Here are 20 naturally flavored water recipes, perfect to help you drink water all year long. Using fruits, herbs and spices you can “spice” up your drinking habits!

No matter what the season, I can’t overstate the importance of staying hydrated. Whether it’s during a heatwave or the middle of winter, our bodies need water to function optimally. If you aren’t plain water “fan”, luckily, here is a list of naturally flavoured water recipes with various fruit infuses – to encourage even the most forgetful/reluctant of us to get in our daily water amount, with a smile.

Fruit-flavored and herb-infused water recipes boost the flavor of water without adding any unhealthy artificial sweeteners or flavors – for a natural, delicious flavor twist. That is to say, whether you want detox water recipes or just some inspiration on how to jazz up your cup of water – there’s an option for you here.

Remembering to stay hydrated and drinking plenty of water is a critical healthy habit and just needs getting used to. I will be providing some top tips for staying hydrated below, along with different ideas that make the process a lot more fun.

The Benefits of Naturally Flavored Water

By now we all know how important water is for our bodies and it’s so easy to forget to drink enough water to keep our bodies running at optimum levels. Not only that but there’s a huge amount of us who just don’t particularly like the “lack-of-taste” taste of water.

And while there are multiple flavor options out there like fruit squashes, flavored drinks, sports drinks, etc., I prefer to try and keep my flavorings as natural as possible so that I’m taking as much pure water as possible. So, I like to stick to flavoring my waters with fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Plus, there are several benefits to using naturally flavored water options, too. For instance:

Less Sugar

When using fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices you are foregoing all the additional sugars included in juices, squash drinks, and fizzy drinks. And with sugar leading to possible weight gain, food addictions, increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, acne, cancer, and even affecting energy levels. Need I go on? To get to the nitty-gritty of it, naturally flavored water recipes are such a simple way to add flavor and sweetness without the negative side effects of sugars.

TIP*  If you do find these naturally flavored waters a bit too subtle in flavor then you can add a sweetener of some kind, for instance, a teaspoon of agave nectar or honey. Yes, these contain sugar but in comparison to fizzy drinks and other beverages, the amount is minuscule.

Easier Hydration

If you’re struggling to keep up your water intake and want to reduce sugary drinks, then these natural options can go a long way to encouraging you to drink more without even noticing. Above all, when you like the taste of the drink you’re consuming then it’s going to become natural to reach for more. You will be drinking glasses of water without even feeling thirsty.

FANCY

Okay, so this isn’t a benefit as such (or at all) but there’s something so fancy about flavored waters. So when I prepare my flavored water in the morning I get to feel extra “fancy” for the day, imagining myself at a spa or expensive resort sipping on my cucumber mint water while getting a facial.

The Ingredients

HERBS

I LOVE herbs! Most importantly you only need a little to go a long way and there are so many delicious flavors you can take advantage of. In general for water though my favorites are:

• Mint leaves
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Basil

FRUIT

• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Apple
• Blackberry
• Blood orange
• Kiwi
• Lemon
• Lime
• Raspberry
• Pineapple
• watermelon
• peach
• mango

VEGETABLES

Okay so this list is fairly small – In fact, it’s one single vegetable and that’s

• Cucumber

I’ve noticed some people include tomatoes and peppers into their waters too but I haven’t quite gotten up the nerve to do that. So, I think I’ll leave my vegetables to my juices, smoothies, and meals for now.

SPICES

• Cinnamon
• Fresh Ginger
• Cayenne
• Star Anise

Dried or Fresh Edible Flowers and Plants

• Lavender
• Rose petals
• Butterfly pea flower
• Aloe vera

How to Make Flavored Water

With all these potential ingredients in mind, below are 20 delicious ideas for naturally flavored water that you can pour into a large jug, leave to steep, and then drink throughout the day. NO, they aren’t going to be as sweet and strong in flavor as squashes and juices but they provide just enough subtle flavor to make you forget you’re drinking water.

What You’ll Need

The basis for making naturally flavored water is really simple and only needs a few tools:

• a water jug or bottle
• something to “muddle” the fillings with – If you don’t have a muddler then even a handle of a wooden spoon will work.

And that’s it, other than the water (you can use filtered or plain tap water will do, room temperature or cold), flavorings, and, optionally, some ice cubes.

The Method

Wash the fruit or herbs you will be using. Depending on your choice, you might want to cut slices of the fruit or vegetable (e.g. if using apple, kiwi, cucumber).

Next, add your flavorings to the jug or bottle – a singular type of fruit or herbs or spices or a mix of them. Feel free to experiment with the blends and also how much you add. You can start with just a few slices or a few berries and then add more if you want to intensify the flavor.

Furthermore, depending on how much flavor you want them to release, you can muddle/smudge the fruit/herbs a little.

Add in the ice cubes (optional).

Fill to the top with water. If you are using a bottle, close it tight and give it a gentle shake to allow for the “juice” of the muddled fruit/spices to mix with the water. If you are using a big water jug, stir a bit with a spoon.

Voila! Your naturally flavored, fruit-infused water is ready! Now, just remember to drink it.

The Combinations

1. Lemon, mint & ginger
2. Thyme & lemon
3. Raspberry, lemon & mint
4. Citrus & cucumber
5. Grapefruit
6. Strawberry , mint & lemon
7. Raspberry & lime
8. Watermelon & rosemary
9. Pineapple & mint (also would be amazing with coconut water)
10. Mango & lime
11. Peach, mint & lemon
12. Kiwi, strawberry & mint
13. Blueberry, mint & lemon
14. Apple, cinnamon and star anise
15. Blood orange, pomegranate & mint
16. Blackberry & mint
17. Blackberry & lavender
18. Roses, rosewater, pomegranate & lime
19. Aloe vera  & citrus
20. Aloe vera, cucumber & ginger

And any other combination you’d like. Just drink a glass of flavored water every now and then to enjoy all the added health benefits.

Other Hydrating Drinks

• Aloe Vera Juice (Aloe Water)
• Peach Lemonade
• Tepache De Piña
• Lemon Chia Fresca
• Limonana Mint
• Agua de Horchata
• Cucumber Lemonade
• 30 Best Juicing Recipes

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. I also love seeing your recreations on Instagram, so tag @Alphafoodie.