When it comes to getting my children to eat healthy, I’ve learned that it’s all in the presentation.

No sweetheart, that’s not a pouch full of pureed prunes, that’s a smoothie!

…and so on.

Drinks are no exception. Especially now that we’ve hit the birthday party circuit – juice abounds and anything else can be a tough sell! We can get G jazzed about drinking milk or water 99% of the time, but that remaining 1% can be a real doozie.

Enter: Fruit infused water.

Now, I’m no fool. I know that plunking some fruit into some H20 isn’t enough to con your kid into drinking something that didn’t come in a cardboard box.

So here’s how you frame it:

Tell them they’re drinking a rainbow.

Talk about the colors of the rainbow and what fruits you can use. Then, and this part is key, let THEM choose the fruits to use. That puts the ball in their court, and I’ve found when my three year old feels in control and is selecting from the healthy choices laid out for her, we all win.

Pro Tips:

• Keep soft fruits like berries and lemons big & chunky so they will hold up a little longer. Hard fruits, like apples, should be sliced thin so they release flavor more easily.
• Think sweet! You may love the crisp freshness of an herbaceous cucumber water, but your toddler may not agree.
• Get creative! Mix & match flavors to see what you like and don’t like. Let it be a learning experience – like a delicious science lab in your very own kitchen!

Fruits to Use:

• Red: Strawberries, Raspberries, Watermelon, Red Apple
• Orange: Oranges, Clementines, Cantaloupe
• Yellow: Lemon, Pineapple, Mango, Yellow Pear
• Green: Kiwi, Green Apple, Pear, Honeydew
• Blue: Blueberries
• Purple: Blackberries

(I skipped indigo which is killing my inner rule-following perfectionist. But honestly. INDIGO? That’s not in my 3 year old’s crayon box so it’s not on this list either. Whatever, man. Get outta my rainbow, indigo).

What You Need:

• NOTHING FANCY. A large mason jar or a glass pitcher will do. Also: Fruit. Duh.

Need some more inspiration? Check out this rainbow of recipes:

Red Strawberry Infused Water

via The Food Network

Orange and Vanilla Infused Water

via the Detoxinista

Yellow Pineapple Mint Infused Water

via That Girl Cooks Healthy

Green Honeydew Sage Infused Water

via infusedwaters.com

Blue Blueberry Infused Water

via Stockpiling Moms

Purple Blackberry Citrus Infused Water

via The Pretty Bee

Happy Hydrating!

This post originally appeared on Kelly's blog, The OK Momma. You can follow Kelly for more mediocre mom moments & ideas on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.