Eight foods that are more than 90% water – and can help keep you hydrated

Struggling to drink enough water?

Cucumber, watermelon, strawberries and lettuce are more than 90% water, making them some of the most hydrating foods you can eat.

We asked dietitians to explain how much fluid we actually need, and why food matters as well as drink.

When it comes to finding foods that come packing plenty of water, fruits and vegetables are a safe bet.

Clare Thornton-Wood, registered dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson, notes that everything in this category contains water, with fruits often coming with generous amounts.

Some foods, external even have a water content of 90% or more. These include:

Foods that are between 80% and 89% water include:

Foods that are between 70% and 79% water include:

The human body is around 60% water.

It stops us from overheating, lubricates tissues and joints, external and is important for digestion.

But we're constantly losing fluid through breathing, sweating and waste removal, so we need to be hot on replacing it.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a total fluid intake of 2 litres a day for women and 2.5 litres for men.

You might have noticed that's more than the NHS' suggestion of six to eight cups a day, external, as this is only what we should be drinking, specifically.

Tea, coffee, milk and sugar-free drinks all contribute to fluid intake, as well as foods high in water.

And it's worth remembering that when it's hot or if you're exercising lots, you may well need more.

Around 20–30% of our fluid intake can come from food according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA). That's a significant contribution.

But Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist and nutrition communications manager at the British Nutrition Foundation, points out that water from food takes longer to be absorbed than the water we drink.

So, if you're thirsty or concerned about dehydration, drinking water is the most effective and efficient way to hydrate.

Signs of dehydration to look out for include:

Typical liquid-based recipes like soups, casseroles and smoothies can also be hydrating.

"If you had a smoothie for breakfast, some soup for lunch and at dinner you had a meat or bean casserole followed by a yoghurt, you would get, as a rough figure, at least 200ml of fluid from each meal," says Thornton-Wood.

That totals 600ml in one day.

"Water-rich foods tend to be the healthier foods," adds Benelam, giving the example of tinned tomatoes, which are nutrient-rich while also containing plenty of liquid.

"You can make loads of different things with them, from pasta sauce to curry and soup.

"Those dishes won't only have a high water content, but also be a good source of nutrients like vitamin C and contain lycopene."

Thornton-Wood notes that ingredients made up of a lot of water can be lower in calories.

"That's not always the case but, for instance, gazpacho or tomato and courgette soup are very watery, so the number of calories in them is very low."

"If you're not trying to lose weight, you need to bear in mind that if you're having a meal like one of those, with very high water content, you might want to add other ingredients to boost the calories."

Some dishes that are especially high in fluid may not just be lower in calories but in some nutrients too, warns Benelam.

"If you make your diet very rich in water, it could become less nutritious than what you might need, especially if you're somebody with high nutrient requirements.

"You probably wouldn't want little children, for example, to get lots and lots of water from their food because they have small stomachs and high nutrient needs.

"So if they tend to eat a lot of soups, salads and vegetables, you'll want to give them other, more nutrient-rich foods alongside."

It's a fine balance to consider, seeing as children (as well as older adults) have a higher risk of dehydration.

Also important to remember is that your food will likely lose some fluid when you cook it, as moisture heats up and evaporates.

Cooking with a lid or using a slow cooker or pressure cooker, can help stop some moisture from escaping.

The good news is that most of us needn't obsess over every glass.

If you eat well and sip on drinks throughout the day, you might be getting more fluid than you realise.

Because staying hydrated isn't just about what's in your glass, but also what's on your plate.

Originally published January 2024. Updated July 2026.

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