Month: April 2023

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Why ‘Water Recipes’ Are Taking Over TikTok

Why ‘Water Recipes’ Are Taking Over TikTok

On Shelby Hobbs’ dresser sits a Lazy Susan filled every flavor of liquid syrup you can imagine, from raspberry to peach Bellini. Beside the syrups is a container packed to the brim with water flavoring packets including Strawberry Nerds and Crush Orange.

Next to the supplies is an empty space for Hobbs’ water bottle. So, whenever she’s thirsty, all she has to do is grab her cup, dump in her flavoring of choice and fill up the bottle with ice and water.

Hobbs’ inspiration for her “Hydration Station” came from WaterTok, a new trend on TikTok whose hashtag has garnered over 100 million views. Across the app, creators are sharing themselves adding liquid and powdered flavorings to their water with the shared goal of drinking more water.

“I’ve been drinking this for about a month now,” the 21-year-old tells TODAY.com. “It definitely helps that everyone else on TikTok is making them, so it helps me think of new flavor ideas. But honestly, I haven’t made a bad one yet. I can mix whatever I want, and it still tastes good.”

But while WaterTok might be helping people like Hobbs stay hydrated, some people are questioning just how healthy the trend really is, as these flavorings can contain large amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners, and it could be just another diet culture fad masquerading as a hydration aid.

TODAY.com talked to creators and experts to unpack everything you need to know about WaterTok (aka HydrationTok). Here’s what they said.

Breaking down #WaterTok

Many people participating in the trend say WaterTok is putting the fun back into drinking water. This community of hydration enthusiasts shares “water recipes” with various flavoring packets and liquids to create the optimal water-drinking experience.

Haley Staggs, 21, tells TODAY.com that WaterTok has helped her stay hydrated throughout the day.

Staggs first discovered the trend from a TikToker named Tonya, who goes by @takingmylifebackat42 on the app and has “recipes” for piña colada water, Starbucks Pink Drink water, bubble gum water and more, and shares her weight-loss journey.

“Watching her videos, I thought, ‘I should try that,'” Staggs says. “I went and got the packets and different water flavors and just started making waters. Now I drink over 100 ounces of water a day.”

And she’s not alone. Jaycie Adamson, 24, also stumbled upon the trend on TikTok — and hasn’t looked back since.

Adamson had never been a big water drinker, she tells TODAY.com. When she saw the trend, she thought, “Hm, this could help me drink water but not have to add sugar or calories.” (Many of the popular flavorings are sugar- and calorie-free.) She drove 30 minutes to the closest Dollar General and bought flavoring packets to put in her Stanley tumbler.

“I’m usually so bad at drinking water but this has been so nice to just fill it up at my own house and make water flavor combination I want for the day,” she says. “Honestly, I haven’t made any that taste bad. They all taste wonderful.”

The best “recipe” she’s found so far is a combo of the Pink Starburst and Pink Nerds powdered drink mixes.

Through posting her own WaterTok videos, she says she’s also found a community. People will comment on her TikToks asking her to share more of her favorite flavor combinations.

“I can tell when a trend’s taken over and it definitely feels like that’s happening,” she says. “When a lot of people on Amazon start buying something, the price will change. I bought the cotton candy syrup on Amazon for $10 and now on Amazon it’s over $20.

For Hobbs, WaterTok has helped her cut back on sugary drinks. She would turn to drinks like loaded tea over plain water.

“I don’t even realize how much (water) I’m drinking now. And I feel so much better,” she says. “I haven’t had much caffeine since I’ve started drinking water because I think it just gives me like natural caffeine and just makes me feel better.”

A registered dietitian’s take on #WaterTok

Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, tells TODAY.com that, in general, anything that helps people drink more water is a positive thing — but there are a few caveats to that.

She loves that people are taking their hydration to the next level with this trend. But her No. 1 piece of advice is to stay away from artificially flavored and colored syrups.

“Since these TikToks feature sugar-free syrups, the influencers don’t seem to be adding sugar to their water,” she says. “However, I do think that making your water super sweet isn’t great in the long run as it may put you in the mindset that all beverages need to be overly sweet and flavored to be enjoyed.”

The first thing that Largeman-Roth thought of when she heard about WaterTok, she says, is Crystal Light.

She says that she remembers how popular it was in the ‘80s and ‘90s for moms looking to lose weight to add Pink Lemonade Crytal Light packets to their water — which is why this trend may reek of toxic diet culture.

“I feel like #WaterTok might be the 2023 answer to Crystal Light with people trying to have a pleasurable flavor experience without any calories or carbs (or very few),” she says.

“I think it’s gaining in popularity because lots of people know they should be drinking more water and fewer sweetened drinks like soda, but plain water feels boring to them.

“Plus, it’s a fun thing to make and drink! We went through a coffee phase and a mocktail phase, so it makes sense that as we head toward the summer, we’ll be going through a water phase.”

But while drinking water is important, so is monitoring the amount you consume.

Largeman-Roth says when you drink more water than your kidneys can process, it can lead to hyponatremia, or low sodium levels.

“Sodium is a mineral that is important for the functioning of our heart, so it needs to stay in balance,” she explains. “When we flood our systems with excessive amounts of water, low sodium levels can lead to low heart rate, confusion, drowsiness and headaches.”

The U.S. National Academy of Medicine suggests an adequate intake of daily fluids of about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women.

Largeman-Roth also warns that if an individual is dealing with disordered eating, they may lean in too drastically to this trend, using excessive water-drinking as a weight-loss tool to trick themselves into thinking they’re not hungry. Instead of allowing themselves to enjoy a banana split now and then, they’ll turn to “banana split water.”

“People definitely use coffee as a replacement for breakfast. Coffee is a beverage, not a meal. The same is true for flavored waters,” she says.

At the end of the day, Largeman-Roth will always encourage people to just drink plain water when they’re looking to hydrate. But, she says, adding ice — either plain or cubes of frozen lemon or watermelon juice — definitely helps to perk it up.

“Or go the au naturel route and make (water) with fresh fruit and herbs,” she says. “And if you’re working out a lot or just sweat a ton, adding a flavored hydration mix can be helpful in staying hydrated.”

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Advice | Quiz: Are you taking good care of your cast-iron skillet? Test your IQ.

Advice | Quiz: Are you taking good care of your cast-iron skillet? Test your IQ.

Cast-iron skillets have been beloved by many generations of cooks. They’re a kitchen workhorse and the stuff of lore, often passed down as heirlooms within families.

But all that legend sometimes leads to fear or confusion. Will I ruin the coveted seasoning? Should I only use it on a gas cooktop? Can I really not clean it with soap?

So how much do you know about taking care of your cast-iron skillet? Take our quiz to find out how to ensure it stays in the best shape for many years to come.

Question 1 of 7

You have to season cast iron before you use it.

Seasoning is what happens when fats are heated to a certain point that causes them to reorganize into something resembling a plastic coating and bond to the metal. That coating is smooth and slick, allowing for foods to easily release from the pan. There’s a reason cast iron is often called “the original nonstick cookware.”

Most of the cast iron you buy comes preseasoned. That means you can start cooking in it right away. At that point, the best thing you can do is use the pan as much as possible so the seasoning gets better over time. To maintain it, clean the pan after each use, return it to the burner over medium-low heat, and rub it down with oil and paper towels until it’s smooth and shiny with no visible residue. You can do your coat of maintenance oil in a 200-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, too.

Question 2 of 7

Some fats are better than others for seasoning.

Most experts generally prefer to season cast iron with unsaturated fats, Daniel Gritzer says on Serious Eats, as these oils are easier to spread than saturated options such as butter, shortening or lard. Plus, unsaturated fats tend to build up seasoning faster. Canola, corn, soybean, sunflower and flaxseed (be sure to get culinary-grade) are accessible and affordable. Olive oil isn’t the best pick since it’s more expensive and has a lower smoke point, meaning it is more likely to burn.

Question 3 of 7

You can’t use dish soap on cast iron.

Mild dish soap is not strong enough to damage the seasoning, though you can skip it if you prefer. Remove food debris with a brush or the scrubby side of a soft sponge. If you need to scrape up crusted-on food, a paste of kosher salt mixed with oil or water can do the job. Chain mail scrubbers are another option. Just don’t use harsh cleaners or abrasives such as Bar Keepers Friend, which can actually remove the seasoning.

Question 4 of 7

It’s okay to use cast iron to cook acidic foods.

A well-seasoned pan can stand up to acidic foods such as tomato sauce, to a certain extent. To protect the seasoning and prevent metallic flavors in your food, Cook’s Illustrated recommends limiting the cook time for acidic foods to 30 minutes and then removing the food immediately. J. Kenji López-Alt also suggests staying away from cooking liquid-based dishes in cast iron until the seasoning is well-established.

Question 5 of 7

You should not put your cast-iron skillet in a dishwasher.

Dishwasher detergents can be harsh enough to damage the seasoning. Plus, extended exposure to moisture can cause rust. Wash your cast-iron pans by hand. Avoid soaking them for any longer than a few minutes, if at all, and dry with a clean towel right away. Briefly returning the pan to the burner can quickly evaporate any remaining water.

Question 6 of 7

You can’t use your cast-iron skillet on a glass cooktop.

Stove manufacturers who don’t recommend cast iron are likely covering themselves in the event that consumers damage the glass and call for repairs or replacements. But you can safely use cast-iron cookware on your ceramic cooktop, whether it’s traditional electric or induction. The key things to remember are not to drag the cookware on the glass and, of course, not to drop it. Superficial scratches won’t affect the performance of the cooktop (or the skillet).

Question 7 of 7

Eventually you will have to replace your cast-iron skillet.

Cast iron can handle way more than you may realize. When we collected reader stories about their beloved pans, several people told us their skillets have survived house fires. Unless it has cracked or rusted all the way through, “there isn’t much that can ‘ruin’ a cast-iron skillet,” America’s Test Kitchen says.

There are a variety of strategies for stripping and reseasoning cast iron when needed. For small patches of rust, use steel wool to rub it down before reseasoning. Manufacturer Lodge’s preferred method is to rub the seasoning oil or melted vegetable shortening all over the pan and let it bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for an hour, with a sheet of aluminum foil underneath to catch any drips. Repeat as necessary until the seasoning is where you want it to be.

If you have a truly abused skillet, you will need to strip the seasoning and do multiple rounds of restoring it. Strategies vary on how to strip seasoning, including using the self-cleaning feature of your oven. You’ll find plenty of guidance from experts online.

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What to Eat This Week. Healthy Meal Plan for April 17, 2023

What to Eat This Week. Healthy Meal Plan for April 17, 2023

Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our free Start TODAY newsletter to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox.

You asked, we answered! Hundreds of Start TODAY members told us they wanted more healthy, balanced meal ideas to help them reach their health goals. This dietitian-designed meal plan will help you learn the building blocks of healthy eating gives and gives you the flexibility to ease into spring and summer.

Planning meals is one of the easiest ways to eat healthier, reduce decision fatigue — no more pondering what’s for dinner at 3 PM — and save money by skipping prepared and takeout meals.

This week’s assortment keeps you on track with easy-to-assemble breakfasts and lunches and low-lift dinners. To plan for the week ahead, review the recipes and make a list of any ingredients you need. Consider whether you’ll be cooking dinner every night or if you’ll double — or triple — a recipe to eat as leftovers later in the week. Then head to the store.

With your kitchen stocked and the menu planned, the next step is making your meals. That’s where the real fun comes: Enjoying a range of healthful fare from cold brew oats to creamy pasta to honey mustard-glazed salmon.

What to Eat This Week, April 17

Start TODAY meal plan for the week of April 17, 2023
Start TODAY meal plan for the week of April 17, 2023

>>Download this week’s meal plan

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

>>Get this month’s workout plan: 30-day walking and resistance band routine

Breakfast

Eating breakfast is associated with better energy and concentration, so get your day off to the right start with these easy-to-make breakfast options.

Baked Eggs in Avocado

Shutterstock

Avocado and eggs go together like peanut butter and chocolate, don’t you think? While the avocado cups are broiling, spread a piece of whole-grain toast with Greek yogurt and top with smoked salmon and tomato. This will bolster the protein, fiber-rich carbs, and veggies in your meal. 

Cold Brew Overnight Oats

Courtesy Frances Largeman-Roth

Cold brew is the clever liquid base in these wholesome overnight oats. While oats are a fiber-rich satisfying breakfast, most people benefit from getting at least 20 grams of protein in the morning. To help hit this goal, pair your oats with a side of plain or low-sugar yogurt.

Whole Grain Toaster Waffle

Spread waffle with Greek yogurt (plain or low sugar) and top with berries.

Get more weekly meal plans

Lunch

This week’s lunches are multi-taskers — both could be transformed into a salad or sandwich. We’ve recommended one of each. Though leftovers are eater’s choice, we think the Edamame-Roasted Corn Succotash would be a perfect packed lunch.

Waldorf Tuna Salad with Greek Yogurt

Carrie Parente

Swapping traditional mayo for Greek yogurt doesn’t just save calories, it also boosts nutrition, providing some calcium and gut-nourishing live and active cultures. We suggest serving this dish over salad greens with whole grain crackers on the side, but you could also stuff it into a whole grain pita and have veggies on the side.

Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich

Spread whole grain bread with mayo and grainy mustard and stack with rotisserie chicken, lettuce and tomato. Serve with baby carrots on the side. For a vegetarian option, use mashed chickpeas.

Dinner

This week’s dinner lineup includes numerous timesaving tactics, such as bottled salad dressing, frozen edamame, and a one-pan dinner. If something catches your eye, make enough for leftovers, the ultimate timesaver.

Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard-Glazed Salmon with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes

TODAY

A balanced sheet-pan dinner means you don’t have to have multiple dishes cooking at once, and clean up is a breeze.

Edamame-Roasted Corn Succotash

Nathan R. Congleton / TODAY

Since edamame is a plant protein, you can easily serve this dish as a meatless main course. However, if you want another easy protein source, have it with store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Lemon Tarragon Chicken

FitMenCook(TM)

This is a dish that’s hard to mess up. The combo of lemon juice, olive oil and fresh tarragon elevates ordinary boneless chicken thighs in under 20 minutes. Serve over brown rice (from frozen, if desired) and roasted vegetables.

Creamy Kitchen Garden Pasta

Raymond Prado

Pasta is an easy and affordable meal, and this version is the perfect mix of creamy and nourishing. What could be better? 

Caesar Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

Nina Elder

A lettuce-less Caesar? You bet! Store-bought Caesar dressing is an easy way to dress up your next chicken dinner. Since this Caesar has no croutons, serve with a slice of sourdough bread to sop up leftover dressing.

Snacks

Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are a few ideas:

● Medjool dates with nut or nutless butter

● Blueberries over ricotta cheese

● Celery spread with cottage cheese

● Baby carrots dipped in protein-boosted mashed avocado. To make the dip, mash chickpeas or white beans into avocado.

● Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with tahini

Related:


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Why Flavored Water Recipes Are Trending on TikTok

Why Flavored Water Recipes Are Trending on TikTok

If you spend any amount of time on TikTok, you have almost assuredly been lured by the algorithm into a particularly weird niche of beverage videos in recent days. You’ve likely seen a woman, probably a thin woman, smiling as she fills her giant Stanley tumbler with crushed ice and purified water. That all seems perfectly normal, but then the woman pulls out an arsenal of syrups, powders, and liquid flavor enhancers that transform her boring glass of H2O into “birthday cake water” or “peach ring water.” Welcome to #watertok.

In this hydration-obsessed corner of TikTok, where videos hashtagged with #watertok have been viewed more than 84 million times, creators present a slew of “recipes” for spicing up water, that beverage we all need to survive. A particularly prolific creator in the trend is a woman named Tonya, who uses the handle @takingmylifebackat42. Since 2022, she’s racked up millions of views on videos in which she makes a wide range of low-calorie foods, but her water recipes are especially popular. She has recipes for bubblegum water, banana split water, unicorn cotton candy water and, of course, she has an affiliate code where you can purchase syrups to make your own flavored waters (and help her make a little bit of cash).

The people who post #watertok videos receive tons of comments, and some of these dismissively insist that what these creators are making is actually juice, or glorified Kool-Aid, or soda. But while I can’t really get worked up about whether or not these gross-sounding beverages can be reasonably called water, what’s actually upsetting is that #watertok is yet another diet culture fad that has gone mainstream via social media.

The recipes for lemon cake water and strawberry Starburst water didn’t spring fully formed out of the ether. The key thing that most of these water additives, which include sugar-free flavor packets made by brands like Hawaiian Punch and Crystal Light, have in common is that they’re made with artificial sweeteners, and thus, have zero or very few calories. Drinks like these have long been popular in the bariatric surgery community, where people who have undergone surgery are restricted to extremely low calorie diets.

In this context, it’s easy to see why something that tastes like a dessert but doesn’t have any calories has mainstream appeal right now, considering how many people, celebrities and regular folks alike, are taking semaglutide drugs originally intended to treat diabetes to lose weight. If thin is back in, as many cultural experts have observed in recent months, then so are the modern versions of Snackwell’s diet desserts. There is also likely some connection to the “loaded tea” phenomenon, where sugar-free drinks originally made with products from the multi-level marketing company Herbalife have achieved popularity on social media and in small towns across the country. But because it’s 2023, when nothing garners more “likes” and eyeballs than a ridiculous recipe, the popularity of #watertok also has a lot to do with creators packing drinks with an over-the-top number of additives solely for the purpose of driving views.

On some level, I get it. I’m a Stanley tumbler girlie, and an unabashed beverage girlie. I am not surprised that TikTok served this content to me, because I can’t get enough of a weird recipe trend. And for people who hate the taste of plain water, and there are many, the idea of getting hydrated while not drinking a beverage you loathe must be pretty enticing. But good grief, unless you have an actual medical need, just throw a slice of lemon in there or something.

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This Hanky Panky Recipe Puts a Spicy Twist on the Fernet Drink

This Hanky Panky Recipe Puts a Spicy Twist on the Fernet Drink

The Hanky Panky had always been a favorite of Ektoras Binikos, beverage director at Sugar Monk in Harlem, New York. When he set out to develop his own recipe for the drink, a variation of the classic Martinez, he opted not to mess with the “golden ratio” of Ada Coleman’s original recipe. Instead, his approach was to dissect and tweak the drink’s individual components, which are typically equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, plus a bracing bar spoon of Fernet-Branca—a simple and elegant construct, he notes. 

First, he subbed genever for gin, in a move that was admittedly more about practicality than preference. Each Monday, Sugar Monk offers classic cocktails to accompany live jazz performances. Because the menu leans on Prohibition-era drinks, it’s a gin-heavy list. “So we thought, let’s try something different,” he says.


At first, he tried a base of unaged whiskey, or moonshine, in place of the traditional gin. “The cocktail was too round, a little heavy,” according to Binikos. He then pivoted to malty genever, which added just enough complexity. Specifically, he uses Old Duff, an unaged Dutch genever distilled from a mix of rye and malted barley, which adds depth while being light enough that it doesn’t put off gin purists.


Juxtaposed against the genever, Binikos adds an equal amount of Carpano Antica, the bar’s vermouth of choice, for its vanilla tones, which harmonize with the maltiness of the genever.

Echoing the original, a teaspoon of Fernet-Branca anchors the drink. While Binikos’ preferred version switches the amaro for Branca Menta, he wasn’t convinced others would love it as much as he did. “Menta can take over,” he concedes. So he returned to Fernet-Branca, which allows the whiskey-like grain notes in the genever to shine.

The final differentiating touch comes via housemade orange bitters. When the pandemic temporarily shut down New York’s bars and restaurants, Binikos began manufacturing herb- and spice-infused amaros, liqueurs and bitters. Although these elaborate flavors had always been part of the bar’s drinks, he took advantage of the enforced downtime to codify the formulas and bottle them for commercial sale. 

The orange bitters—one of 17 varieties developed by the bar “to create something unique to Sugar Monk, another layer”—are made by combining coriander and cinnamon with a mix of Seville orange, bergamot, “a little bit of Buddha’s hand if available” and Thai or Japanese chile peppers. The latter ingredient imparts a touch of heat, which distinguishes the bitters from others on the market. While Sugar Monk’s bitters can be purchased at the bar, to approximate the effect at home, Binikos recommends infusing Regans’ orange bitters with fresh chiles. 

“There’s a little heat at the end, but not too much,” Binikos says. “It brightens the cocktail a little bit.” Finally, a quick spritz of orange oil over the top of the drink adds enticing aroma and accentuates the bitters. 

The result provides an accessible introduction to genever, with just a flicker of spicy heat enlivening a traditional stirred drink. And despite the conventional wisdom that the Martinez is a forerunner of the Martini, Binikos says his version is closer to a Negroni, thanks to its mix of sweet vermouth, orange and aperitif-adjacent Fernet. “It’s like two-thirds of a Negroni,” he says, “but more whimsical.”

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This Insightful TikTok Reveals a Potato Peeler Hack

This Insightful TikTok Reveals a Potato Peeler Hack
screenshot of tiktok showing how to use potato peeler

Photo: Screenshot from TikTok

Potato peelers are common kitchen tools, and  its design appears to be pretty intuitive. All you have to do is slide the blade down the surface of a vegetable to gently get rid of its skin. Despite sounding like a really simple process with a very basic tool, it looks like many of us have been missing out on the real potential of these utensils. A TikToker named Jenni (jenniabs), known for posting about dinner recipes and kitchen tools, has shared a trick regarding potato peelers that will blow your mind—and even save you some time in the kitchen.

In a video captioned, “Kitchen tools 101,” the cooking influencer asks viewers if they’ve ever wondered why potato peelers swivel back and forth. It turns out there’s functional reason for this. “You can not only go down but forward when you’re peeling so that you can peel the entire thing super fast without having to actually lift up the peeler off of the vegetable,” she explains, as she swiftly peels an entire sweet potato in a matter of seconds.

“Do you peel the old school way like this? Or do you you swivel back and forth?” she asks her audience. The video has since gone viral, eliciting funny and amazed comments. “I’ve always gotten mad ’cause I thought mine was just always loose,” wrote one follower. Another said, “This is why we need cooking classes in high school!” Others pointed out that the swivel feature also makes it accessible for both right and left-handed people.

Some of her followers also raised their concerns about peeling something towards one’s body or the dangers of accidentally slicing yourself, but she was quick to respond why it’s nearly impossible. “You’re never really lifting the blade off of the potato so you’re not actually putting the blade in a position to cut you,” she explains, adding how doing it the “old school way” is more dangerous. “You put the blade up, you put it down, it gives you an opportunity to accidentally miss and cut your skin,” she states. Jenni then adds that if you’re not confident enough to do it this way, you can also hold the potato down with a fork.

This is far from the only insightful video Jenni has shared on TikTok. She has posted a DIY sandwich bread recipe and some tips on how to shred chicken quickly, among other helpful tips and hacks for anyone who loves to cook. To stay up to date with her kitchen advice, you can follow Jenni on TikTok.

An insightful video posted to TikTok reveals a hack on how to use a potato peeler that will blow your mind—and even save you some time in the kitchen.

@jenniabs3 Did you know? #kitchengadgets ♬ original sound – Dinner Recipes | Kitchen Tools

Jenni, the original poster, also explained why it’s nearly impossible to hurt yourself while following this advice.

@jenniabs3 Replying to @ouhhoh_ @jenniabs3 ♬ original sound – Dinner Recipes | Kitchen Tools

jenniabs: Website | TikTok
h/t: [Comic Sands]

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