Ditching Soda? How To Make Water Tastier

Photo credit: bourgeoisbee

Ever since I realized the true cost of drinking soda, both on my health and on my wallet, I’ve been looking for healthier and more frugal ways of quenching my thirst. Of course, nothing could be quite as cheap as plain tap water, but man is it ever boring! Clean water has no real flavor and eventually I find myself longing for another can of soda. If I’m going to succeed in reducing my soda intake, I need alternatives that are interesting to my taste buds and satisfy my thirst in a healthy, frugal manner.

Get It Really Cold

For some reason, cold water just tastes better than fresh-out-of-the-tap water. I’m not talking about water that sat in the fridge overnight; I mean really cold water. Water that’s just a few degrees away from freezing plays differently on my tongue than “cold” water and makes me more likely to drink it. Take a glass of very cold water and throw in some ice cubes, and you have a nice treat for your whole body on a hot summer day.

Toss In Crisp Cucumbers Slices

I only discovered this one recently, but I’ve completely fallen in love with cucumber water. All you have to do is throw some cucumber slices in water and let it sit in the fridge for a while. When you return, the water has the light fragrance and flavor of cucumbers and is quite refreshing. I bought a gallon pitcher to bring to work and I throw in 1/2 of a cucumber’s worth of slices and they stay potent enough to last for two gallon’s worth of water or more. It’s a cheap way to dress up water without adding any calories or chemicals to it.

Make Kool-Aid

If you’re longing for soda, it may be the sweetness that you’re craving. I try to always have a pitcher of Kool-Aid ready at home. It’s cheap, it’s flavorful, and it doesn’t have nearly as much sugar as soda. In fact, you can make it just as easily with Splenda – even easier, actually, since Splenda dissolves readily in water with little-to-no stirring. That way you can enjoy a sweet drink that doesn’t hurt your waistline.

Add a Touch of Mint

A crushed sprig of mint can liven up even the most boring drink – even water. Just place a few crushed leaves at the bottom of your glass before you pour your beverage and let their oils, flavor, and fragrance dissolve into the water. To make this an special treat, you can lightly sweeten the drink and it’ll taste almost like you’re chewing a minty piece of gum.

Brew Some Tea

Although some varieties of tea have caffeine, you can find caffeine-free if you need to stay away from the “juice.” I enjoy a fruity tea called Raspberry Zinger, made by Celestial Seasonings. The tea is great by itself, but it becomes a wonderful drink when I add a packet of Splenda. It’s almost like hot Kool-Aid, but with a very unique flavor.

Squeeze a Little Citrus

You’ve probably had lemon in your water at a sit-down restaurant, but why stick with that yellow fruit? Add lime or orange slices to your glass for a new flavor and still get the benefit of the vitamin C that citrus fruits provide.

Strawberries Are Heaven In a Glass

You are missing out on life if you haven’t had strawberry water. There’s no appropriate way to describe it besides “heavenly.” Crush a strawberry or two in the bottom of your glass, pour in your water, and enjoy. Since I have such an unstoppable sweet tooth, I add Splenda to this concoction as well for a sweet berry flavor that no soda could ever beat.

Dumping a soda habit can be difficult, especially when there’s little to replace its taste. But if you’re serious about kicking that bubbly beast to the curb, these water flavor-boosters can go a long way toward leaving the habit behind. Time to go refill my glass with some fresh cucumber water to get me through the afternoon!