Loaded Water: What It Is and Why You Should Try It

About Tori Thurmond

Tori Thurmond combines her creative writing background with her marketing experience in her role as the Content Specialist at Brookdale. When she's not writing, she's probably spending time with her two cats or knitting.

From “fairy water” to “space princess water” H2O is having its moment on social media. Recently, people have been adding flavor packets, electrolytes, fruit and even edible glitter to their water to make it more fun to drink.

Social media creators like Tonya Spanglo became popular on TikTok by adding flavor packets and flavored syrups to water to help meet daily water goals, but other creators like Lauren Hoffman popularized the term loaded water by enhancing plain old water with electrolyte packets, fresh fruit juice and prebiotic sodas. Loaded water could be a great option for people who want to stay hydrated throughout the day but struggle to drink enough plain water. If you’re ready to give this trend a go, here’s how to make a loaded water of your own.

Step 1: Start with a Fun Cup and Your Favorite Ice

While this step is totally optional, who doesn’t love a fun cup? You could join the giant-cup crowd by choosing to make your loaded water in a popular 40 oz tumbler or you might choose something more manageable or customizable like these glass cups from Etsy. Or simply grab your favorite cup that you already own! Next, fill it with your favorite ice—regular ice will do the job, but you could always make your beverage extra fun by using a unique ice mold to or even adding cut-up fruit or juice to your ice for extra flavor as it melts.

Step 2: Choose a Flavor

There are many options for adding flavor to your water like flavor packets that taste like your favorite candy or electrolyte packets that can help replenish any electrolytes you may have lost during a hard workout. Flavor packets are a great tool to help you drink more water, especially if you’re trying to make the shift from soda or other sugary drinks to a healthier alternative. But make sure you check the ingredients in your preferred flavor packet. Look out for sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine if those are ingredients you need to avoid, and keep in mind that not everyone needs extra electrolytes, especially those with kidney disease.

Step 3: Add a Little Splash of Something Fun

If flavor packets aren’t your thing or if you want to add something a little extra to your loaded water, add a squeeze of whatever citrus you have on hand or a splash of 100% juice. Some studies show that drinking lemon water is a good source of vitamin C, may support weight loss and may aid in digestion. You could also add coconut water for a little extra nutrition to go along with your hydration.

Another option if you’re not totally ready to kick your soda habit is adding a splash or two of a prebiotic soda like Olipop or Poppi. Some of the fruity flavors would pair wonderfully with any juice or flavor packets you choose to add to your water—not to mention these soda alternatives usually have less added sugars than regular soda.

Top your loaded water off with some fresh mint or throw in some sliced cucumber to make your beverage extra refreshing, and you’ll be ready to hydrate! Whether you follow all of these steps or just a few of them, there are endless fun water combinations to try out to help make staying hydrated a little more fun.

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