Water, bottled, generic

Bottled water needs no preparation, it's poured straight from the bottle into a glass or used directly in cooking and baking wherever a recipe calls for water, from boiling pasta to mixing a pitcher of iced tea to thinning a sauce. Because it carries no flavor of its own, it's the default choice recipes reach for when a neutral liquid is needed rather than one that would compete with other ingredients like broth or juice. It's also frozen into ice cubes for cold drinks, used to steam vegetables, or poured into a kettle for tea and coffee when a cleaner-tasting water than the tap is wanted.

Keep sealed bottles in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and heat, since warmth and light can affect the taste of the plastic over time, and once opened, refrigerate and use within a few days for the best taste. With 0 calories, 0g of protein, fat and carbohydrate, and just 2mg of sodium per 100g, it's essentially a calorie-free, sodium-free base, making it a straightforward way to add volume to a drink or a dish without contributing to the day's calorie or sodium totals from any other ingredient on the plate. Because it adds no flavor, calories, or sodium of its own, it's also the simplest way to stay hydrated alongside a meal without affecting the nutrition of anything else being served.