Home made keto-aid powder!
Dragonwolf
Posts: 5,600 Member
I mentioned a couple of months ago, that I needed a better way to do electrolyte drinks while at a major mid-summer annual camping trip, and the store-bought stuff had a bunch of crap and would require higher concentrations to get a decent amount of electrolytes for the context, making them not worth their price tags. So, I decided to try making my own (why? Because I can).
To review, here were the requirements:
1. Taste as good or better than the store-bought stuff.
2. Contain at least as much (or ideally more) electrolytes per serving (because keto+camping+humid heat+little shade+high activity+alcohol=dehydration city and a personal hell by day 4).
3. Cost less.
4. Be compact and portable (because camping).
5. Withstand heat/shelf stable.
6. Generate less waste.
So, what did I come up with?
1 packet koolaid (or similar unsweetened drink mix)
4g salt
2g cream of tartar
2g natural calm
1tbsp stevia (or sweetener to taste at roughly 1c sugar equivalent per gallon)
Blend in a food processor or blender to get a fine powder.
Makes a gallon.
And how did I do?
Per 8oz, we have:
100mg sodium
20mg potassium
10mg magnesium
How does it stack up with the competition? Well...better than Mio electrolytes and on par with Propel. I tested strawberry lemonade home made with berry Propel and Lemon Lime Mio, so it's a bit of apples and oranges on the taste front, but taste is on par with Gatorade, in my opinion. Oh, and no Ace K, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, so there's that.
To compare, Propel has 105mg sodium and 32.5mg potassium, while the Mio electrolyte has 75mg sodium and 35mg potassium per 8oz serving. Neither product lists the amount of magnesium, so I have nothing to compare there. So, potassium is a little low, but I blame that more on my scale being stupid (it's very difficult to measure out 2g when my scale wants to jump straight to 4g from 0), so I also suspect both sodium and potassium are a little higher than listed here.
I didn't get to get dedicated containers, so I used straws that I had and filled a bunch of them, which I can carry around and dump into my water bottle periodically. It doesn't help the "less waste" part (Mio wins that one for this year), but we can revisit that for next year.
What about cost?
Propel and Mio both sell for $3.99 regular and $2.99 on sale at my local Kroger. Propel has 10 packs for 16oz of water, while the Mio claims 18 oz servings. Let's split the difference and say they're $3.50 per container, and we'll round the Mio to 20. That puts them at $0.17 per 8oz serving.
(Prices pulled from Amazon)
Natural Calm = $25/16oz container (2g = $0.11)
Sea Salt = $8/26oz container (4g = $0.08)
Cream of Tartar = $2/1oz container (2g = $0.10)
Pure Stevia = $16/4oz container (1tbsp = $0.75)
Kool-aid packet = $0.25
Total per gallon = $1.30
Price per 8oz = $0.08
Suffice it to say, it's a fair bit cheaper. Packaging would add a little bit, but for the cheap straws, we're talking probably about $0.25 per batch, and if/when I get my hands on reusable packaging, that cost goes down even further. Using a less expensive sweetener would bring that cost down even more, while using a "better" flavoring thing (such as True Lemon) might increase the cost a bit.
Lessons learned:
1. Using salt for sodium has a drastic effect on flavor, due to its softening nature. I suspect that's why most drinks a) don't have much sodium and b) have tons of flavoring and sweeteners. I'd like to look into ways to mitigate this effect without reducing sodium content, though I don't hold much hope on that front, as IIRC, it's the sodium, itself that does that.
2. I need a new scale.
3. The salt for sure needs ground down as much as possible, even in small grains it doesn't like to dissolve in tepid water. A food processor is a must.
Camping trip starts this evening, so I'll have to follow up with its efficacy in such an environment.
To review, here were the requirements:
1. Taste as good or better than the store-bought stuff.
2. Contain at least as much (or ideally more) electrolytes per serving (because keto+camping+humid heat+little shade+high activity+alcohol=dehydration city and a personal hell by day 4).
3. Cost less.
4. Be compact and portable (because camping).
5. Withstand heat/shelf stable.
6. Generate less waste.
So, what did I come up with?
1 packet koolaid (or similar unsweetened drink mix)
4g salt
2g cream of tartar
2g natural calm
1tbsp stevia (or sweetener to taste at roughly 1c sugar equivalent per gallon)
Blend in a food processor or blender to get a fine powder.
Makes a gallon.
And how did I do?
Per 8oz, we have:
100mg sodium
20mg potassium
10mg magnesium
How does it stack up with the competition? Well...better than Mio electrolytes and on par with Propel. I tested strawberry lemonade home made with berry Propel and Lemon Lime Mio, so it's a bit of apples and oranges on the taste front, but taste is on par with Gatorade, in my opinion. Oh, and no Ace K, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, so there's that.
To compare, Propel has 105mg sodium and 32.5mg potassium, while the Mio electrolyte has 75mg sodium and 35mg potassium per 8oz serving. Neither product lists the amount of magnesium, so I have nothing to compare there. So, potassium is a little low, but I blame that more on my scale being stupid (it's very difficult to measure out 2g when my scale wants to jump straight to 4g from 0), so I also suspect both sodium and potassium are a little higher than listed here.
I didn't get to get dedicated containers, so I used straws that I had and filled a bunch of them, which I can carry around and dump into my water bottle periodically. It doesn't help the "less waste" part (Mio wins that one for this year), but we can revisit that for next year.
What about cost?
Propel and Mio both sell for $3.99 regular and $2.99 on sale at my local Kroger. Propel has 10 packs for 16oz of water, while the Mio claims 18 oz servings. Let's split the difference and say they're $3.50 per container, and we'll round the Mio to 20. That puts them at $0.17 per 8oz serving.
(Prices pulled from Amazon)
Natural Calm = $25/16oz container (2g = $0.11)
Sea Salt = $8/26oz container (4g = $0.08)
Cream of Tartar = $2/1oz container (2g = $0.10)
Pure Stevia = $16/4oz container (1tbsp = $0.75)
Kool-aid packet = $0.25
Total per gallon = $1.30
Price per 8oz = $0.08
Suffice it to say, it's a fair bit cheaper. Packaging would add a little bit, but for the cheap straws, we're talking probably about $0.25 per batch, and if/when I get my hands on reusable packaging, that cost goes down even further. Using a less expensive sweetener would bring that cost down even more, while using a "better" flavoring thing (such as True Lemon) might increase the cost a bit.
Lessons learned:
1. Using salt for sodium has a drastic effect on flavor, due to its softening nature. I suspect that's why most drinks a) don't have much sodium and b) have tons of flavoring and sweeteners. I'd like to look into ways to mitigate this effect without reducing sodium content, though I don't hold much hope on that front, as IIRC, it's the sodium, itself that does that.
2. I need a new scale.
3. The salt for sure needs ground down as much as possible, even in small grains it doesn't like to dissolve in tepid water. A food processor is a must.
Camping trip starts this evening, so I'll have to follow up with its efficacy in such an environment.
7
Replies
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Does you son like it? I recall keeping his sodium up (as well as yours) was a concern.0
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This is intriguing! I am not well versed in "sports" drinks and have only recently succumbed to keeping Mio Sport (lemon lime) at the office since I am really trying to ramp up my activity... Long story short, I really have to choke it down. I also know I really need to work harder at keeping my sodium up...
I greatly appreciate all the leg work you have done here! I will definitely be staying tuned and perhaps initiating my own personal experiments!!0 -
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kimberwolf71 wrote: »This is intriguing! I am not well versed in "sports" drinks and have only recently succumbed to keeping Mio Sport (lemon lime) at the office since I am really trying to ramp up my activity... Long story short, I really have to choke it down. I also know I really need to work harder at keeping my sodium up...
I greatly appreciate all the leg work you have done here! I will definitely be staying tuned and perhaps initiating my own personal experiments!!
I got into making my own stuff in general, what? 5 years or so ago? I find it fun to do, if only to get an appreciation for the stuff at the store. Some things stick, others haven't (though most things have), but it's fun, nonetheless.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Oh, and no Ace K, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, so there's that
The unsweetened kool-aid has to have something in it, doesn't it?
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I just filled some capsules with potassium chloride - I can take them with a cup of coffee or tea. I imagine you could do the same with whatever other powders you're using in your homemade electrolyte drink.1
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What is the cream of tartar for?
I just use Lite Salt and Raspberry-lemon flavored natural calm. Is there a reason for the 2:1 or 3:1 Na:K ratio other than that is what is found in commercial mixes? The NIH DASH study indicated that over the whole diet a 5:1 K:Na ratio was preferred, so I assumed an electrolyte drink should also be more potassium heavy (which is why I only use the lite salt and no added NaCl).0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Oh, and no Ace K, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, so there's that
The unsweetened kool-aid has to have something in it, doesn't it?
Red or blue dye oftentimes but it's just a little packet of dry powder. Citric acid and other miscellaneous stuff. Add your own sweetener.What is the cream of tartar for?
I just use Lite Salt and Raspberry-lemon flavored natural calm. Is there a reason for the 2:1 or 3:1 Na:K ratio other than that is what is found in commercial mixes? The NIH DASH study indicated that over the whole diet a 5:1 K:Na ratio was preferred, so I assumed an electrolyte drink should also be more potassium heavy (which is why I only use the lite salt and no added NaCl).
The only thing I've ever used cream of tartar for is meringue on a lemon meringue pie. Potassium Bitartrate. A stiffening agent to egg whites. Makes a beautiful meringue.
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Himalayan salt, raw cane sugar, organic lemon juice.
Seems to do the trick for me...1 -
NICE!
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Yeah, that's what I've always used it for, though I usually omit it because I rarely have it. I mostly make little meringue cookies so the stability of the foam is less important than in a pie. I don't care if they spread a little.
Not sure what the benefit is to a sports drink. If it is as a potassium source it seems that increasing the lite salt and (maybe) decreasing the sea salt would be more straightforward. I was curious if it was added for a specific reason like taste or mouthfeel.
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What is the cream of tartar for?
I just use Lite Salt and Raspberry-lemon flavored natural calm. Is there a reason for the 2:1 or 3:1 Na:K ratio other than that is what is found in commercial mixes? The NIH DASH study indicated that over the whole diet a 5:1 K:Na ratio was preferred, so I assumed an electrolyte drink should also be more potassium heavy (which is why I only use the lite salt and no added NaCl).
Cream of tartar is the potassium source. I opted against NoSalt (I haven't been able to find Lite Salt), because I didn't like doubling up on chloride like that.
The ratios came from what the commercial mixes use, because I prefer to match what's available and tweak from there. Additionally, the purpose was to replace lost electrolytes in a specific situation. If sodium is deficient, no amount of potassium is going to help with anything.
Also, the DASH diet is specifically intended to lower blood pressure (which is actually counterproductive for my entire family) and is compared with a SAD/USDA diet.AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »Himalayan salt, raw cane sugar, organic lemon juice.
Seems to do the trick for me...
Lemon juice and four days of 90 degree weather don't mix. Remember, one of the requirements was shelf stability without refrigeration and heat tolerance.Dragonwolf wrote: »Oh, and no Ace K, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, so there's that
The unsweetened kool-aid has to have something in it, doesn't it?
Unsweetened, not sugar free. There's a difference, and no it doesn't have anything. The dyes and artificial flavors aren't ideal, but the flavor is familiar, so it's a starting point and can be tweaked when a better option is found.Does you son like it? I recall keeping his sodium up (as well as yours) was a concern.
Well, he liked it well enough to chug it, though it's hard telling whether it was because he was too thirsty to care or if he actually liked it, though I guess it doesn't matter too much as long as he's willing to drink it.
It still wasn't enough to keep him from dehydrating, but this week was brutal for camping without a body of water. I'm not sure any amount would have been able to keep dehydration at bay. I was barely able to keep up for myself.1 -
@Dragonwolf lemon juice and 90 degree heat is fine - the salt prevents the lemon juice going off.
I squeeze three or four lemons, transfer the juice to a small bottle, and add a half-teaspoonful of finely-ground Himalayan salt. It keeps for weeks.
Add to whatever you want, as necessary.
Adjust 'seasoning' as required.....0
This discussion has been closed.