💦 How to Make Your Own Clean-Ingredient 'Powerade' At Home

Thirsty? Here Are 5 Healthier Sports Drink Alternatives

Hey, hey, my friend—

Today, I am sharing 5 better-for-you “Powerade” options for when you're sick, sweaty, orrrrr… just hungover (hey, it happens!).

But before we jump in, I have to share that The Reset recently passed 19,000 total subscribers! So, so wild.

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Whether it’s a sickness, a hot summer day, your kiddo’s soccer game, or too much champagne toasting, we all know the importance of electrolyte beverages like Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialyte for optimizing hydration, since their balance of added electrolytes, minerals, and sugar can help with water absorption and energy.

Which is good. Great, even! These beverages can be incredibly helpful when you are feeling run down.

That said, I do want to highlight a few things that you’ll find on the back of the Powerade bottle: high fructose corn syrup (one of the first ingredients… 😅), additives, fake colors, and all sorts of chemicals you can’t pronounce.

Is this a huge deal? No.

There have been manyyyy a time where I have leaned on these drinks for hydration purposes. … and, guess what, I lived to tell the tale! ;)

As always, I don’t believe in a “perfect", dogmatic approach to clean eating. So, if you feel great with your current sports beverage consumption, no worries! You do you.

But, in general, I personally try to opt for whole food, simple ingredients in both my food and beverages when I can. And that includes when I sip electrolyte sports drinks.

The good news is that there are many ways to make a more simple “powerade” that serves the same hydration purposes— without all the extra additives.

All it takes is a proper balance of a little sugar, electrolytes, minerals, and water to greatly improve hydration— and today I’ll show you that you can achieve this with more pure ingredients.

In this post, I’ll give you 5 different options you can use to make your own electrolyte beverages at home (and the best part is, they’re SO easy!).

I have used these for my toddler when he is sick, for my husband after an especially hard work out, during my battle with hyperemesis gravidarum this pregnancy, a hot summer’s day, a night spent “cheers-ing” with friends, and beyond.

So, whether you want a premade mix, a ready-to-go bottle, or a DIY easy at-home recipe, here are 5️⃣ better ways to go about getting your hydration. Bottoms up! 

This is my fave option if I have time to whip it up at home! It couldn’t be more simple (or versatile!), and here’s how ya do it: 

💦 Ingredients

• 16 oz. of water, coconut water, or herbal tea (it’s totally your choice!)

• 1/8 tsp quality, unrefined salt (I use Redmond Real Salt* or sea salt)

• 1/4 cup organic juice of your choice

  • PRO TIP: While any juice is fine, an organic, high-quality citrus juice (like orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime juice) can maximize additional potassium.

  • NO JUICE?: If you don’t have juice on hand, you can also use 1 TBSP of raw honey as your carb source. You just may need to stir/dissolve more deliberately.

• Optional: 1/2 tsp of calcium/magnesium powder (this is a fine option!*)

• *NOTE: this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or made in bulk. Just multiply accordingly!

• Example: 16 oz ginger-turmeric tea, 1/8th tsp of salt, 1/4th cup lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of calcium/magnesium powder

💦 Instructions

This really is a one and done recipe: gather your ingredients and mix them together. That’s it! But I do want to make a few quick notes about the quality of ingredients you’re looking for. 

• Salt: You want a really high quality, unrefined salt rather than a traditional table salt. Unrefined salts have more potassium & more of the trace minerals that help your body better utilize the salt for hydration. It may seem like a small detail, but the quality of your salt really does matter.
  

• Organic Juice: This is your carb source! This is where electrolyte drinks really pack an energy punch. Definitely recommend a HIGH-QUALITY organic juice for this so your bod will get the best use of the energy, without all the low-quality ingredients that many common juices have. 

  • For example, I would definitely choose a juice like this over a commercially available brand, when you are able. Notice how the ingredient list contains SOLELY the pure fruit juice and not made from concentrate. Most grocery stores do carry these higher-quality juices, but you’ll often have to hunt the aisles away from the “normal” juices!
    

• The reason I love this recipe is it’s so versatile — you can change up the base however you want by swapping out your base liquid and you can also change up the juice to create new flavors or find your fave combos! Don’t worry too much about getting it “right” or developing some perfect concoction— just use whatever base liquid and juice you have on hand, and it’ll likely turn out great. For real. (That said, if you try a certain flavor combo that you love, drop a comment & let us know!)

Another option I utilize a lot (um, like, every single day) is called LMNT*, and the proof is in the pudding with these bad boys.

If you took a peek at my Amazon order history you’d see that I’ve ordered from LMNT literally 35 times, and most times when I’m buying I snag like 5 boxes at once… so I’ve legitimately probably gone through 175+ boxes of these… 🤯

These are ready-to-go drink packets that you can simply mix with water and get all the electrolyte and mineral hydration benefits.

Even though the above DIY recipe isn’t necessarily super labor intensive, these powder packets are perfect when I need something QUICK. And tasty. Not to mention, they are great for travel or packing for on-the-go.

The Ingredients: Salt, Citric Acid, Magnesium Malate, Potassium Chloride, Natural Flavors, Stevia Leaf Extract (…um, do you realize how much SHORTER that list is than the Powerade examples listed at the top of the page??? 😅)

That said, one thing to note with these is that these do not have a pure sugar source and instead use natural sweeteners, which in general are not my faaaaavorite (even though they sound “healthy”, many natural flavors can be a cocktail of chemicals guised under a healthy label), but I still feel fine with it considering how much better the ingredients still are than Gatorade, and all the other benefits I get from them. (I also dove deeper into why I’m okay with occasional “natural flavors” in a previous version of Ask Kate Anything!).

The good news about them not having a sugar? They are more blood-sugar-friendly and better for consistent use. The bad news? They don’t contain as strong of carb + energy source as other options on this list.

Because of this, I use these more for everyday hydration and less for intense athletic recovery or severe illness, where the extra sugar/energy would be more beneficial for me. (That said, if you are worn down and want the extra sugar, simply add a splash of organic juice or raw honey when you mix these with water and you’d be good to go!)

Overall, I LOVE THESE. The taste, ease, and hydration benefits I get are so clutch for me. Adam and I love them and I hope you do too!

…But, you guys know me, I always want to DELIVER here on The Reset, and never want to leave you hanging.

So, due to the natural sweeteners in LMNT, I did go on a hunt for you guys just because I know that some people are more particular about avoiding those and I wanted to give you guys another, 100% clean option for a ready-to-go mix.

I found this one called the Electrolyte Power from Earthley*, and the ingredients are amazing. Like, incredible.

• The sugar source is maple syrup,

• the salt is Himalayan pink sea salt,

• and there’s cream of tartar for potassium and that’s it.

I mean, HELLO, beautiful whole food ingredients!

While I don’t love the taste nearly as much as LMNT and find it less comprehensive from an electrolyte perspective, it absolutely gets the job done and— like I said— has more pure ingredients!

So I just wanted to share this powder mix, as well. It’s another incredible option to have stocked on your shelf for the next time someone in your household is sick, sweaty, or worn down.

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Okay, admittedly, I have not tried these* yet— I found them while doing research for this post, but I am quite impressed by the ingredient list.

I know that some people, especially kiddos, may still want the “in a bottle” Powerade experience. For example, if they’re off to a soccer tournament, you could just throw a few of these in their bags.

While I was searching, this was the best option I could find for a bottle/container that was ready-to-go.

INGREDIENTS: Filtered Water, Organic Coconut Water from Concentrate, Organic Lemon Juice from Concentrate, Organic Lemon Flavor, Himalayan Pink Salt, Organic Stevia Leaf Extract

Not bad, eh? Especially when you compare it to the ingredient lists at the top of this post. Let me know if anyone gives them a whirl, and if you or your kids enjoy!

My OGs know…nothing beats thee lemon-chia water. I’ve been having this recipe for years, and I wanted to drop it here again because it is great for hydration!

While chia seeds in your water may seem random, many historical cultures (Aztec, Mayan, Mexican, etc) utilized them as a powerful hydration aid, and for good reason! These small-but-mighty seeds absorb water quickly and hold up to 10 times their weight in liquid, creating a gel-like texture and fiber that allows you to absorb the water steadily and maximize your hydration.

And to make this classic drink more Powerade-y, all you need to do is add a more tangible sugar source— so, to upgrade, simply sub in 1/4th cup of organic juice of your choice in the place of lemon slices!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 16 oz of water

• A pinch of unrefined salt

• Approx. 0.5 - 1 tsp of chia seeds

• 1/4th cup of organic juice of your choice

Instead of the lemon slices, add 1/4th cup of organic juice of your choice + pinch of salt + chia seeds + filtered water = hydration bliss! A new twist on a classic drink ◡̈

That’s a wrap!

Whether it’s heat or sickness or your kiddo’s tee-ball team, these are just some cleaner ways to optimize hydration with a better-for-you electrolyte drink. I hope this roundup was helpful and that you try some of these options out — let me know your fave in the comments (or if you have any other recs!)

Cheers!

PS: I'm currently preparing for my maternity leave this fall (!) and working on some posts in advance ◡̈ Are there any topics you'd love for me to cover? Whether it's health, lifestyle, motherhood, or anything in-between, please drop a comment with your ideas. I already have some fun content planned for while I'm away, but I always want to hear from YOU!

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: As I’ve mentioned before, Etsy is one of my favorite ways to shop small and find unique items— and this handwritten embroidered dish towel* & wall hanging* fit the bill. So simple yet meaningful, and would make an incredible gift! (I am already dreaming up how I could get my late Grandma Pat’s raspberry jam recipe on here…🥹)

SONG OF THE WEEK: “I Wonder” by Ella Grace. Mmmmm. Do yourself a favor and listen.

JOURNAL PROMPT OF THE WEEK: “As I enter the final month of summer, are there any lingering items on my seasonal bucket list? What do I want to do? How do I want this month to feel?”

*Please note that this post did contain affiliate links. While my recommendations are completely honest & unsponsored, shopping through these links may result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you!). Thanks for the support!