We all know the benefits of drinking plenty of water; sometimes water needs a little spicing up. A great way to add flavor, health benefits (hydration from water and nutrients from the ingredients), but no sugar and hardly any calories is to infuse it! Skip buying flavored water at the store; it may look healthy but it’s got coloring and other additives in it.
How to Infuse Water:
Infusing your own water is very easy. First, grab a pitcher. We prefer glass so there’s no extra flavor added to the water. Second, grab your main ingredients—usually a combo of fruit, veggies, herbs, etc. Third, mash everything slightly with a big spoon. Fourth, add sparkling water or filtered water. Let it sit for a little while to allow the ingredients to seep into the water. If infusing with room temperature water, allow to sit up to four hours. If infusing overnight, let the water infuse in the refrigerator.
Now strain and enjoy! Be sure to use combinations for the best health benefits. Here are some ingredients you can try and common ones to have on hand for blends:
Ingredients for Infused Water:
Lemon
When you think of fruit drinks, lemon is probably one of the first that come to mind. Lemons are great for balancing the pH in your body, something that can easily get out of sync. It also has good cleansing power, specifically for the liver.
Lime
One of the benefits of lime is weight loss. Who doesn’t like that? But there is more—limes are great for the eyes, skin, and digestion.
Orange
You probably already know oranges are full of vitamin C. But, did you know they also have many other vitamins and minerals, all which help lower cholesterol and contribute to a healthy heart?
Berries
You can’t go wrong with berries of any type, from blueberries to blackberries to raspberries. They are naturally anti-inflammatory, are packed with vitamins, and help you look and feel younger.
Cucumbers
This refreshing veggie helps cleanse your system in more ways than one. It gets rid of toxins throughout the body and also aids in digestion. Cucumbers also help your joints feel better.
Apple
Besides having fiber, apples are surprisingly beneficial to the intestines, adding beneficial bacteria to the gut. In addition, apples help regulate blood sugar levels.
Now that you know a lot of common infusion ingredients and their benefits, what ingredient combinations should you try? Here are 21 different recipes. Have fun with it, experiment, and find your favorite combinations.
Water Infusion Recipes:
1. Infused ice cubes
Check out this great idea for infused ice cubes. When you have some leftover herbs and produce, grab some ice cube trays and fill halfway with water; then simply chop up ingredients and drop into ice cube trays. Let freeze for a few hours, then add more water to fill to the top. Freeze again. These make great quick infusions when you are short on time.
2. Berry, Peach, Coconut
Check out this yummy combination. It includes blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and coconut water. We love using coconut water because it has electrolytes and minerals to replenish hydration. Here’s the recipe for infused coconut water with blueberries, blackberries, and peaches.
3. Sweet-Tart
Check out this fun recipe for infused water with pineapple chunks, cherries, and granny smith apples. The flavor combination is sweet and tart, for when you feel a little bit on the wild side. Apples are known for their vitamin C content, as well as, being heart healthy and lowering cholesterol.
4. Watermelon Mint
Check out this watermelon and mint infused water recipe. Simple and tasty, this infused water is the quintessential flavor of summer. Mint has a lot of health benefits, including relieving indigestion.
5. Strawberry Lemon
This actually tastes like a lemonade without the extra calories and sugar. Check out the strawberry lemon water recipe and get to infusing. Strawberries are very good for you, packed with antioxidants and known to promote eye health. Be sure to remove the rind from the lemon. Lemon rinds can make the water tart.
6. Cucumber Lavender
You may not think these two go together, but just try it and see if you change your mind. Here is the cucumber lavender water infusion recipe. Lavender is a great anti-inflammatory and helps treat anxiety.
7. Rosemary Grapefruit
This is unique twist on infused water— rosemary and grapefruit. The rosemary is sweet and earthy, and the grapefruit and bright and tart. Rosemary has vitamin B6, iron and calcium. It is known for helping to alleviate sore muscles. Here’s the rosemary grapefruit water infusion recipe with instructions.
8. All Citrus
You can’t go wrong with orange, lime and lemon. Check out exact quantities here: orange, lime, lemon infused water. These three citrus fruits contain antioxidants and protect against heart disease.
9. Lemon Cucumber Mint
This combination is fresh and satisfying. Lemon and cucumber work together to help relieve bloating, making this recipe a great detox water infusion. Read more here: cucumber, lemon, mint water.
10. Pineapple Orange Ginger
Have you tried ginger in your water yet? If you haven’t, definitely put it on your list. And the combination with pineapple and orange will be tangy and delightful. Check out this pineapple orange ginger water infusion recipe. There are many benefits of ginger, one of the most well-known is relieving nausea.
11. Mango Mint
Looking for something extra sweet? Try this tropical combination for a mango mint water infusion. Packed with vitamins and minerals, mangoes are known for their cancer-preventing qualities. Add some pineapple for an extra tropical flavor.
12. Apple Cinnamon
When it’s fall and you are craving something with more bite, grab the cinnamon sticks and apple. It’ll be reminiscent of apple cider and apple pie. Here’s a recipe for apple cinnamon infused water. Cinnamon is great for lowering blood sugar and the common cold. Be sure to use a cinnamon stick instead of powered cinnamon!
13. Ginger Pear
You know the health benefits of ginger, so try adding it to pear to the mix! Pears have a lot of pectin, which is a water-soluble form of fiber. Check out this ginger pear infused water recipe.
14. Blueberry Orange
Doesn’t this sound good? This one packs the benefits of citrus with blueberries—which are full of antioxidants, are heart healthy, and help prevent cancer. Get the recipe here: blueberry orange water infusion. You can let this recipe infuse 2 – 24 hours. If you want to speed it up a little, you can juice the mandarin oranges and squish the blueberries a bit.
15. Cherry Basil
If you’ve been growing basil all summer, then you might have extra around. Infuse it! Here’s a recipe for a cherry basil infused water. Basil is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.
16. Sunday Morning Reviver
Infused water is great, and we agree. In this recipe, there’s a little ginger, a little lemon, turmeric and some cayenne pepper! This spicy combination will be sure to wake you up. Cayenne is anti-inflammatory, aids in digestion, and is anti-allergen. Check out this recipe for Sunday Morning Reviver water infusion.
17. Grapefruit, Watermelon, Basil and Honeydew
Don’t forget the honeydew! This melon is perfect for infusing. Give it a try. Honeydew has a lot of potassium, making it help to maintain lower blood pressure levels. Here’s the recipe: grapefruit and melon infused water.
18. Raspberry Lime
This one is classic and tasty. Here’s the recipe: raspberry lime flavored water. Raspberries are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants.
19. Pomegranate Lime
Keep extra lime on hand, because it goes well with so many things! Pomegranate and lime make a great combination with pomegranate’s strong tangy flavor.Pomegranate is packed with health benefits, including the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. There’s a recipe here for pomegranate and lime infused water.
20. Kiwi Blackberry
Mix this together for all the sweetness you can handle. Check it out here: kiwi blackberry infused water. Kiwi has Vitamin C and K, as well as copper and fiber.
21. Peppermint Grapefruit Detox Water
You’ll definitely want to drink this. It is fresh and fruity, and sure to please! Grapefruit supports healthy skin. Check out the recipe here for mint grapefruit detox water. It contains mint, grapefruit, lemon, lime and cucumber. That’s a combination built to detox!
Water Infusion Pitchers and Accessories:
You can use any pitcher or glass for water infusions. But, here are some suggestions on pitchers and travel bottles that make water infusions fit into everyday life.
Infusion Water Bottle
Want to infuse water on the go? We love this travel infusion water bottle. It holds 24 oz and the perfect infusion water bottle for the office, school or gym. Leak proof, shatterproof, BPA free, and dishwasher safe: the solution for making infused waters possible for busy lifestyles.
Fruit Infusion Flavor Pitcher
Infusing for a family, or drink a lot of infused water? Check out this easy to use Fruit Infusion Flavor Pitcher. It’s BPA free and you can get a deal by purchasing two at time to keep multiple flavors infusing.
Artisan Glass Water Infuser with Filter Lid
This glass water infuser with filter lid adds a beauty to your water infusions. The glass is handmade by artisan glass smiths. The stainless steel filter lid allows you to strain the water as you pour. Holds a liter of water.
Water Infusion Balls
This package of four water infusion balls makes infusions simple. Just fill the balls with sliced fruit and herbs and throw in a pitcher of water. The water infusion balls keep the fruit contained, so there is no need to strain the water. They are easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
Water Infusion Tips:
- Remove fruit rinds for bitterness, especially lemons.
- Muddle fruit and cut fruit in thin slices to speed the infusion process.
- Choose a pitcher that is high quality and will not flavor the water. Glass works the best.
- Choose fruit combinations based on nutrition, as well as, flavor.
- To save money, infuse water in Mason Jars and use a strainer when draining.
- If infusing for more than four hours, refrigerate. Overnight infusions must be refrigerated.
- Drink water infusions within 3 days, if not sooner. Water infusions are to be consumed fresh.
- Use cold or room temperature water to preserve the nutrients in the fruit for infusion.
Still need more information on water infusions:
Check out these resources:
Fruit Infused Water: 80 Vitamin Water Recipes for Weight Loss, Health and Detox Cleanse
Fruit Infused Water from Michigan State University Extension
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