Two topics have been on my mind lately: eating healthy, and weight loss.
Drinking water has been known to boost your metabolism naturally, and adding fruit to your water is an easy and delicious way to increase your daily water intake.
Fruit infused water can be made up of any combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs immersed in cold water. This refreshing drink is bursting with flavor, and has virtually no calories. Infused waters can serve as a powerful tool in helping you to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
First, elect the fruits you would like to infuse your water with. Slice them up and add them to the bottom of a pitcher.
Fill with water and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving, in order to let your water soak up the flavors. Your water will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two days.
It is up to you which ingredients you would like to use. Making fruit infused water does not really require a specific recipe. You can make a small or a large batch, and you can add as much or as little fruit as you want, according to your tastes; and you can even reuse extra fruit leftovers from a meal or snack, instead of tossing them in the compost.
Everyone has their own favorite combinations. Some popular fruits to use are:
- lemons
- limes
- oranges
- strawberries
- raspberries
Some people like to add sliced cucumber for a refreshing twist.
Basil, mint, ginger, and cinnamon can also be added to boost the flavor.
The best thing about making your own fruit infused waters is that the sky’s the limit! You can try any combination of fruits and herbs to create an endless number of recipes.
Infused water can also help you to ditch your soda habit – and your waistline will thank you.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Lemon Infused Water
Makes a superb drink when strawberries are in season, but you can even use frozen ones in a pinch.
- 6 - 8 strawberries thinly sliced
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 4 - 5 basil leaves torn into quarters or scrunched to release flavor
- 2 quarts water
- Place fruit and herbs at the bottom of your pitcher.
- Fill the pitcher with water.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Watermelon Mint Infused Water
Nice and refreshing!
- 2 cups watermelon* cubed or shaped with a melon scoop
- 1 small bunch mint leaves torn into quarters or scrunched to release flavor
- 2 quarts water
- Place fruit and herbs at the bottom of your pitcher.
- Fill the pitcher with water.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
*Don't be afraid to substitute half of the watermelon with musk melon, honeydew, or cantaloupe.
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Citrus Cucumber Infused Water
Mix and match to get the taste you desire. If you like, just the peels can be added to the water for an added punch of flavor that helps to cut down on kitchen waste.
- 1 orange thinly sliced
- 1/2 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 lime thinly sliced
- 1/2 cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 quarts water
- Place fruit at the bottom of your pitcher.
- Fill the pitcher with water.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Berry Infused Water
Again, don’t be afraid to add or subtract ingredients according to your whims. This isn’t an exact science.
For more information on picking, storing, and washing those fresh berries when you’re ready to use them, click here.
- 6- 8 strawberries thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup oranges
- 2 quarts water
- Place raspberries and blueberries at the bottom of your pitcher and muddle them (lightly mash) using a wooden spoon.
- Add strawberries and oranges.
- Fill the pitcher with water.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
About Jennifer Swartvagher
Jennifer is an experienced journalist and author. Her work has been featured on TODAY Parents, The New York Times Blog, BlogHer, Scary Mommy, and scores of other parenting and cooking publications.
Now this truly amazing, the presentations above beg me to quench my thirst immediately 😉 Definitely trying one or two amazing fruit infused water demonstrations/presentations above… amazing treats for the summer, removes the blandness that’s plain water 😉
These ideas sound so great for hot weather. They’re also much healthier than the flavored waters on the market these days. The watermelon mint and the berry-infused waters sound most appealing to me, but they all look lovely. I’ll definitely have to grab some fruit and experiment with certain combos when the weather improves.
I didn’t know you could do this!! I love the simplicity of your recipes, and will definitely be trying some of them out when it warms up here in the UK. I particularly like the watermelon one; I find watermelon to be one of the most refreshing things to enjoy in the hot weather, and perfect for keeping you hydrated.
The combination of fruit and water is sure to keep hydration at bay in the summer.
Fruit infused water is a refreshing way to entertain and can be cheaper too. Sometimes I add some carbonated water and mix it up so it tastes fresher. I don’t like fruit that much, so this is a good way for me to get my intake and also to use up fruit that I don’t like as much.
I’m going to try to prepare the watermelon infused water right now! These recipes are awesome for summer and they are definitely going on the fridge door. That cucumber and lemon water also sounds refreshing. Could this work for me if i prepare them in the morning and then come back in like 6-7 hours after work?
Is there a maximum time limit to this as well? I’m asking because I would love to come home to some delicious fruit-infused water. I wouldn’t want to be cutting up fruits after work. I’d like to just add some ice to it and relax.
Your water will be adequately infused after 6-7 hours. You should be able to come home to a delicious drink after work. These infused waters will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
I love adding fruits, veggies, & herbs in certain combinations to my water. Most recently I did a lemon, lime, cucumber, & rosemary mix that was delicious. However, I read that it’s best to slice as much of the peel off citrus before using it because it can make the water bitter.
Yes, leaving the skin on the citrus fruit can make the water bitter.
I find drinking water so boring sometimes, however good I know it is for me and however much I want to drink it sometimes I see myself gravitating towards fruit juices, syrups or even just soda/fizzy drinks. However I can honestly say that some of these receipes look amazing. One thing I did note when I put the cucumber in the water was that I really had to leave it a while before the water tasted of anything otherwise its just a cute glass of water. But there really is no harm in that! But thanks so much for some new ideas !
This is actually a great idea any time of year, to help people drink more water. It is especially nice for summer though, using all the nice fruits. I love some mint in mine as well. You make it look even better than it usually does. These drinks look very inviting. It doesn’t seem like drinking water but more like having a little treat or a festive beverage.
What a great way to stay better hydrated. I need to do this way more often, for the kids and for myself.
I love the look of fruit infused water. I love the idea of it. However I never seem to add enough fruit. You mentioned letting it sit for a few hours and I will try that. Hopefully im just not letting the water soak up all the yummy flavors.For some reason it always tastes like celery water with a hint of lemon. I don’t even use lemon in my water! (Nor celery for that matter).
This may be a dumb question but does the fruit begin to look mushy or not as vibrant as the absorbs the fruit flavor? I don’t know if I could eat something that looks like decomposed fruit juice.
I’m very excited to have found this page, it seems you post about exactly what is on my mind!
Yes, after some time, the softer fruits will start to become mushy, but it will not be undesirable to look at — and it will still be yummy!
I first started seeing these on Pinterest and thought it was some health fad…that is, until I started drinking some myself. Sure, plain ol’ water is delicious and all, but man when you add some fruit in there it is downright awesome!
I have yet to experiment with the different fruit/herb combinations (I’m a bit of a scaredy cat that way), but my go-to one is always lemon. I heard lemon water is really good for you anyway, but to me lemon is one of the many fruits that symbolizes summer and cool drinks. However, from the looks of this, I’ll have to try it with some strawberries…which is great timing, because my husband and I just went strawberry picking not too long ago!
Lemon really is a great choice, and is always a nice pick-me-up. I really enjoy orange as well. The orange is sweeter of course, but I also love the aroma. Just the aroma of citrus makes the water that much more appealing.
Don’t be afraid of the herbs, especially mint. Mint is wonderful for an infusion as well. I also like it in tea.
Strawberry is very good too. I quite like it. I need to start doing this more often.
I recently started making “Sassy Water”, which is a recipe I found that consists of cucumber, lemon, mint, and ginger. It is quite delicious and is supposed to be good for boosting metabolisms. I am not sure if this is the case, but I have quite enjoyed it as a change of pace from typical water, which I actually drink a lot of.
I am an athlete and I’m always on the look out for good, new, healthy food or drinks. I have been using infused fruits in my water for a while, or what some people like to call detox water because it’s so healthy and good for clearing out your system. Drinking a good amount of these beverages can also help with weight loss.
I’m am so glad that detox beverages are getting more attention. Everywhere I go I see people now with their infused drinks in their water bottles.
And for those who are first time trying this, take my word, this is a very easy and effective beverage for flushing out the toxins in your body.
Every morning I cut up some fruit, add them to my water, and head out. I drink about four bottles a day and within a week of starting this I’ve already felt so much healthier and just better. Plus I get that nice fruit flavored taste that I like.
These drinks sound so good and refreshing. You should also try infusing your water with mint, lemon, cucumbers, and kiwi. It is used as a detox and is really good. At one point, I replaced all my drinks with this amazing detox, and I saw the results, after a nice work out.
I’ve never seen this done before and thought that it would just taste like, well, water. With some bits of fruit floating around in it. I had no idea that the water would actually take on some of the flavour. I assume that the fruit slices are OK to be eaten after the water has been drunk?
I love infused water! It’s a great substitute for sodas and is an interesting twist that makes people drink more water.
As a runner, I am a big supporter of eating natural food products versus processed food because I am able to get the right amount of nutrients by consuming nature’s produce. Infused water is a smart way to hydrate your body while taking in the vitamins and minerals present in fruit. No need to rely on food supplements with this drink.
You might want to try a pineapple and mint combination for a refreshing drink. It tastes great too!
I am always amazed at how many people I know that do not drink enough water. My family are not in that category. We drink more than our fair share. Infusing water with fruit is a great idea to not only liven up the water we already drink, but to also help convince others to drink more water.
These recipes look great! I am a huge fan of fresh strawberries in my water and recently started putting mint and cucumber in as well. I start everyday with a glass of lemon water before I even allow myself to have my caffeine. It does amazing things for how my stomach feels and my digestive track is so much healthier with this one little change. Has anyone ever used grapefruit in their water? I am curious if it would hold up or just bit overly bitter?
I do this all the time…for the taste and for the health benefits. I usually get my jug of water wash and cut a lemon, then drop it right on in. There are great health benefits achieved with this concoction. Thank you for posting the other recipes…I may try the watermelon. By the way this is all year round for me.
I love the fact that you put so many simple recipes in this article. I’ve been wanting to make flavored water for a while, but I’m ridiculously low on ideas. I have a small problem, though; my favorite recipe involves limes. However, the limes end up tasting terrible after a single day, because of the zest, I guess, and it makes my water taste strange. Is there something I can do to preserve it longer? Thanks!
My part of the world is uber hot these days! These fruit-infused water recipes are a must-haves! They will generally quench the thirst and alleviate the heat. I especially love the Watermelon Mint Infused Water and the Citrus Cucumber Infused Water!
One of my favorite things about hot weather are infused waters, I just love them. I started to try them about a year ago but this year I have made a lot more of them and I’m feeling proud of my self because I’m usually not the healthiest person and that makes me feel better, lol.
My favorite one is definetly the strawberry and lemon one, and also, the other day I tried to made one just with cucumber and it was really refreshing! But I think that it would be better with some mint on it.
Thanks for sharing this ideas!
I know that I don’t drink as much water as I should, but these fruit infused waters look so refreshing and tasty, I think I could possibly drink more now. Since we have fresh cucumbers from the garden this year, I’ve been frequently drinking ice-cold cucumber water. I also have some mint growing this year and I think I’ll try some mint-flavored water. I didn’t think of adding it to water for a refreshing drink and I’ve been wanting to do something with my mint instead of just watching it grow.
Oh my gosh I squealed internally when I saw this post! I love flavored water and have been looking for more ideas! The one that sounds the best to me on here is the watermelon mint one! I never thought of putting those two together! Honestly though, they all sound amazing! And adding ginger?? I never thought of that but I want to try it! I have recently come to love ginger and I understand it is super healthy so I want to eat/consume more of it. Plus, I tend to get dizzy and nauseous a lot so that will naturally help me feel better 🙂 Love it all! Thanks for sharing!
As hot as it has been lately, it’s tough to stay well-hydrated. I really don’t like drinking plain agua, so I’m back to trying more of these ideas. I managed to drink two very large glasses in a row after adding some limon. It is so much more palatable and refreshing this way.
I also want to try peach. Will that work? Peaches are in season and are one of my favorite fruits.