10 Tasty Ways to Stay Hydrated this Summer

You can work up quite a thirst during summer days biking and hiking, hanging on a lake or around the pool, or playing 18 holes on a local course. Stay properly hydrated during your outdoor vacation adventures with delicious summer fruits and vegetables that are high in water content.   

What is High Water Content? 

Quite simply, foods higher in water content are made up of mostly water. For example, the water content of a watermelon is 95%, which means a watermelon is almost entirely made up of water. The more you eat foods with a higher water content, the healthier you and your family will be. 

Reasons to Stay Hydrated 

Water makes more than half a person's body weight, and we lose fluids through daily exercise and excursions. Staying hydrated helps maintain good health so you can appreciate the resort amenities and activities available during your vacation. These health benefits include preventing infections, improving sleep quality, and keeping the heart and joints primed. 

Dehydration can be a very serious condition that can result in dizziness, confusion, and serious fatigue. In severe cases, it can lead to seizures, kidney failure, heat stroke and even death. 

Eating foods with high water content is a good way to replace lost fluids and nutrients. 

Try These Thirst-Quenching Foods 

Quench your thirst and stay healthy when you enjoy our top ten favorite summer fruits and vegetables. They're not only tasty, but also high in water content for a healthy and refreshing treat.  

5 Favorite Fruits with High Water Content

Summer fruits are ripe and ready for enjoying! All are delicious, but some fruits are better at keeping you deliciously hydrated throughout the day.  

Tomatoes: 95% Water Content

• Lycopene 
• Fiber
• Vitamin C
• Potassium

Yes, tomatoes belong on the fruit list, even though often enjoyed as a vegetable. These savory fruit water balloons help promote healthy skin and lower blood pressure, as well as other health benefits. 

Watermelon: 92% Water Content

• Lycopene
• Potassium
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium

Enjoy this summer staple right from the rind in a refreshing fruit slushie. Or make some fun char lines from a quick grilling for a heaping boost of antioxidants. 

Strawberries: 91% Water Content 

• Calcium
• Potassium
• Vitamin C 
• Flavanoids 

This little red berry bucket of water can help with inflammation, lower high blood pressure, and regulate blood sugar levels. 

Earn even more health benefits from strawberries when you pick your own. Follow these strawberry picking tips when you visit local fields. Don't hesitate to sample some berries while picking to stay properly hydrated.  

Cantaloupe: 90% Water Content

• Beta-carotene
• Vitamin C
• Potassium
• Vitamin A

The marvelous melon has a juicy yellow-orange flesh that is fabulous at keeping old and young alike cool and refreshed during a sweltering summer. 

Peaches: 89% Water Content

• High in Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Potassium

Straight from the bushel or as a grilled side dish, peaches are like a taste of summer sunshine.  

Individually, these fruits are healthy and refreshing. Try combining them into a summer fruit salad or fruit kabobs for a flavorful super rehydration station at the picnic bench or poolside.  

Top Hydrating Summer Vegetables 

Fruits aren't the only summer foods high in water content. Many vegetables are also made up of mainly water and can be easily incorporated into meals and snacks during the summer. 

Celery: 95% Water Content 

• Antioxidants 
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin K
• Potassium

Fibrous celery keeps you both hydrated and regulated. Chock full of nutrients, celery has anti-inflammatory properties, helps lower cholesterol, regulates blood sugar regulation, and more. 

For a simple cooler snack, update the traditional "Ants on the Log" combination of celery, peanut butter, and raisins by substituting cream cheese or hummus for the main filling and try different "ants." 

Cucumber: 95% Water Content

• Antioxidant
• Calcium
• Potassium
• Magnesium 

The cool cucumber has long been considered one of the most hydrating foods around. Bolster a glass of tap water by adding slices of cucumber to it. Scoop up hummus or other dips using cucumber "chips", or just munch on slices for the best benefits.

Cucumbers can even be used to treat sunburns. 

Iceberg Lettuce: 96% Water Content 

• Vitamin K
• Potassium
• Vitamin A
• Potassium 

Don't dismiss humble iceberg lettuce when looking for an easy way to get some extra hydration and nutrients through salads, a crunchy layer on a burger, or the main wrap of a sandwich.

Zucchini: 95% Water Content 

• Vitamin C 
• Potassium
• Dietary Fiber 
• Vitamin B6

The season's most recognized squash is a versatile vegetable for light summer meals. Pick some up at a local farmers market July through September and try them spiraled, baked or grilled over a campfire. 

Cabbage: 95% Water Content

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Folate 
• Manganese

A classic ingredient in coleslaws everywhere, this versatile vegetable is full of important vitamins and nutrients necessary for good health and reducing the chance of cancer. 

Sauerkraut and spicy kimchi are fermented variations of cabbage and are gaining in popularity as hot dog toppings and offer probiotic benefits. 

Summer Recipes and Ideas 

What's better than enjoying these beneficial summer fruits and veggies? Combining them into different recipes for unique and delicious ways to eat them all together. Try these tasty tips for staying hydrated this summer: 

Fruit Kabobs with Sauce

• Thread chunks of thirst-quenching fruits onto sturdy skewers
• Combine Greek yogurt with honey and lemon juice to taste

Cucumber, Melon, and Watermelon Salad 

• Combine these water content heavyweights into one bowl
• Toss with olive oil and lime juice dressing
• Add feta cheese and mint for a little extra yum

Fruit Salsa 

• Finely chop up your favorite summer fruits with some onion
• Sprinkle with lime juice and splash of hot sauce of choice
• Add jalapenos if you're daring
• Serve with cinnamon or lime tortilla chips

Grilled Iceberg Salad 

• Cut a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters 
• Brush with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
• Place on a medium-hot grill till preferred char level
• Add your favorite salad toppings and dressing 

It's easy to keep you and your family healthy while enjoying the hot weather and fun summertime activities at your favorite Sun Outdoors resort. Fill up the rental refrigerator with plenty of these refreshing and hydrating fruits and vegetables for daily snacks or order some when at one of our on-site restaurants.