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Don't like plain water? 12 ways to make it easier

If you don't like plain water, you don't have to force it down. Change its temperature, add fruit, herbs or bubbles, drink unsweetened tea hot or iced, and let other low-sugar drinks and watery foods count toward your total. The NHS itself suggests sparkling water, no-added-sugar squash or a slice of lemon or lime if you dislike plain water. The main things to avoid are drinks that swap the water problem for a sugar problem.

Why plain water can be hard to like

Taste is personal, and water isn't actually tasteless. Tap water can taste of chlorine, mineral content changes the flavor from one bottled brand to the next, and lukewarm water from a bottle that's been in a warm car is nobody's favorite. Some people are also used to drinks that are sweet or flavored, which makes plain water feel like a chore. The good news is that you don't need to love it. You need a few versions you're happy to drink.

1. Get the temperature right

Temperature changes how much people drink. Research summarized by a sports science institute found that during exercise, cool drinks around 15 °C (59 °F) were the most palatable and led to the most drinking, followed by cold, then room-temperature drinks, with warm drinks last. That institute belongs to a sports drink brand, and the studies were done during exercise, but it matches everyday experience. Try a jug in the fridge, or ice cubes, and see if it makes a difference for you. Some people prefer the opposite: a mug of hot water with lemon in winter counts just as much.

2. Add a slice of citrus

A wedge of lemon or lime is the simplest upgrade, and it appears on both the NHS list and the CDC's tips for drinking more water. Orange or grapefruit slices work too. It adds aroma and a bit of acidity without adding meaningful sugar.

3. Make an infused jug

Put fruit, vegetables or herbs in a jug of water and leave it in the fridge for an hour or two. Combinations that work well:

Gently crushing berries or herbs releases more flavor. Keep it in the fridge and finish it within a day, as you would with cut fruit.

4. Use frozen fruit as ice cubes

Frozen berries, grapes or chunks of melon chill your water and flavor it as they thaw, and you get to eat them at the end. You can also freeze small pieces of fruit or mint leaves in an ice cube tray.

5. Try sparkling water

Bubbles change the experience enough that many people who dislike still water happily drink sparkling. It hydrates just as well; see is sparkling water as hydrating as still water? for the details. On teeth, the American Dental Association says plain sparkling water is generally fine, with two cautions: citrus-flavored versions are more acidic, and once sugar is added it's a sugary drink. If you drink flavored sparkling water, have it with meals or in one go rather than sipping all day.

6. Make your own "soda"

Mix sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice, say 1 part juice to 4 or 5 parts water. You get the taste of a soft drink with a fraction of the sugar. Keep the juice to a small amount: the NHS recommends limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150 ml a day.

7. Drink herbal and fruit teas, hot or iced

Unsweetened herbal and fruit teas are mostly water, and they count. Peppermint, rooibos, chamomile, hibiscus or berry blends are naturally caffeine-free, so you can drink them in the evening too. For iced tea, brew a strong pot, let it cool and pour it over ice, without sugar or with very little.

8. Let tea, coffee and milk count

You don't have to get all of your fluid from water. The NHS counts water, lower-fat milk and low-sugar drinks such as tea and coffee toward your daily fluid. Moderate coffee doesn't dehydrate regular drinkers; see does coffee dehydrate you?. For how different drinks compare, read do coffee, tea, milk and juice count toward your water goal?

9. Dilute squash or cordial well

No-added-sugar squash, heavily diluted, is on the NHS list of ways to make water more appealing. Use less concentrate than the label suggests and reduce it over a few weeks; your taste adjusts surprisingly quickly.

10. Try a different water

If tap water tastes of chlorine or minerals where you live, a jug filter, a different source or a different mineral water may simply taste better to you. Mineral content varies a lot between brands, so if you dislike one, try another before giving up on water altogether.

11. Eat your water

Many fruits and vegetables are mostly water: cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, lettuce and tomatoes, for example. Soups, stews, yogurt and porridge made with milk add more. You won't replace drinking entirely, but it helps; see 20 water-rich foods.

12. Make it a small routine, not a battle

If you don't enjoy water, big targets feel worse. Have one glass with each meal and one with each coffee, and let the rest come from tea, sparkling water and food. Tracking also helps: Water Tracker lets you log a glass, a bottle or any custom amount in one tap, so a mug of herbal tea or a glass of sparkling water counts the same as plain water if you choose to log it.

What to be careful with

If you have diabetes, kidney disease or a fluid restriction, ask your doctor which drinks and amounts suit you.

The bottom line

You don't need to love plain water to drink enough. Make it cold (or hot), give it flavor with citrus, fruit or herbs, switch to sparkling or herbal tea when you're bored, and let tea, coffee, milk and watery foods do some of the work. Just keep sugar low, so that solving one problem doesn't create another.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor how much you should drink.

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