Plain water is healthy, cheap and available everywhere. And still, after three glasses most people reach for something else. Flavoured water solves that, but the ways to get there differ a lot: in what you take in, in how much effort it costs, and in how well you keep it up. Here are six ways, each with what it does well and less well.
1. Fruit, herbs and vegetables in your carafe
The classic. Lemon, cucumber, mint, ginger, orange, a few frozen raspberries. Leave it in the fridge for half an hour and you have flavour without adding anything.
Good to know: the taste stays light, and after a day the quality drops. It works well at home and at the office, less so in your bag. If you sip acidic infusions like lemon all day, keep your tooth enamel in mind, because acid is acid, with or without sugar.
2. Syrup and cordial
The form most people know from home. Cheap and sold everywhere, but this is also where products differ most. Classic syrups contain sugar, and sugary drinks give you no useful nutrients at all, says the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. The light versions replace that sugar with sweeteners.
So read the label. One syrup is a sugary drink in disguise, another comes close to a powder in composition.
3. Drink powders
A sachet or a scoop in your bottle, shake, done. Powders are light to carry, keep for a long time and you decide how strong you want it. The differences are in what comes with the flavour: sugar or sweetener, and whether vitamins or minerals are added.
That question decides your choice. If you only want flavour, a simple sugar-free powder without additions is enough. If you sweat a lot or drink it after sports, the minerals make the difference. Qallo Hydration is made for that: sugar-free, with magnesium, sodium and potassium, plus vitamins B and C. And if it's purely about the ritual, just choose by flavour.
Read the label here too, because within the same category the composition varies a lot.
4. Effervescent tablets
Technically a powder in solid form, but the use feels different: you let the tablet dissolve and you have lightly sparkling water. Handy on the go, because a tube fits in any bag. The downside is that you can't adjust the dose, and dissolving takes a moment.
5. Cold tea and herbal infusions
Brew tea, let it cool, into the fridge. Mint tea, rooibos and green tea often taste better cold than hot. Zero additions, and all it costs you is a bit of planning ahead. Healthy Living puts unsweetened tea right next to water in its food triangle, so there is nothing to hold back on here.
Do watch black and green tea later in the day, because they contain caffeine.
6. Scent bottles
The newest category: a bottle with a scent pod, where you only drink water but taste flavour through your nose. Nothing added to your water. It works surprisingly well for some people and not at all for others, and the pods make it an expensive habit.
The way you keep up
In the end that is the only question that counts. A method that scores perfectly on composition but is too much hassle, you drink for two weeks. So look at your day: if you're often on the move, something that fits in your bag wins. At a desk, a carafe with fruit is fine. If you do sports, the mineral question matters more than the flavour question.
And the basis stays the same: tap water is safe, cheap and available everywhere. Everything above exists to make you drink more of it. Not sure which powder fits your moment? The difference between Energy and Hydration points you in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions about flavoured water
Is flavoured water the same as soda?
No, although it depends on the product. Soda usually contains sugar and acid. A sugar-free powder or a fruit infusion is far from that, a syrup with sugar much less so.
Does flavoured water count towards your fluid intake?
Yes. For your hydration it makes no difference whether your water has flavour. The point is that most people drink more when it tastes better.
What is the cheapest way?
Fruit or herbs from your own kitchen, especially if you use leftovers like a peel or a sprig of mint. Then come syrup and powders, and scent bottles are by far the most expensive form.
Are sweeteners in flavour powders a problem?
Sweeteners replace sugar and are approved in Europe for use in drinks, explains the Dutch Nutrition Centre. If you would rather avoid them completely, infusions and cold tea remain.
Can I drink flavoured water all day?
You can, but alternate with plain water. Sipping acidic drinks all day long is less good for your tooth enamel, even without sugar.