Hydration & nutrition
Total daily water intake is the sum of water content coming from all types of beverages and foods.
Total daily water intake is the sum of water content coming from all types of beverages and foods. Many people underestimate the water content of food and beverages - below there is a table showing the content of many common foods.
Water content in common foods and beverages |
|
| Type of food | Water content |
|---|---|
| Non-alcoholic beverages | |
| Water, tea, coffee, light refreshments, sports drinks, soft drinks, lemonade, vegetable juice | 90% to 100% |
| Milk, fruit juice, juice beverages | 85% to 90% |
| Alcoholic beverages | |
| Beer and wine | 85% to 95% |
| Distilled | 60% to 70% |
| Soup | |
| Consommé, onion, meat and vegetable, vegetables, tomato, mushroom cream, Noodle with chicken, vegetable concentrate, concentrated soups, mushrooms cream (made with milk) | 80% to 95% |
| Fruits and vegetables | |
| Strawberry, melon, grapefruit, grape, peach, pear, orange, apple, cucumber, lettuce, celery, tomato, pumpkin, broccoli, onion, carrot | 80% to 95% |
| Banana, potato, corn | 70% to 80% |
| Dairy products | |
| Fresh whole milk | 87 to 90% |
| Yoghurt | 75% to 85% |
| Ice creams | 60% to 65% |
| Cheese | 40% to 60% |
| Cereals | |
| Rice (boiled) | 65% to 70% |
| Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, noodles) | 75% to 85%* |
| Bread, cookies | 30% to 40% |
| Breakfast cereals (ready to eat) | 2% to 5% |
| Meat, Fish, Eggs | |
| Fish and seafood | 65% to 80% |
| Eggs (scrambled, fried, poached), omelette, egg substitute | 65% to 75% |
| Beef, chicken, lamb, pig, veal | 40% to 65% |
| Cured meat, bacon | 15% to 40% |
| Source: Holland B. et al (1991) McCance and Widdowson. The Composition of Foods 5th ed. The Royal Society of Chemistry Cambridge, UK. | |
| *Note that these values are approximations only and values will depend on source of the food, cooking method, etc. For example pasta cooked "al dente" (Italian style) will have a slightly lower water content than shown here* and is between 50 and 60%. There are many good online databases that will give food composition values for a much wider range of foods. | |
