Pedialyte is one of the oldest electrolyte drink options on the market, used by children and adults alike for almost to 50 years. Whether you are battling a hangover or dehydrated from an illness, Pedialyte is an ideal hydration solution. Oftentimes we find ourselves in situations where we do not have a bottle or packet of electrolytes on hand. Rather than run to the grocery store consider making it yourself. HydrationReview has you covered with a recipe that can be pulled together with ingredients found in most kitchens (and all grocery stores). Maybe you will decide you look your homemade version better!
Pedialyte Recipe
The HydrationReview recipe is modeled on the real the Pedialyte nutritional information published on the manufacturer’s website1. Follow the instructions below to turn household ingredients into a drink that is almost nutritionally identical to the real product. Enjoy!
- 12 oz of water
- About 1/6 of a tsp or roughly two “dashes” of table salt. Alternatively you can use one 1/4 teaspoon of fine grind pink Himalayan salt. Both options provide ~370 mg of sodium.
- 1 tablespoon of molasses or ½ cup of orange juice providing ~280 mg of Potassium. If neither of those sound appealing, check out other options for including potassium on the the National Institutes of Health Website.
(Pedialyte includes 2.8 mg zinc but this is not completely necessary for hydration in the developed world: see our Optimal Hydration article for more background. If you really want zinc consider eating something from this separate list2 provided by the National Institutes of Health).
Having second thoughts about a DIY solution? Consider Pedialyte electrolyte powder instead. You can store these packets for a long time and break one out when you are in need of some hydration, saving yourself a trip to the grocery store.
Pedialyte Alternatives
There are also a number of other outstanding hydrating electrolyte mixes with similar properties to pedialyte as well. Liquid IV is one of the most popular electrolytes available today and it’s medically based formula was reported to be very effective when tested by Hydration Review. Alternatively SOS is another HydrationReview favorite, providing a low sugar option, created by athletes and doctors from Australia.
References
1 “Pedialyte® Classic Mixed Fruit Flavor.” Pedialyte, 15 Nov. 2021, pedialyte.com/products/classic/mixed-fruit.
2“Office of Dietary Supplements – Zinc.” Office of Dietary Supplements, 2020, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional.
