This 5-Ingredient Drink Has More Electrolytes Than A Gatorade

Sports drinks may be great for athletes doing hours of high-intensity exercise on a sweltering summer day, but their ingredient lists tend to be too high in sugar to justify an everyday hydration boost.

Enter: "Nature's Gatorade"—a DIY drink made from simple ingredients that are less sweet but still high in electrolytes. I tried it out to see how it compares to other options. Here's what I thought.

How to make "Nature's Gatorade"

I came across this TikTok video from certified nutritionist Claire Sorlie, NTP, sharing a quick and easy recipe for a natural electrolyte drink she called "Nature's Gatorade." 

The drink is also often referred to as switchel, ginger water, or haymaker's punch—the latter name coming from a history of consumption by farmers spending the day outside who needed that extra hydration boost, Sorlie explains.

The recipe Sorlie provides is packed with electrolytes from sea salt, ginger, and lemon but free from refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.

In terms of electrolyte content, it's comparable to commercial sports drinks. When you crunch the numbers using nutrient facts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)1, the recipe contains 3,145 milligrams of electrolytes from a combination of sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. It makes three servings, so there are 1,048 milligrams of electrolytes in every serving. Comparably, Gatorade Gatorlyte—their highest-electrolyte formula—only contains 504 milligrams (and those are only from sodium and potassium).

Plus, this recipe is delicious and super easy to make in a large batch. The flavor is equally punchy and tangy as it is soothing and refreshing. The fresh mint leaf serves as a pick-me-up and adds a level of sophistication to the beverage. Leave it over ice for a few minutes before drinking for that extra-snappy chill.

I'll be calling on it to replenish my hydration levels during a hot summer day, after a long workout, or to bounce back from a night out.

What you'll need

Method

First, you'll want to wash and peel all of your ginger. Then, pop that into your 6-quart pot filled almost to the top with water. 

Next, bring your ginger water to a boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. 

While your ginger water is simmering, add your apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and maple syrup to a large jar—this is where you'll pour your ginger water when it's ready, so make sure it's large enough to hold all of the liquid. 

After the 20 minutes is up, pour your ginger water into the large jar housing the rest of your ingredients, and give it a good stir. 

Finally, serve your natural electrolyte drink over ice topped with a few tablespoons of mineral water (you can eyeball this part), fresh herbs, and maybe even sliced fruit of your choice. 

Sorlie uses fresh mint in her recipe, but you can also use rosemary, basil, lavender, or any other herb you prefer. If you feel inspired, you can even pop a few fresh strawberry slices or lemon peel on top. 

The takeaway