Hitting your fluid intake in a heatwave isn’t only about what’s in your glass. These 10 fruits and vegetables are up to 96 per cent water.
Another summer of record temperatures, another reminder that most of us are quietly running on empty. Water does the unglamorous work of keeping nearly every system in the body functioning, and when levels drop, the signs show up quickly: fatigue, headaches, low blood pressure, muscle cramps and skin that looks tired no matter what you put on it.
The old advice about eight glasses a day is, as Dr Michael Hartman puts it, something of a “quasi-fact”. The more useful benchmark is roughly 11.5 cups of fluid a day for women and 15.5 for men. That sounds like a lot until you factor in the part most people forget: a meaningful share of your daily intake can come from what’s on your plate.
Below, the produce doing the heaviest lifting.
Cucumber
At 96 per cent water, cucumber is the most hydrating thing in the fridge. It’s low in calories, high in fibre, and carries vitamin C along with the antioxidants flavonoids and tannins. One medium cucumber also covers about half your daily vitamin K.
Lettuce
Not the filler ingredient it’s often treated as. Lettuce is also 96 per cent water and a good source of fibre, plus vitamins C and A for skin and eye health. The rule of thumb: the darker the leaf, the better it is for you.
Tomatoes
Beefsteak, San Marzano, cherry, whatever you can get your hands on this month. Tomatoes are 95 per cent water and contain lycopene and beta-carotene, antioxidants linked to lower cancer risk, stronger bones and better skin.
Radishes
Perennially overlooked, and they shouldn’t be. Radishes are 95 per cent water, help the body detoxify, and deliver vitamin C and potassium for heart health.
Celery
There’s a reason celery juice became a wellness fixture. The stalks are 95 per cent water and come with vitamins, minerals and fibre that help cleanse the system and calm inflammation.
Courgette
Raw, steamed or baked, courgette is 93 per cent water with vitamins A, E and C. Worth knowing: high cooking temperatures neutralise some of those skin-friendly antioxidants, so go gentle with the heat.
Watermelon
The obvious one, and it earns its place. Watermelon is 92 per cent water and rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and magnesium.
Strawberries
Ninety-one per cent of a strawberry’s weight is water, which makes them genuinely thirst-quenching rather than just refreshing. They’re also a source of lycopene, which helps protect skin from UV damage, and vitamin C, which stimulates collagen.
Cantaloupe
The fragrant melon is 90 per cent water and high in vitamin A, which matters more than usual in summer when skin is taking a beating.
Peaches
Bottom of the list on water content at 88 per cent, but still worth eating by the bagful. Peaches combine vitamins, minerals and antioxidants including beta-carotene and vitamin C, both of which offer some protection against UV rays.
