Do you cringe like I do when someone gives your kids a Gatorade or Powerade sports drink?
Would you like an easy all-natural sports drink recipe?
Just want to buy it?
If you don't think you'll make this, as easy as it is, here's an alternative that you can buy.
What’s the big deal?
Sports drinks from the store contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives, fake colors and flavors, and other nasty stuff. Here’s a blurb from Gatorade’s website in their FAQ section:
Why do you use artificial color? Can you make Gatorade without artificial colors?
The colors of Gatorade not only look good but also help in flavor perception and enable you to tell different flavors apart. All colors and ingredients in Gatorade qualify for human consumption according to the requirements of the FDA, added at the lowest possible level to achieve the desired color.”
That makes us feel better doesn’t it? NOT.
Thankfully, my friend Sonia has come through again!
She made it her mission to come up with an inexpensive, simple recipe for a homemade, all-natural sports drink without the scary ingredients.
Here are her recipe notes:
Below are my two ‘recipes'. They were tasty to my family, but this is definitely one of those things that everyone will want to adjust. Something for your readers to keep in mind, however, is that there is a proper amount of sugar needed for the most effective absorption of a sports drink. I took the information from this site. So if your readers want to tweak the recipe, they should consider adding a little Stevia, fresh lemon or lime juice–not more of the pre-made juice.
I have a pitcher with a plunger-mixer built in to the top. It is perfect for getting the honey mixed in thoroughly and dissolving the sea salt. Otherwise, a whisk or a vigorous shaking will do the trick.
Sonia's All-Natural Sports Drink- Lemon Flavor
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 quarts water
Instructions
- Mix well.
And here's another recipe if you're not a fan of lemon flavor…
Sonia's All-Natural Sports Drink -- Cranberry-Pomegranate Flavor
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix well.
UPDATE: A few readers have reminded me that coconut water is a super nourishing sports drink on its own! For these recipes, though, I'm not sure if you could just use it to replace the water, or if there are some other tweaks that should happen, if you try it, please let us know?
- Here's another recipe I found that includes more minerals!
- Also, see this post from Stanley: Grass fed bone broth – the traditional mineral supplement!
THANKS SONIA!
Nourishing Beverage Recipes:
- Have you tried homemade Kefir soda pop yet?
- What about this one? Fermented lemonade punch – yum!
- Vanilla steamers are a hit around here, too.
Seth McCutchen says
I am a fellow catholic mother, and If i want lemon, and i only have 1 lemon, how many more lemon does one need? thnx ;););)
KitchenKop says
It takes approximately 4-5 lemons to get enough juice for a cup, so to make the 2 quart recipe above you’d need 2-3 lemons since it calls for half-cup of juice. If you only have one, try just halving the other ingredients to make one quart!
Kelly
Denise Sandlin Wilson says
Bioplasma Cell Salts are also very helpful! They helped me so much when I was pregnant and staying very dehydrated in spite of drinking water all day long!!
Robin Janz says
If he had an incident of excessive heat exposure, it can make him more susceptible in future. And some people are just naturally very heat sensitive.
Sheryl Senkiw says
Also, look for other causes of the headaches and vomiting, such as toxins in the air or lead or other toxins in the soil.
Kathy Weiss says
I was instructed by the dr. to mix the stuff I needed to take before my colonoscopy with Gatorade…I had never drank the stuff before and I will never forget how I came very close to vomiting. So gross!
Allyson Bossie says
Coconut water! God’s natural electrolyte replacement drink!
Michelle Smith says
a recipe that I use is my homemade vitamin water…. Blend however much fruit of your choice (I use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of frozen organic) with a blender about 3/4’s full of water and raw honey to sweeten to taste. I use very little honey myself to mimic the store bought ones. Blend well and strain the fruit out. Behold ! Your amazing healthy home made vitamin water ! Your welcome
Ally Schuetzler says
I need to do this! I keep putting it off but i should. I drink electrolyte water daily… it is necessary to combat c.v.s. and my migraines… not sure why regular water only does not work for me yet but getting a healthier version of gatorade is something I should be doing. Thank you for sharing such great stuff ♡ 😀
Laura Graham says
I was just talking about this with my 8 year old who got sick yesterday after drinking half a red Gatorade
Caroline Novak says
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been looking for a natural sports drink recipe to replace Gatorade, Eload and all those, and think I’ll try these.
Kim Courtier says
Theres also a really healthy alternative like https://vitalyte.com it tastes great and has way less sugar, is more natural. I hate when I see other moms giving their kids gatoraide. Vitalyte is much better imo
james says
From what I understand coconut water can replace water. Tom Brady, the patriots QB, keeps it in his locker.
Colleen says
As if we adults are so dumb that if the beverage isn’t colored purple, it wouldn’t taste like grape???? Or if it’s not red in color, we don’t know by tasting that it’s cherry or strawberry?????? And goodness knows we certainly can’t READ the label where it TELLS us the flavor???? HELLO? I guess they just think we are stupid!
These companies and their VERY POOR excuses are driving me crazy!!!! Sheesh!
this guy says
actually, your sight and smell and taste are very closely related. if lemon jello is colored red, people think its a red fruit. really. its not stupidity, its just the way our brains are wired. google it =D
GiGi says
I see olade as the “all natural” sports drink: https://www.examiner.com/nutrition-in-boulder/an-ode-to-olade-review
Melody Joy says
Those look great! Just to contribute a few more…When I was in labor I drank labor-aide. Very similar to the first sports drink recipe, but with calcium and magnesium added (via crushed up supplements). My midwife recommended it but I think Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home has a similar recipe, too.
Hannah says
These recipes sound much more delicious then sports drinks to me. I had a Gatorade once and I can’t stand them now.
These drinks sound like the perfect refreshment for a hot summer day when you’ve been playing outside. Can’t wait to try it!
Bekah says
Last time I was in labor I drank diluted coconut water with lemon and salt added to taste. It worked great and I felt great.
Liz Ferguson says
Kelly… I’ve never been able to stomach sports drinks, even before I knew what was in them! My long runs do require electrolyte replacement though, and I drink coconut water. I’ve run 14 – 23 mile runs (2’ish — 4+ hours) and and felt great with coconut water supplementing my plain ole’ water.
KitchenKop says
Thanks to those of you above (and on Twitter) who reminded me about coconut water – this IS a very nourishing drink! I just wonder how it should change these recipes though, or is it fine to just use it to replace the water in the recipe? Does anyone know? I’m going to edit the post…
sandy says
Wow! These recipe’s are awesome! I’m certainly going to try these for my husband. THANK YOU!
Amber says
Totally going to put this together this weekend and play with it. I’ve a feeling I’m going to need it going through my last trimester in the heat of the summer 😉
Andy says
I will definitely try these. What I usually drink to replace a ‘sports drink’ is coconut water.
shannon says
Totally bookmarking these! While in labor, I drank orange Gatorade like it was going out of style. It hit the spot so much and I drank it for days afterwards too. I think I was very dehydrated because I was in the birthing pool for many hours and I’d like to try one of these instead this time.
Julie says
Thanks! This post is a keeper. Good ideas from Sonia and also those commenting.
Rachel (Girl In An Apron) says
I was just talking with my midwife last night about alternatives to gatorade, and coconut water can get pricey. Thank you so much for posting this!
Tamara says
I make a ‘gatorade’ drink that tastes just like the lemon lime flavor, just not as sweet. I pour plain coconut water over lots of ice and add a squirt (maybe a couple tsps) of key lime juice (key lime does taste more like gatorade in this concoction but regular lime would work fine). Stir and enjoy!
Rivki says
My kids will be sooooo excited! I am the mean mommy who doesn’t allow sports drink or soda.
Lynne says
Great timing! I need this recipe. Football training has begun.
Amanda Y. says
I’m really surprised to see you are in favor of stevia? I really wonder if it it won’t just come out to be just as bad as other fake sweeteners in several years?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
All my trusted sources say this one is ok! I rarely use it myself though as I’ve never had good luck w/ it.
karyn says
Stevia is an actual plant whereas the other fake sweeteners are, well, not really anything, are they?
JayAnna says
Yes! Stevia comes from the “stevia leaf” itself, whereas most fake sweeteners rely on the sugar FRUCTOSE to sweeten without calories. The problem with fructose is that it is a type of sugar that our body cannot digest, hence the problems and symptoms of using those sweeteners. Other rely on aspartame–a man-made chemical to sweeten (yoplait light yogurt uses this one for example). Truvia is another good, all-natural sweetener–also extracted from the stevia leaf. =)
KitchenKop says
Truvia has something else in there too, though, I believe it’s a sugar alcohol (iffy from what I hear), but don’t have time to go look it up right now…
Musings of a Housewife says
Oh fun, I will definitely try this. I really want to make Kefir water – I was able to buy some at my whole foods mart and I like it!! I also like how my tummy likes it. But I am just dreading investing in all the bottles and stuff. It seems like a pain, and it’s yet another expense, sigh….
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Kefir water is actually SO easy JL!! I make kefir soda regularly. 🙂
KitchenKop says
(I just came across this again when looking the recipe up for a friend…) Did you try making it yet, Jo-Lynne?
I just wanted to tell you that the bottles and capper and caps are actually super cheap. And to make kefir soda pop, it literally takes me 5 minutes or less one day, and 10 minutes or less the next whenever I decide we need more. Easy!
ValerieH says
I have water kefir grains. It sits on the counter for 3 days (or more). When we want to drink it, I put it in a pitcher, add some sweetener, lemon juice or herbal fruit tea and call it “mom’s kool-aid”.
Katie @ Wellness Mama says
It is incredibly easy, and I just use mason jars and not any special bottles. I hope its ok to share a link… this is the recipe I use https://wellnessmama.com/2261/how-to-make-water-kefir-soda/ . It makes the soda well carbonated, and we all love it. Right now, my water kefir grains are making 1/2 gallon every 1-2 days, which is enough for our family. I’d definitely encourage you to try it!