Did you know that water plays a key role in health and may help you get to a healthy weight. Staying well-hydrated helps support the digestion and metabolism of the foods you eat. Drinking a glass or two of water before each meal can help fill your stomach, which may help you feel satisfied with appropriate serving sizes of foods. Although many factors can affect your personal fluid needs, most health experts suggest a starting goal of at least 8-10 cups (2-2.5 liters) of water per day.

If you regularly drink sweetened beverages, you may be less likely to choose water. The following drinks have extra calories with little nutritional benefit:

• soda, juice, lemonade, fruit punch, Kool-Aid, and sport/energy drinks
• flavored coffee drinks or sweet tea

“What CAN I drink?”

Infuse your water with fruits, herbs, edible flowers and/or spices to give your drink a flavor boost that is natural, healthy, and low in calories.

Making infused water is simple. Just add the ingredients to a jar or bottle of water and let it sit for a while. You can drink from a straw or strain out the fruit. You can also purchase an infuser bottle or pitcher that traps the ingredients, but allows the flavor to seep into the water.