Homemade Electrolyte Drink

Got a cold or the flu? Need to rehydrate? Or play a lot of sports and looking for a healthy alternative? Try this Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe, it’s easy and full of flavor and natural ingredients!

I love my homemade electrolyte drink. It’s refreshing and rehydrating. And there’s NO artificial junk in it. Why did I decide to make my own electrolyte recipe? My 8-year-old son was sick, and I wanted a homemade Pedialyte alternative.

A few years ago,  he got the stomach flu every few months due to inflammation in his colon (read more about our experience), which we were able to heal with colostrom and probiotic supplement, gluten-free diet and extra virgin cod liver oil.

We’ve got the routine down. BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and gluten-free toast) diet and an electrolyte drink, usually Pedialyte. But when I began really looking at the label, I was horrified to find so many harmful ingredients – such as artificial colors and flavors. That’s when I decided to make my own homemade electrolyte drink.

How to Make Your Own Homemade Electrolyte Drink

I wanted a natural homemade electrolyte drink to increase my son’s hydration. Salt is a key ingredient in getting electrolytes into the body. I adapted this simple recipe from Mother Nature Network and loved that I could use ingredients that I use everyday from my kitchen. This is an ideal natural cold or stomach flu remedy and natural sports drink for kids.

Simply put all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend well.

What’s In A Typical Electrolyte Drink?

The strawberry-flavored Pedialyte one-liter container has the following ingredients: Water, Dextrose, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Zinc Gluconate, Red 40 and Blue 1.

We’ve tried the unflavored version and it was so horrid that my son wouldn’t even drink it. Plus, I was bothered that it still contained chemicals that I didn’t want my son to ingest. And sports drinks like Gatorade contain other harmful ingredients such as brominated vegetable oils along with refined sugars and artificial colors.

What Are Electrolytes and Why Do We Need Them?

In a nutshell, electrolytes are basically salts – specifically the ions in salt. According to Discovery Health, “electrolytes are important because they are what your cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells.”

Furthermore, when kids get the stomach flu or have diarrhea or vomiting, they lose electrolytes and need to replenish them. The same goes for kids (and adults) who exercise a lot – they lose electrolytes (specifically sodium and potassium) through sweat.¹

The major electrolytes in the body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate and sulfate.²

When’s The Best Time To Have An Electrolyte Drink?

An electrolyte drink is a great way to rehydrate your body, so it’s great if you have a fever or stomach bug. It’s also great if you are working out or playing sports, so that you don’t get dehydrated. If you are using this as a sports drink, you should have it before you exercise rather than using once you are dehydrated and maybe cramping.

Natural Electrolyte Drink

Rather than the store bought drinks, this homemade version contains natural ingredients and no artificial flavors, preservatives or processed ingredients. I use raw honey for natural sweetness and sugar, but if you are vegan you can swap this for maple syrup.

Top Tips To Make This Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

• Use fresh lemon and orange juice, not store bought boxed juices.
• Add ice to the blender if you prefer a cold drink.
• Make a large batch and store the drink in the fridge in mason jars.

I also have recipes for Homemade Electrolyte Popsicles, Cold-Busting Gummy Snacks (made with black cherry and elderberries) and a Natural Homemade Sports Drink made with essential oils (for an extra immunity boost), as well as tips on how to use essential oils for colds and flu.

Customize Your Homemade Electrolyte Drink

You can customize the flavor of this homemade electrolyte drink with just a few recipe modifications. I love the original recipe as my go-to but sometimes we like to change it up too. I’ve included a recipe with essential oils as I get asked a lot if essential oils can be incorporate. I only recommend this brand of essential oils as they can be used for consumption.

More Cold and Flu Remedies You Might Like

• Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup
• Homemade Electrolyte Popsicles (Better than Pedialyte)
• Cold-buster Elderberry Gummy Snacks
• Immune-Boosting Turmeric Latte Recipe (Golden Milk Drink)
• Honey Lemon Ginger Elixir – Natural Cold Remedy

Did you try this homemade electrolyte drink? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Want More Recipes?

Check out my new book, Gluten-Free, Real Food Recipes for Kids. I wrote this book with YOU in mind. Parents who want to provide kids with wholesome meals without artificial colors, preservatives and other additives. All the recipes are gluten-free – with many options for grain free or Paleo, dairy free, egg free and vegetarian.

What’s Included In This Book

It’s filled with 130+ pages of content and recipes, including:

• Real food nutrition 101
• Detailed information on how to properly soak and sprout nuts, beans, grains and seeds
• A guide on how to spot chemical additives and what to avoid
• Kitchen essentials and cooking tools
• Tips on how to get kids to become better eaters and help in the kitchen
• 70+ gluten-free recipes – such as snacks and appetizers, beverages, condiments and dressings, main meals, desserts and more

Footnotes: 1, 2, “What Are Electrolytes?”, Discovery Health.