What is infused water?

Infused water is a delicious and refreshing alternative to a fruit juice or smoothie, as well as being much healthier. Fruit juices are packed with sugars and calories from the fruit and added ingredients. Whereas, infused water contains less calories and sugars due to not actually eating the fruit. In addition, infused water looks a lot prettier!

Infused water is easy to make, you can take inspiration from the recipes below, or improvise with the different fruits you have in your kitchen. Also experiment adding sparkling water to the fruits for a refreshing and invigorating taste. Let me know in the comments of any infused water recipes you love!

Tips for making infused water:

Make sure to cut away the ends and the rind of citrus fruits, such as limes, lemons and grapefruit to avoid a bitter taste. Don’t worry about cutting into the fruit when chopping off the rind, you can always squeeze this into the water for an amplified taste.
Always cut against the grain when slicing the fruit to allow the flavoursome juices to infuse the water fully.
Make sure to add the water to the bottle or jug first and then add the fruit to avoid the fruit breaking into pieces.

Top 5 infused waters

Here are my top 5 delicious infused waters for a healthier, happier you!

For a fresh fruit flavour try mandarin oranges and lemons in your water. Known for being sweeter than regular oranges, mandarins will take away the bitter taste from the naturally sour lemons. Cut the lemons up into slices and the oranges into halves to let the succulent juice escape and infuse into the water. Try different quantities of oranges and lemon until you find the right taste for you as everyone’s different. As a starting point I love a third of a lemon, thinly sliced and half an orange per 800ml of water for tangy and summery taste! I often leave it in the fridge over night for a stronger flavour. Lemons are known for their immense health benefits, including the treatment of throat infections, fever, obesity and improving skin and hair care. Whilst oranges are rich in vitamin C, a natural anti-oxidant, whilst being low in calories.
For a refreshing drink there’s lime, cucumber and mint This detox drink is easy to make by simply adding the cucumber, lime and slightly twisted mint to the water. Add ice and let it rest for 1 hour to allow for optimum infusion of the ingredients into the water. Cucumber reduces bloating by acting as an anti-inflammatory, whilst the lime is high in vitamin C, as well as being great for weight loss, digestion, eye care as well as so much more! In my 800ml bottle, I add half a thinly sliced lime, 3 slices of cucumber and a small sprig of mint, as I prefer the lime to be the dominating flavour.
For a unique but flavour packed infused water, try grapefruit and rosemary. For this recipe, slice the juicy grapefruit and add it along with the rosemary to the water. Leave for a couple of hours to get the best flavour, then add some ice and it’s ready to enjoy. If you’re making it for the next day, make sure to remove the rosemary after around 4 hours so the flavour isn’t too pungent. I love half a grapefruit and a small sprig of rosemary per bottle of water for a sweeter taste. This grapefruit and rosemary infused water is great detox for your liver and gives a boost of vitamin C. Grapefruit has a high mineral content so leaves your body in a more alkaline state which helps keep your body balanced.
If you’re wanting a delicious and quickly infused water, then watermelon is for you as it infuses quickly, perfect for those who are on the go. One thing I love about watermelon infused water, is that you can eat the watermelon after for a nutritious and refreshing snack. Watermelon is 92% water! This makes it one of the highest water content fruits, along with strawberries. However, it also contains salts that can hydrate you after exercise, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, which are more effective than having a sports drink or water alone.
The green tea, grapefruit and lemon is great for speeding up your metabolism which helps with weight loss. Cut the grapefruit and lemon into chunks and add them alongside the green tea bags to the water. Leave to infuse for 2 hours, then remove the tea bags once they’ve brewed. You may need to add a dash of honey to taste if you want this one a little sweeter. Green tea is one of the best drinks for you there is! Just a few of its’ benefits include improving brain function, helping weight loss, and lowering your risk of cancer.
BONUS INFUSED WATER: Pineapple-Turmeric Infused Water is a slightly sweet, slightly spicy drink with a tiny bit of raw honey. Turmeric not only tastes good, but has so many health benefits, including aiding in alleviating joint and muscle pain. Simply blend 2 cups water with 2 slices fresh pineapple (or about ¼ cup frozen chunks), 1 teaspoon turmeric, and ½ teaspoon raw honey.

Infused water over fizzy drinks

Do you drink a can of fizzy pop, such as, cola every day? Change this for a cup of nutritious green tea and over the year that’ll save you 50,000 calories!

Infused water at your next party

Hosting a party soon? For a visually appealing infused water try strawberry lemon water. Strawberries produce a sweet and dominating flavour, simply add them to the water and leave for at least 4 hours. Then remove from the water and add the lemon – it’s best to leave the rind on for aesthetic purposes. Leave for 1 hour, add some ice and it’s all ready to serve! You can relax and enjoy the party.

Happy hydrating!

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