Water from Crystal & Co.
- Star Fruit, Fennel and Mint Infused Water from Recipe for Perfection
- Mango Infused Sparkling Water from Creative Southern Home
Infused Water Tips
The great thing about infused water is that it’s so easy to make! That being said, there are a few tips to get the best flavor.
- Use fresh ingredients for the fullest flavor
- Remove citrus rinds before infusing (unless you like bitter water)
- Remove ingredients after infusing or they start to decompose, ruining the water
- Refrigerate! Stored in the fridge, you can enjoy your infused water for up to 3 days
- You can leave berries whole, but other ingredients infuse the water better if you slice them
- Use mason jars you have on hand instead of expensive fruit infusing water bottles to save money
Now you know everything you need to make your own infused water! Happy hydrating!