Getting the right amount of water is critical for your health. It keeps your skin, organs and urinary tract healthy. You can drink water, tea and fruit juice to increase your intake, but there are foods you can add to your meal plan to boost your water consumption as well. This can be especially helpful when you are on the go, and when snacking may be more convenient than carrying water.
Fruit
Eating more fruit might increase your water intake. The Litholink Corporation suggests apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, grapes, oranges, pineapple, papaya, peaches, strawberries and watermelon to boost fluids, although any juicy fruit can benefit you. You need eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day to flush toxins from organs and avoid dehydration, although you may replace some of this water with fluids you get from eating fruit.
Vegetables
While you might not think of vegetables as juicy, many can aid in boosting your intake of water. Consider adding bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, onions, squash, peas, tomatoes and potatoes to your diet, as these are full of fluids. An added benefit of getting some of your fluids from vegetables is that you increase your consumption of vitamins and minerals that positively influence your health.
Soup
Include soup in your meal plan, and you will increase your water intake. Some of the water derives from vegetables or fruit present in soup. A soup with a high ratio of broth to vegetables or other ingredients also ups your water consumption. Choose soups such as miso, chicken noodle or consommé -- options with larger quantities of water or broth. Avoid cream-based soups, including cream of broccoli or clam chowder, as these contain less water.
Considerations
When trying to increase your water intake, avoid foods that contain caffeine. This substance acts as a diuretic, which triggers the removal of excess water in your body through urination. Foods that contain caffeine include chocolate, cocoa powder and syrups, and some cereals and cookies that contain chocolate. Natural diuretic foods that do not contain caffeine include asparagus, artichokes, parsley and dandelion.
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