As the weather warms up, staying hydrated becomes more and more important. Water is the quintessential thirst quencher and no other liquid will alleviate dehydrate as effectively and as naturally without adding calories to your waistline. Over the years, bottled water has become a manufactured necessity distracting us from how fortunate we are to having potable water flowing from our taps.

The average person excretes about 2.5 litres of water per day. Breaking a sweat obviously increases that loss. To replace that water loss and maintain proper cell function, we need to drink about two litres of fluid. Eating foods with a high water content will take care of the remaining half litre or so. Indeed, food usually accounts for about 20 percent of our daily fluid intake.

Here’s a list of the (surprising) foods with the highest moisture content:

•  Cream of wheat. This hot cereal tops all the fruits and vegetables at 155 millilitres of fluid in a three-quarter cup (175 ml) serving. Bonus – it’s also high in iron. If you’re wheat-free, other cooked cereals like millet, quinoa or oat bran provide  similar, although lower, levels of hydration.
•  Yogurt. No added sugar cow’s milk, sheep, goat, almond or coconut based yogurt also contains 155 millilitres of liquid in a three-quarter cup (175 g) serving. You also get a small dose of calcium, potassium and protein.
•  Potatoes. Cooked in their skins in the microwave, the lowly spud provides 145 millilitres of moisture per one-half cup (125 ml) serving. Not bad for a food that’s so starchy.
•  Salad. As expected, your generic leafy green salad allows you to eat your water. One cup (250 ml) provides about 140 millilitres of water. Surprised it’s not a the top of the list?
•  Pears. Finally, the fruit with the highest water content is the delicious pear. (You’d think it was watermelon, right?) Eat your organic pears raw with the skin (after you wash it, of course) for 139 millilitres of sweet juiciness.

 Data obtained from the Canadian Nutrient File, Version 2010 by performing a nutrient search for ‘moisture’ in all food categories.