I started the first week of the Juggling Real Food and Real Life Weekly Challenge with a bit of a problem.  My son plays high school football and due to their coach having surgery right after the season, they put the football banquet on hold till January.  I find that many of the party centers do an OK job with actually cooking some Real Food.  Not everything meets my standards, but I can usually find something to eat and then go back to my stricter diet the next day.  That is with one exception…………..the drinks.  They open up the bar (without the alcohol) for this high school event and so they only have sodas and sugary juices to offer.

Oh, hold on…………………..This is the “Only Drink Real Beverages” week.  How am I going to be an example to everyone if I am sitting here with a soda in my hand?  I was hoping for a water pitcher on the table, but there wasn’t one.  As usual, asking questions paid off.  My husband set off for the bar and returned with some water.  I think we were the only people there drinking water, but we were satisfied that we could stick to our plan.

This may sound crazy………..I actually prefer to drink water with meals above all other choices.  That is to say, even when nobody is looking, I would rather drink water.  I find that it doesn’t interfere with the taste of my food and when I am eating Real Food, I really want to experience that flavor.  Not bad for a recovering Diet Soda drinker, huh?

However, there are times where you do want a little more flavor in your beverage.  My oldest son tells me that he gets “bored” without added flavor.  I get it……so here is a suggestion for you to try.

I love flavored waters and found out that you can infuse the flavor of fruit into your water by simply placing the fruit in the water.  My favorite is Lemon Infused Water.

Simply, slice a couple of very clean lemons and place them in a pitcher of cold water.  I like to place ice cubes in mine so that it is good and cold.  Give the lemons a little squeeze as you place them in the water.  Let them float in the water overnight and enjoy.  It lasts for about a week in the fridge (if you can get it to last that long).  I keep the lemons floating in the pitcher until the water is gone.  There are lots of great combinations of fruits you can use.  Another I tried over the Summer was sliced lemons and a cup of fresh blueberries.  Just mash the berries a little bit with your potato masher to release their flavor and color.  Again, leaving the fruit in the water, until it is gone.  It turns a beautiful pink which I think would be perfect for a little girl’s birthday party or baby shower.

Give it a go and tell me what you think?  Check back here and let me know what fruit combinations you come up with?  Maybe a little lime and a little orange……….the combinations are endless.  The best part of this water is well……….. the flavor.  The second best part is that there is no sugar or artificial colors of any type.  You can feel proud to serve this to your family and friends.

Small changes can have huge health benefits for you.   A quick technology note……….if you subscribe by email, you are getting an email copy of the post only.  To see the entire site and have the ability to comment simply click on the email or go directly to www.jugglingrealfoodandreallife.com.  There is lots of fun and information over on our Facebook page and you can follow us on Twitter @jugglngrealfood.  You can also check us out on Pinterest for Real Food ideas.