Hydration Nation: 8 Best Foods for Keeping Your Body Hydrated

Written By: Karla Tafra

We’ve been taught to drink plenty of water throughout the day since we were in kindergarten, but rarely anyone counts hydration that comes through foods with a high water content. And they definitely shouldn’t be neglected.

Hydrating foods bring along a plethora of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other plant compounds that can further help optimize your body functions, support your immune system, improve your digestion, and promote overall health and well-being.

Another thing we were taught in school:

human bodies are 60-70% water, so it goes without saying that proper hydration is extremely important for our day-to-day functioning as well as any long-term health and wellness goals.

Hydration needs differ from person to person, and even though experts recommend 10-15 cups of water per day, your individual needs might be higher or lower than that number. And even that can change depending on the day, your age, metabolism, perspiration intensity, level of activity, and even the time of the year.

Without adequate amounts of water, we risk dehydration which brings a myriad of negative effects on the body. From headaches and poor digestion to hormone imbalance and fatigue, dehydration is linked to many health disorders. Most severe cases might end up with life-threatening conditions like heat stroke, liver failure, coma, and even death.

When we’re intaking fluids through eating fruits and vegetables that naturally have a high water content, we are ingesting a cocktail with lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other powerful plant micronutrients that get better absorbed by the body, helping improve its functions, increase energy levels, enhance mood, and strengthen the immune system.

Research has also shown that hydrating through foods makes it easier for your cells to absorb the water, keeping it in the cells for longer and maintaining adequate hydration levels. There are many different vegetables and fruits with a high water content, but it’s important to know what the rest comprise of.

Here, we listed the top eight hydrating foods that will help improve your hydration levels, all while supplying you with a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and other plant compounds which help optimize all of your body’s functions.

Probably the most popular hydrating food you can add to your diet is celery. With a 95% water content and extremely low caloric density, celery is the perfect vegetable to promote weight loss and help you stay on track with your fitness goals. The other 5% include fiber, vitamin K, and potassium which play a huge role in bone and immune health, as well as protect against the development of certain cancers.

Celery is one of the easiest vegetables to cut up into strips and pair with hummus, salsa, and other dips. It’s also a great salad topper for extra crunch, as well as the perfect addition to your morning fiber-rich smoothies.

Another vegetable that’s basically made from water is cucumber (almost 96%!). This delicious and crunchy salad favorite is also rich in vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium, so you know you’re adding precious minerals and vitamins to your diet, all while taking care of your hydration needs.

There’s no salad without sliced-up cucumber, and you cannot make the famous and popular tzatziki dip without it. It’s one of the most commonly used veggies in the kitchen, and now you have an extra reason never to omit it.

This nutritious and water-rich food (94%) is rich in fiber, immune-boosting vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K, just to name a few. By adding zucchini to your meals, you’re increasing your daily hydration levels while supporting the health of your immune system.

It’s easy to add to stir-fries, roast in the oven, mix into vegetable lasagna, and even spiralize and turn into noodles for those who are following a low-carb diet. The so-called zoodles have increased the popularity of zucchini in recent years, which is why you’re able to find it absolutely everywhere, no matter the season.

Another salad favorite, tomatoes are not only delicious and versatile, but they boast an impressive nutritious profile. Made out of 94% water, the remaining 6% are jam-packed with plenty of vitamins including vitamins A and C, fiber, and most importantly, antioxidants that help fight free radicals and support your immune system.

They are just as delicious raw as they are cooked, and they’re mostly used for salads, sauces, soups, and in a variety of dishes to add a depth of flavor.

These little red vegetables are crunchy, delicious, and highly nutrient-dense. Made out of mostly water (94%), they are also a rich source of vitamin C, zinc, and phosphorus, which are known to be beneficial to everything from skincare health to balancing out your hormones. Specifically, the mix of these three micronutrients is known to help battle dry skin, reduce the appearance of acne, and even treat rashes.

Usually found in salads or pickled, radishes are just as good when treated with a little bit of heat. Roast them with your favorite fish or meat, add them to stir-fries, or simply snack on them raw.

Probably one of the most commonly eaten vegetables in the world is lettuce. You can find it on any menu and pair it with almost any other food. It’s basically all water (96%) with the remaining 4% of important vitamin K, vitamin A, as well as folate, that’s essential for a healthy pregnancy.

In addition to being a popular salad base, lettuce is widely used in burgers and sandwiches and even to replace burger buns and make the well-known “protein-style” burger.

Known for its distinct taste and texture, asparagus is a delicacy that might surprise you with its water content. Asparagus is made out of 94% water which makes it one of the best hydrating foods with lots of micronutrients to support your health.

Asparagus is rich in bone-supporting vitamin K, fiber, and a bunch of different antioxidants (flavonoids quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol), which are powerful in helping your body get rid of toxins and reducing inflammation.

Great when blanched or oven-baked, asparagus is especially tasty in frittatas and quiche-style pies. Asparagus is a seasonal vegetable, but you can usually find it throughout the year as it’s able to survive in different climates.

With a whopping 92% water content, watermelon is an excellent hydrating food that will supply your body with vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, fiber, and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and their oxidative damage, strengthening your immune system, and protecting you from diseases. Watermelon also helps suppress appetite and with it, promotes weight loss and healthy weight management.

This delicious fruit is usually eaten and enjoyed raw, but it's grilled version has become extremely popular in recent years, especially in Mexican cuisine, where it’s often added to tacos and paired with pork, beef, and jalapeno peppers.

Proper hydration is essential to keeping a healthy body and mind, but instead of only focusing on counting your 10 daily cups, add a bunch of hydrating foods into your daily meals and get a boost of hydration in addition to the nutrients.