Five Ways to Make That Glass of Water Taste Better

Water is essential to good health, but let’s face it, compared to soda, juice, wine or beer, water is pretty … um … boring. But it has zero calories, no sugar, is filling and may help with fat-loss, so drinking plenty of water makes sense.

The problem is, water just doesn’t have much zip to it.

Until now.

Try one or more of these tricks and products to meet your daily fluid requirements while making water a beverage that you actually enjoy:

1. Make It Fruity:

Adding wedges of lemons, limes, oranges and other fruits like strawberries, kiwis and even blueberries can add a subtle fruit flavor to water.

Even better, when you get to the bottom of the glass, you have a few pieces of fresh fruit to reward you for your effort.

Can’t keep fresh fruit with you everywhere you go? No problem.

Check out True Lemon®, an all-natural crystallized lemon powder (it comes in lime and orange, as well) that’s perfect for adding to your water bottle. They’ll even send you a couple free samples!

2. Make It Juicy:

Adding a splash of fruit juice to your water is a nice way to add some additional flavor and nutrients (as well as a little sweetness).

Good choices include grapefruit, orange, cherry, cranberry, and grape juices. Or try adding a blueberry-pomegranate juice like POM for some additional flavor and a dose of powerful antioxidants.

3. Make It Fizzy:

Love the fizziness of soda, but could do without all of the sugar? Try making your own “light” sodas by adding fruit juice to sparkling mineral waters like Perrier or San Pellegrino.

If the price tag that comes with mineral water is a little steep, you can also substitute bottled carbonated water, which you can find in the soda or water isle.

They’ll often come pre-flavored which makes them a tasty, convenient option to soda.

4. Make It Frozen:

Ice is water. Consider whipping up a frozen smoothie with a couple scoops of your favorite flavor of protein powder, a handful of ice cubes and a little water to get things going.

Throw in a banana for some sweetness and whip it up in a blender to a nice frothy consistency. Instant milk-free, milkshake! And you get some protein along with the water.

5. Make It Into Tea:

Yes, that’s right, tea counts toward your daily water requirements. While tea is a mild diuretic, the amount of water it causes you to lose is far outweighed by the total volume of water you drink.

And, a 2006 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking tea is actually healthier than just drinking plain water. The high flavonoid content of tea may protect against heart disease and cancer.

So whether you like it green, black, white or herbal, tea is a great way to meet your daily hydration needs. Just skip the sugar or cream.

Remember, The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. If you are more active, your requirements may be higher.