When Pedialyte isn’t easily available and not on hand when your child gets sick, here are some great tips to make your own homemade Pedialyte and how to get your little one to drink it. This recipe will help you make your own electrolyte drink and comes in pretty handy since most parents don’t have the actual brand in the house when their little one comes down with a stomach virus and electrolytes need to be restored. When dehydration becomes an issue, getting fluids back in as soon as possible is most important.
As for single parents, they typically can’t leave their baby at home to run to the store and often times they don’t have anyone available to make a run for them when their child becomes ill. This is one of the reasons this article was written.
When making your Pedialyte alternative, there are at least four benefits or pluses for those who wish to make it at home:
Benefits of Homemade Pedialyte
Benefits of Homemade Pedialyte- It’s less expensive.
- It tastes better than the name brand and if it tastes better, you’re more likely to get fluids and electrolytes into your child which is the goal.
- Another reason to make your own is that it’s easy and convenient. I have all of these ingredients on hand. It’s also great for adults after a work out on a hot summer day or when traveling.
A Pedialyte alternative isn’t just good for upset tummies, but also good for colds and fevers. It helps to keep the electrolytes in check as well as keeping little ones hydrated.
If your child has a cold, fever, diarrhea or is vomiting, try this.
TIP: If you serve it up in an adult drinkware, your child may want to drink it.
Recipe for Homemade Pedialyte
3 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp. baking soda (optional – good for upset tummies!) – I use this baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar (don’t use honey as a substitute if your child is under 12 months of age).
This is the non-jello version, but you can add jello if desired, see below:
1 teaspoon Jell-o powder or Kool Aid (optional) – if using Kool Aid you may need to add more sugar depending on which kind you have.
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all your dry ingredients together in a pitcher. Add hot water to the pitcher and stir until well mixed and dissolved. Add your cold water and stir. This keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days. That’s all there is to it. You may want to also pour some of the liquid into ice trays and put popsicle sticks in them for a treat. Sometimes it’s easier to get a child to lick the ice pop than it is to drink it from a cup when they are sick. Sipping is better than gulping for upset tummies as drinking too quickly could cause more vomiting.
Don’t have jello? Try this jello water recipeto get fluids and electrolytes into your child.
- 6 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1liter (or 4.2 cups) of filtered drinking water
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Vitamin Drinks and Homemade Pedialyte
Making your own alternative electrolyte drink is cheaper than Gatorade, Powerade or Vitamin Water, which would be the grown up version, although sometimes my children prefer Vitamin Water over Pedialyte. Note that the different flavors of Vitamin Water have various vitamins in them which is their marketing strategy. Those amounts of vitamins are suggested to be so small that it makes not much difference. Some give their children vitamin supplements anyway and feel that the electrolytes are beneficial.
One might also be surprised to see how much sugar is in these vitamin type drinks. This is shocking since they claim to be so healthy for you. When you do the math, this recipe has less sugar and carbs than most of these vitamin drinks. Kids love them because they are accustomed to the taste of Kool Aid and Jell-o. Trying to get children to drink the brand Pedialyte due to taste is often a chore, so mom is a happy mom thanks to this recipe. It’s great to have another alternative to Vitamin Water that, for me, is usually cost prohibitive. This is a keeper!
Ever Wonder What Ingredients are in Pedialyte ?
After the Illness
After your child has stopped vomiting for at least 4 hours, you can start the B.R.A.T. diet. B.R.A.T. stands for Bread, rice, applesauce and toast, and go from there. Stay away from anything spicy or greasy for a couple of days.
**Advanced and severe dehydration should be evaluated and treated by a medical professional. This homemade pedialyte recipe is posted in case you feel you want to use it. We make no diagnosis or suggestions for the care of your child. If your child is ill, a call to your pediatrician or family physician may be needed. The material on this site is for educational or entertainment purposes only.
Pedialyte Alternative FAQ
Can you make your own Pedialyte?
You can make a Pedialyte alternative by adding salt and sugar into a glass of water. Add Jello for flavoring (for kids).
What can I substitute for Pedialyte?
To make a Pedialyte alternative, you will need salt which is an electrolyte that is lost in dehydration and sweating. Optionally, you can add potassium and magnesium. Use Koolaid, apple juice or any kind of juice and additional sweetener if needed. For stomach sickness, Koolaid may be more gentle than juice.
Is Pedialyte a good source of electrolytes?
Pedialyte is a good source of electrolytes but can be more expensive than making your own. A DIY recipe is an easy solution with ingredients many people have on hand.
