Stay hydrated and energized this summer by refreshing yourself with generous amounts of water, nature’s best elixir. Inspire yourself to keep reaching for another sip by infusing water with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs…no sugar or artificial flavoring needed. Have a Plant shares how:

• Wash all produce and herbs before slicing and dicing.
• Start with a large glass bottle or jar with a lid, add your desired ingredients and fill with cold or room temperature water.
• Refrigerate for at least one hour. For a more intense flavor, refrigerate overnight. Some fruits and herbs will infuse more quickly than others. The longer it soaks, the more the flavors are released into the water.
• Foster even more concentrated flavor by muddling – the process of mashing ingredients to draw out essential oils in herbs, rinds and fruits.
• Extract multiple uses from the ingredients by adding more water and letting it infuse again. Make sure to drink within one day.
• Experiment with sparkling, seltzer or unsweetened coconut water as the base.

Try making infused water ice cubes for your beverages with this simple technique: Half fill each section of an ice cube tray with water; add small pieces or slices of desired fruits, vegetables to each section; fill remaining space with water and freeze.

Source: Have a Plant, Kathryn Long, RDN, LDN