Eating well and staying hydrated tend to go hand in hand.
This series looks at seasonal fruit with high water content or strong nutritional value – simple choices that support a healthier routine without making unnecessary radical dietary changes. While fresh, water rich fruit can contribute to overall fluid intake, it works best when we have consistent access to drinking water, whether that’s from a water cooler, bottle fed or mains fed water coolers in the office, workplace or wherever you’re located. Healthy food and good hydration are straightforward habits – and often the easiest ones to maintain.
This May, we’re talking tart: Rhubarb isn’t shy. One bite and you’ll know about it. Sharp, tangy and often eye-wateringly tart, it’s a fruit (well, usually treated as one) that may not be to everyone’s taste but it earns its place all the same.
Beneath that bold flavour, rhubarb contains a good amount of water, along with fibre and vitamin K. It’s light, refreshing in its own way and a useful addition to a balanced diet, even if it’s not something you’d snack on raw without pulling a face.
Because of its natural sharpness, rhubarb is often cooked or paired with other ingredients to soften the edge. It works well stewed, folded into yoghurt, or added to oats, where its tartness balances out sweeter flavours rather than overpowering them. Or as we recently discovered, in the rather less healthy guise that are rhubarb chocolate truffles.
Its water content means it can contribute, in a small way, to overall hydration. But like most fresh fruit, it plays a supporting role rather than the main event.
Rhubarb may not be everyone’s first choice and that’s fair enough. It’s not trying to be easy-going. But for those who enjoy something a little sharper, it offers a refreshing change from sweeter options.
As ever, it works best alongside regular drinking water. A balanced approach – something tart on the plate and a steady glass of water alongside it – keeps things simple and keeps you properly hydrated.
