Heat Safety - 7 foods with high water content
As well as drinking plenty of water in hot weather, certain foods can help boost your hydration levels, too. Here’s some of them…
With hydration being essential for our bodies to regulate temperature, drinking enough fluid--ideally water--is especially important on our hot Queensland days. “For men, the recommendation is around 10 cups (2.6) litres of fluid a day, and for women it’s 8 cups (2.1 litres)i,” says BlueCare’s Statewide Dietetic Lead, Caitlin Fulford.
But you can also get extra hydration by stealth, too. And that’s down to incorporating foods with high water content into your diet. Here, Caitlin offers some more suggestions:
Cucumber
This humble fruit has the highest water content of any solid food. Put it into salads, add to a ham and cheese sandwich, or eat it as a snack.
Top tip: Cut it into slices to dip into hummus if you want to up the taste factor.
Iceberg Lettuce
Another winner on the water front, it is a great base for salads.
Top tip: Mix some tinned tuna, sweetcorn, canned kidney beans and a dash of mayo in a dish, then spoon the mixture onto a few individual lettuce leaves. Top with some grated cheese and you have a delicious, healthy, light meal or snack.
Celery
A great source of water and fibre, it’s also a really simple snack too.
Top tip: Make it tasty by spreading some peanut butter onto a few stalks as a treat.
Tomatoes
Another fruit packed with hydrating water, tomatoes are a staple for many people. As well as a tasty addition to a sandwich or salad, they’re packed with lycopene which helps protect your cells from damage, alongside Vitamins A and C.
Top tip: Make some tomato and cheese skewers. Add cherry tomatoes and bocconcini balls into a bowl (or you could cut some cheddar cheese into cubes), mix in a little olive oil, white balsamic and salt/pepper to taste. Then add a few tomatoes and bocconcini balls/cheddar cubes to each skewer.
Asparagus
As well as high water content, asparagus is rich in vitamin K and folate (vitamin B9), and a variety of antioxidant nutrients, including vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and the minerals zinc, manganese and selenium.
Top tip: Cut the woody ends off each spear, place in a microwaveable dish with a little water, and cover with a lidor plate, ensuring you allow a little air to escape. Microwave on high for a couple of minutes, test with a fork, then put on for another minute or so until done. When they’re cooked, blot any water off with a paper towel and drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon, with salt to taste.
Strawberries
A healthy, sweet treat, they’re high in water, fibre and Vitamin C.
Top tip: Turn them into a delicious dessert by coating them in dark chocolate. Melt it with quick 20 second blasts in the microwave, stirring after each, or put it in a heatproof dish over a pan of boiling water and keep stirring. Dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate, then set them aside on baking paper to set. Put in the fridge and eat after dinner.
Cauliflower and cabbage
There are some delicious, healthy recipes online that make a feature of these vegetables like Charred Cabbage and Cauliflower Salad With Tahini Dressing, or Cauliflower Fried Rice.
Read more about staying safe during summer.More information about Heat Safety
- Queensland Government, Keeping Healthy in the Heat.
- South Australia Health Wellbeing and Food Safety during Hot Weather.
- NSW Health, Heatwave Preparation Checklist.
- Australian Climate Service.
- South Australia Health, ‘Know the Signs’
If you need medical advice during the heat, call 13 HEALTH (13 432 584) or in the case of an emergency, always call triple zero (000).
Working together to take climate action
BlueCare’s heat health resources were funded by the Queensland Government under the Sector Adaptation Plan co-investment program, to advance climate change resilience in the human health and wellbeing sector. This is another example of how the Queensland Government's Climate Action Plan is making a difference.
BlueCare extends thanks to Griffith University for their partnership and extensive work to improve heat health awareness and resilience in Queensland, particularly for older persons. Learn more about Griffith University’s Extreme Heat and Older Persons (EtHOS) Project.