5 foods with the highest water content

Hydration and ensuring you drink enough water especially during summer is critically important for your health. Dehydration can lead to various health problems such as skin complaints, muscle cramps, low blood pressure and an an irregular rapid heart beat.

While drinking adequate water is recommended, eating certain foods can add to your daily water intake as approximately one fifth of your daily fluid intake comes from the foods that you eat

1. Lettuce (96%)

Iceburg lettuces are made up of a whopping 96% water.A one cup serving of lettuce can provide more than one quarter of a cup of water and also 1 grab of fibre. With it being very water dense and containing some fibre, it can fill you up bu is very low in calories with one cup being only 10 calories. The main way of incorporating more lettuce into your diet is to ensure that you are having a salad with at least one meal per day, adding some lettuce into your morning smoothie, or use it as a bun for burgers instead of bread or instead of a wrap for tacos.

2. Cucumber (96%)

Cucumbers are made up almost entirely of water but also provide small amounts of some other nutrients such as Vitamin K, potassium and magnesium. When trying to lose weigh, cut up cucumber and dip is a great way to have a low calorie snack that also fills you up.

3. Watermelon (92%)

Apart from being refreshing and a great snack on a hot summer afternoon, watermelon is one of the most hydrating foods that you can eat. A one cup serving can contain over half a cup (approx. 118ml) of water. Because of their high water content, a large portion of watermelon has very few calories so can help keep you fuller for longer and reduce appetite. Watermelon has also been shown to be rich in the antioxidant Lycopene which has been shown to help reduce free radical damage and help lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

4. Strawberries (91%)

Not only are strawberries a very hydrating food, they also contain fibre and antioxidants including vitamin C, folate and manganese. Strawberries are great for adding to smoothies in Summer or add cut up strawberries into water to get the fresh fruit taste without the sugar hit.

5. Watermelon (Canteloupe) (90%)

Watermelon or Canteloupe has immune boosting effects as it is very rich in both Vitamin A and C and can provide over 100% of your daily needs of both of these vitamins in a one cup serving. This combined with being 90% water and containing 2g of fiber per cup, makes it great for reducing your appetite and keeping blood sugar stable.