TYLER, Texas — While the summer weather heats up, food can help keep you hydrated and ready to take on the heat.
“People don't realize that though food can also hydrate us,” UT Health Clinical Dietitian Allison Redding said.
Redding says it is especially important to eat food with high water content, like fruits and vegetables, in the summer.
“Watermelon is actually probably one of the best foods, and it's a summer melon," Redding explained. "All melons are going to be good hydrating foods because they have a large content of water but they also have that natural sugar that gives kids and adults really good energy to play and work and be outside while also giving them the water content that's going to keep them hydrated."
Vegetables also have high water content, in addition to their helpful nutrients.
“In the summer we have like some good squashes and zucchini, spaghetti squash," Redding said. "Making a salad with lots of vegetables in it is going to give you some really good water content in there, as well. You can cut up cucumbers and zucchini, carrots, even tomatoes are really high in water and all those to have different colors. The more color you're getting, the more overall nutrients you're getting."
Redding says avoid junk foods, dry foods, and foods that will dehydrate you.
“Goldfish, Cheese-Itz, sometimes peanut butter crackers, even though they're a healthy snack, when you're really hot outside, that's not going to give you any water,” Redding explained. “Another thought is coffee and tea. They're high in caffeine and don't really allow us to hold water in our body.”
At the end of the day, drinking enough water is always important.
“Take your total body weight in pounds, cut that in half, and drink that and ounces a day. Nothing actually replaces water," Redding said. "So make sure you're drinking water in addition to doing all of the good fruits and vegetables."
Redding also says if you are out in the sun for extended periods of time, add another 16 ounces to your water intake.