We all know the importance of eating nutritious food for our health, but did you know drinks are just as important when it comes to keeping you healthy and hydrated through the long summer days?
We’ve collated our favourite healthy hydration ideas to inspire you, check them out below!
Water is the best choice
Choose water over drinks with added sugar or alcohol.
In Australia, tap water is safe to drink, quenches your thirst and best of all, is free! Tap water has the added benefit of being fluoridated which helps develop strong bones and teeth.
Keep a jug of chilled water in the fridge for easy access when you need a thirst-quenching drink on a hot day.
Plain water too boring? Mix it up!
Why not add slices of lemon, cucumber, strawberries, or mint to add some flavour and colour. Here’s some more ideas:
Sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice
Milk blended with fresh or frozen fruit for a delicious filling smoothie. Try our berrylicious smoothie.
Frappes made with ice and blended frozen fruit make for a nice treat and are also packed with fibre.
Home-made iced tea without added sugar
Home-made iced coffee with reduced fat milk or milk alternatives
What about fruit juice?
While fruit juice is made from fruit, the juicing process means that most of the fibre is lost. It’s better to eat your fruit whole as it is more satisfying and contains more nutrients and fibre.
If you choose to have fruit juice, have only a small serve (1/2 cup), occasionally and consider diluting with ice or water.
The low-down on sugar sweetened drinks
Summer means we are bombarded with cheap slushie promotions. Did you know that one slushie drink contains 11 teaspoons of sugar?
Other sugar sweetened drinks include soft drink, sweetened iced tea, sports drinks, cordial, energy drinks, vitamin waters and fruit drinks and can contain up to 16 teaspoons of sugar in one serve.
We refer to these drinks as having ‘empty kilojoules’ because they provide little to no nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals, but are high in kilojoules (calories). These types of drinks can lead to weight gain and can cause tooth decay.
What about diet drinks?
Although they don’t have the extra kilojoules, they are acidic and can damage your teeth