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By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Have you ever tried to drink a gallon or more of water every day? I did that this past summer and let me tell you, it’s no easy feat at first. For me, it wasn’t so much that the quantity of water was that bad, but rather remembering to actually drink it. So then, at the times that I would remember, I’d end up chugging water all at once to meet my minimum. While chugging water is one way to stay hydrated in our insanely hot Arizona summers, we can also get about 20% of our daily water intake from the foods that we eat.

This might come as a surprise to you, (but probably not, ha!) the water content of foods varies, and those with a high water content are very hydrating.  With that in mind, you can probably think of a few examples off the top of your head.

Some popular ones include:

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Honeydew
• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Zucchini
• Oranges
• Apples
• Celery
• Grapefruit
• Radishes
• Pineapple
• Broccoli
• Carrots

These are just a few examples. More foods have a high water content and that helps to keep you hydrated.

A little fun fact is that almost all of the foods listed above are ones that we produce lots of these foods right here in Arizona! Melons especially are some that grow really well during our hot summers, which is perfect, because that’s the most important time for us to be getting plenty of water. Another fun fact is that cantaloupes and watermelons clock in at a 90% water content, making them some of the best for staying hydrated!

So, while you still should be drinking as much water as possible, try getting some of your water from the foods that you eat! Not only are they hydrating, but they are delicious and provide you with good nutrition too!

For more articles about hydration, and also for information on Arizona-grown produce, check out the Fill Your Plate website!