A chilled flavoured water with almost zero calories — cucumber slices, lemon, and fresh mint leaves steeped in cold water for a refreshing drink. The ideal alternative to fizzy drinks that encourages you to stay hydrated all day.
Fruit- and herb-infused water has become a companion for anyone wanting to drink more water with a gentler taste.
Cucumber gives a clean freshness, lemon a bright acidity, and mint a cool fragrance. The EEINA version brings them together in a simple pitcher steeped cold, yielding a refreshing drink that is virtually calorie-free — a smart alternative to fizzy drinks that supports hydration throughout the day.
Wash the cucumber, lemon, and mint thoroughly, then slice the cucumber and lemon into thin rounds. Thin slices release their flavour into the water faster than thick chunks.
Rub the mint leaves between your palms or gently bruise them with the back of a spoon before adding them. Light bruising breaks the leaf cells and releases the essential oils and fresh flavour.
Place the cucumber and lemon slices and mint in a pitcher, then pour the cold water over them. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for one to four hours until the flavours infuse. A long cold steep gives a gentler flavour than warm water.
Add ice cubes when serving and pour into glasses. You can refill the pitcher once or twice with fresh water over the same ingredients before their flavour fades.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Refreshing Cucumber Mint Lemon Water, and how to fix them:
Too few ingredients or too short a steep. Add more slices, bruise the mint, and steep for two to four hours in the refrigerator.
The lemon peel steeped too long. Remove the peel, use fewer lemon slices, or squeeze the lemon juice in instead of slicing.
Steeped for more than a day. Replace the slices every day — cucumber softens after a long soak.
Residue from the bruised mint. This is normal and harmless — strain when serving if the appearance bothers you.
Best consumed within one day for the freshest flavour. Replace the ingredients after a day as the cucumber will soften.
Refill the pitcher once or twice with fresh water over the same ingredients before the flavour fades.
Make it the evening before and refrigerate so it is ready and refreshing in the morning.
Serve cold with ice. Perfect for the office or gym in a bottle to encourage drinking more water.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | Apple or strawberry slices | A handful | Fruit alternatives that add a light natural sweetness and beautiful colour |
| Mint | Basil or rosemary | A handful | Aromatic herb alternatives with different refreshing flavours |
| Lemon | Lime | 1/2 | Sharper acidity and more refreshing |
| Still water | Sparkling water | Same quantity | Adds refreshing bubbles as an alternative to fizzy drinks |
| Quantity | Cucumber | Lemon | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cups (individual) | 0.25 | 0.25 | 2 cups |
| 4 cups (base) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 4 cups |
| pitcher 1.5 liters | Piece | Piece | 6 cups |
| dispenser 3 liters | 2 | 2 | 12 cups |
The best value of this drink is that it gets you drinking more water, and that alone supports hydration, satiety, and weight management. Do not be misled by the word 'detox' — there is no magical cleanse; the benefit lies in replacing sugary drinks with a delicious, sugar-free water.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
