Hydrating Foods

Whether you are hitting the trails or a local swimming hole, the heat of the Southwest drains you physically, especially if you are not well hydrated.

As you plan for your exploration or day trip, be sure to add foods that help hydrate you too.

Below are some of the top hydrating foods to help keep you hydrated while either out exploring the trails or having a fun day with water play.

When my kids were small it was hard to keep them hydrated with fluids alone when playing. Who wants to stop for a drink? Not mine! But, I could always get them to stop for a snack and that is why when I would pack for a day at the beach or a place that would be hot, I would be sure to include the favorites that would also help keep them hydrated.

Please note:

Not all “top” hydrating foods are listed, just the ones that would be found on a hiking trail or as a snack in the heat (while cabbage is 93% water and eggplant is 92%, will you really these foods on an adventure with you?)
These foods are listed in alphabetical order and not by water content.
We rounded the water content up or down, depending on the number as 90% is easier to read than 90.231%, right?!
We found multiple resources with water content for each food and when they varied, we used the lowest percentage.

[irp posts=”119″ name=”Hiking in the Heat – Tips to Stay Cool”]

Apples

Apple slices are easy to eat and contain approximately 85% water.

Tip: dip in an “acid” such as lemon juice or pineapple juice to keep them from turning.

Apricots

I love fresh apricots and if you are a fan, then you will be enjoying a fruit that is 86% water content.

Blueberries

So easy to pop a few for a cool treat, these little berries are 84% water content.

Broccoli

Containing 89% – 91% water content, broccoli is a great snack on its own or mixed with a summer salad. (Sources vary on water content for broccoli.)

Whichever way you like to eat broccoli, this is an easy one to pack for your day trip.

Cantaloupe

One cup of cantaloupe, aka muskmelon, has over a half cup of water per serving.

With a water content of 90%, this is a great addition to your hydrating foods packing list.

Carrots

Don’t forget to pack everyone’s favorite, carrots! (Or at least in my house they are the favorite!)

With 88% water content, these go great with a nice yogurt dip for even more hydration from your snack.

Cauliflower

A favorite dipping vegetable, cauliflower is 92% water content and one-fourth cup of water for each one-cup serving.

Celery

For a crunchy snack base, celery is perfect with 95% water content. Each cup of celery will provide about a half a cup of water in each “serving.”

Unfortunately, this heavy water content veggies isn’t that popular with all.

Dress it up with your favorite spread such as high protein nut butter, cream cheese-based spreads, and more!

Cucumbers

A healthy snack for everyone has 95% water content.

Eat as lone slices, use a dip, or add them to your sandwiches.

Grapefruit

At 88% water content, a half a grapefruit provides almost a half cup water.

Grapes

I thought that grapes would have high water content and was shocked to learn that they ONLY have 82% water content, which still makes them a great hydration snack.

Tip: Freeze them before adding to your cooler.

Kiwi

The cute fruit that many forget about and one of my favorites… the kiwi!

Containing 85% water this tropical fruit is a colorful addition to your summer fruit salad or to eat by itself.

Question… do you prefer them sliced or eat whole once peeled?

Oranges

These vitamin C rich fruits have a water content of 88% and offer almost a half a cup of water for each cup-sized serving.

An added benefit is the citric acid, which helps with the prevention of kidney stones which can happen if you are not properly hydrated.

Peaches

Peaches are almost 90% of their weight is water and offer peach eaters a fruit with 89% water content.

Consider serving with yogurt for additional hydration punch!

Peppers

Another fun veggie to dip are sweet peppers.

At 92% water content, sweet peppers are a great addition to your snack packing as a stand-alone food item or as an ingredient in a pasta salad.

Pineapple

This spiny tropical fruit has a water content of 86%.

Bonus item… pineapples are also known to be anti-inflammatory so if you are able to take a few rings or chunks hiking, it could be a win-win!

Radishes

Probably not a crowd pleaser but if you like radishes, they are 95% water content. Grab the dip and start snacking!

Raspberries

Delicate raspberries are a crowd favorite with my group and with 87% water content they make a great addition to your fruit salad, fruit platter, or an addition to a cool beverage such as plain water or lemonade.

Spinach

Spinach? Yep, at 92% water content this food is a great addition to a summer salad or pasta salad to get some extra hydration for the day.

Strawberries

One of the top hydrating foods on the list are strawberries with 92% water content.

Berries are a great way to hydrate and strawberries are at the top of the charts for water content followed by Raspberries at 87% and blueberries with 85%.

One of my favorites, just pop a few in your mouth and enjoy a sweet trading treat.

Tomatoes

Sweet little grape tomatoes that are chilled are a true treat for me.

One medium tomato provides half cup water but I prefer mine in the bite-size for snacking.

Toss them in a pasta salad or on your veggie platter for snacking to consume this top rated food that comes in packing a whopping 94% water content.

Watermelon

The water content of watermelon is 92%, which makes it one of the top hydrating foods along with a wonderful cool snack on a hot day. With the word WATER in the name, you can’t go wrong here!

You can include it in a summer salad or eat it fresh off the rind, either way, watermelon is a great addition to your snack packing list.

For each cup of watermelon, you will get approximately a half cup of water.

Yogurt

The sound of yogurt in the heat doesn’t sound good but the yogurt packs that you can freeze are a great treat on a hot day.

If you have a great cooler with you pack a small container to dip fruits and veggies with for an additional source of hydration.

One cup of plain yogurt is made up of over 75% water and the water content of yogurt made from whole milk is 81%.

Resources used:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/table/T1/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dehydrated-these-7-foods-will-satisfy-your-thirst-and-hunger/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325958#other-tips