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Primary Children's Hospital

Primary Children's Hospital
100 North Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84113-1100
(801) 662-1000
www.primarychildrens.org


What's a Healthy Alternative to Water?

I don't drink enough plain water because it's blah. What's an alternative I can try besides juice?

Getting enough liquids is the key to avoiding dehydration. Almost as important is making sure you don't drink too many calories with sugary beverages like soda, juice, and sports drinks.

Water is always the best way to hydrate and avoid empty calories. But if you find it too boring, you can always spruce it up. There are lots of ways to do this — like adding some citrus (a slice or two of lemon or lime or a squeeze of orange) to make it tastier. You can infuse water with fruit, cucumber, ginger, or mint. You can also add a splash of juice to plain water.

Give flavored seltzer a try; it's got the fizz of a soda without all the calories. Or make your own spritzer by adding a splash of juice to plain seltzer. Another option is to make homemade unsweetened herbal or fruit tea, then chill it.

Medically reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: March 2022