Agua Fresca is the Bomb (+ 4 Recipes!)
Lightly refreshing and packed with fresh fruit, vitamins, and minerals, agua fresca is the perfect sweet drink for any season!
Y’all, I have a confession to make. You know how they say 75% of Americans are walking around constantly dehydrated? Well, cards on the table. I definitely used to be one of them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy water when I feel like it. I just forgot, and let’s be honest: water isn’t all that exciting.
I mean, seriously. Who goes around thinking, “Boy, I can’t wait to have another glass of water.”
In order for me to REALLY stay hydrated consistently, I need to make it more interesting. That’s why I love agua fresca so much.
Now, you may be thinking, why not infused water? Isn’t that easier?
Well, I’m going to put it out there: fruit-infused water is not that much better for you than plain ol’ water. Sorry! It’s not a magical elixir guaranteed to heal whatever ails you. The truth is, the number of extracted vitamins and nutrients in infused water is nominal at best. If you are looking for nutritional benefits, just eat the fruit.
However, water is GREAT for your digestive system and overall health.
Think of water like the oil or gas for your car.
I mean, as basic as this sounds, you can’t live without it, right?
And if you are going to put the fruit in your water anyway, why not incorporate it into what you drink and enjoy all the nutritional benefits it provides?
So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. How do you incorporate more water AND fruit in your daily life in a sustainable way? For me, the answer is one of my agua frescas and batch-prepping (always)!
Agua fresca gives you extra flavor without turning to nasty sugary carbonated stuff.
As a bonus, you get all that fruit and the nutritional benefits it provides!
Plus, it just feels more special. And let’s be honest: sometimes we need to feel special, am I right?!
Batch-prepping ensures that you are never without your coolers in the fridge ready to go. I firmly believe if a lifestyle change requires regular work throughout the day to implement, you are much less likely to stick to it. However, if it just takes you five minutes a day to prepare your agua fresca, you can do that, right?
Ok, now that I’ve got you convinced, let’s talk about how to do it. Good news! My agua frescas are ridiculously easy. Just put your fruit and/or herbs in a blender with some water. Press the magical button on your machine and blend away until smooth (Just a minute or so).
Empty your sweet new drink into a quart mason jar, which should give you a total of about 4 cups of agua fresca. Either enjoy that day or refrigerate overnight and enjoy throughout the next day. The following night, take five minutes to prep the next day’s agua fresca. And repeat.
There couldn’t be an easier way to improve your overall health!
As a bonus, it’s kind of fun to play around with the different flavor combinations. You feel like a mad scientist mixing new, exciting formulas! Or is that just me….Yeah, it’s definitely just me.
ANYWAY, moving on.
Want to make these drinks even better for you? Add a tablespoon of chia seeds for some easy extra protein.
Here are some of my favorite flavor combinations below. The listed amounts for each recipe are for about 4 cups of agua fresca.
Feel free to experiment, mix, and match your favorite flavors!
As a side note, traditionally agua frescas are strained after being blended, and sugar is added. I don’t like to strain them, because a lot of the nutrients are lost in the pulp. I don’t like adding sugar either, since the goal is a healthy alternative to sugary drinks. And besides, I find these recipes are plenty sweet, thanks to the natural sugars in the fruits!
Mellow Melon Agua Fresca: 3 1/4 cups chopped honeydew + 1/8 cup mint leaves + 1/4 cup fresh lime juice + 1 1/2 cups water
Hawaiian Sunset Agua Fresca: 1 cup chopped pineapple + 1 1/2 cups chopped mango + 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice + 2 1/2 cups water
Cucumber Mojito Agua Fresca: 1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped + 1/8 cup mint leaves + 1/4 cup fresh lime juice + 2 1/2 cups water
