Water is life. Indeed, it makes up around 60% of our bodies. But for many people who have grown up on a strict diet of fizzy pop and tea, water might be life-giving but it’s not particularly exciting. Water is, after all, a lot of things. It’s refreshing, vital and can help prevent all kinds of illnesses as long as it’s been properly filtered. But one thing it isn’t is tasty.

But with a cost-of-living crisis kicking into overdrive, how are we meant to convince our children (and ourselves) to drink enough water to keep us hydrated and healthy? After all, fizzy pop and tea are not cheap and it’s only getting more expensive. By making it a little more exciting and enticing, of course.

Add fruit

By adding a slice (or five) of lemon, lime, or orange to your water, you’ll find a subtle and refreshing taste that not only makes the glass of water look more inviting but makes it taste better too. You might even want to try buying a water infuser to get a little more juice out of your fruits. That way, you can expand the fruits you use to include less conventional choices like pineapple and melon too. Or you could always go for the classic slice of cucumber.

Flavoured ice cubes

By freezing fresh fruit juice or even blocks of cola and other fizzy drinks, you can create cubes of flavour that are ready and waiting to add something to your next cold glass of H2O. This might not offer as strong a flavour as a concentrated squash solution, but it will certainly give your water a hint of sugary goodness.

Get fancy

Did you know you can add fresh mint leaves, ginger, cilantro and other herbs and spices to your tap water to give it not only a bit of a kick but also add to its restorative properties? Cinnamon is particularly strong here. Add a few sticks of cinnamon to your water and let it infuse and add just a splash of sugar. The taste is exceptional, and the cinnamon will help lower your blood sugar levels too.

Make it fizz

If you purchase a Sodastream or similar device, you’ll be able to add a decent amount of fizz and sparkle to your water. For many, sparkling water has a slightly bitter and more interesting taste than still water and this way, you can transform your tap water rather than having to buy bottles of sparkling water.

Purify and soften your water

Did you know that your drinking water typically contains several contaminants that could be altering its taste? That’s why so many households in the UK have begun investing in water filters and softeners. Softeners work to remove limescale from your water using resin beads, whereas water filters remove impurities from your water using a variety of techniques. Whatever method you use, the result is drinking water that’s cleaner, smoother, and much more enticing to drink.