Homemade Electrolyte Pops (Pedialyte Alternative)
My poor kiddos got hit with a sickness this past week that knocked ’em down pretty good. Actually, Superman got it first, then me,…then WHAM! All of them. Thankfully, it wasn’t a stomach bug, but it did come with a nasty headache, body aches and fever. And loss of appetite. It used to be that anytime my kids were hit with an illness (especially a stomach bug), if there was any danger of dehydration, I would run to the store and grab some Pedialyte pops. My kids loved them, and I think they actually felt a little bit happy when they were sick because they would get these.
But this time around, aside from stuffing them with a never-ending flow of homemade chicken stock, I knew better than to get the Pedialyte pops. Have you seen the ingredients??
It kills me that at a time when our kids are doing their darndest to recover from an illness, I used to pump them full of all sorts of food dyes, added sugars, and artificial flavors. Ugh.
I realized, there is a better way!
The whole point of giving our kids the pops is because they contain certain electrolytes that help them restore mineral loss after vomiting and diarrhea. For an alternative option to keep your kids hydrated, try hydration drinks from Sqwincher.
Well, did you know that coconut water (in its purest form) is high in natural minerals and sugars, and is actually so close to human plasma, that it has been used in blood transfusions?? {source}
Take a look at the label:
As you can see, it contains a great amount ofpotassium (needed for proper electrolyte balance) and a host of other great minerals. And all it is is coconut water. Nothing else. In order to help balance out the potassium, I added 1/4 tsp of quality sea salt.
In order to add in a few other awesome benefits, including aiding with sleep and inflammation, I also included tart cherry juice:
It’s important that your cherry juice is tart cherry juice and that it has no added sugars. I picked up this one from my local grocery store for about $5.
My kids ended up loving these, and want me to make them just for fun!
| Servings |
pops
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- 1.5 cups pure coconut water careful--a lot of brands have added ingredients
- 1/2 cup tart cherry juice you should be able to pick this up at your local grocery store
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients
|
- Combine all ingredients in a large glass measuring cup.
- Use a funnel to fill each popsicle bag, leaving space for expansion.
- Either tie off the top, or use this handy little sealer that I used!
- If you want it even simpler, you can get THESE zip-top popsicle bags!
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