Staying hydrated is crucial, especially when following a ketogenic diet. The keto diet can cause your body to flush out more electrolytes, potentially leading to the dreaded "keto flu," characterized by symptoms like headaches, muscle cramps, weakness, and fatigue. Fortunately, delicious and sugar-free keto flavored water recipes can help you stay hydrated, replenish electrolytes, and avoid those unwanted side effects.
This article explores a variety of keto-friendly flavored water options, from electrolyte-rich drinks to refreshing Italian cream sodas and infused water recipes. These recipes utilize natural, low-carb ingredients to provide flavor and hydration without derailing your ketogenic goals.
Keto Electrolyte Drink
This homemade keto electrolyte drink is a lifesaver for anyone experiencing keto flu. It’s sugar-free, tasty, and packed with essential electrolytes to keep you hydrated. And most importantly, it works. Store-bought options often have added sugars and artificial stuff that many people prefer to avoid, making homemade versions a healthier choice.
Key Ingredients
- Water: The base of the drink, providing essential hydration. You can also swap regular water for coconut water to add extra electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium. Just keep in mind that coconut water has more carbs, so it might not be suitable for everyone on keto. Alternatively, use flavored herbal teas instead of plain water for an extra kick of taste.
- Magnesium Supplement: Essential for muscle function and helps alleviate symptoms of keto flu. When using Natural Calm's proprietary magnesium citrate (made from magnesium carbonate and citric acid), it's important to mix it thoroughly and let it fizz and dissolve completely. This process creates a highly absorbable form of magnesium. The reaction between magnesium carbonate and citric acid forms magnesium citrate, which is easier for your body to absorb.
- Potassium Source: Options include lite salt or cream of tartar as alternatives to potassium chloride.
- Low-Carb Sweetener: Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit, or stevia can be used to sweeten your electrolyte drink. These natural low-carb sweeteners make the drink tasty without adding carbs or sugars. Not a fan of sweetener?
Preparation and Consumption
When magnesium carbonate and citric acid are combined in hot water, a chemical reaction takes place resulting in the formation of magnesium citrate. Calm becomes absorbable faster when dissolved in hot water but you do not have to use hot water to make it. The same result can simply be achieved by waiting for 5 to 10 minutes. Ideally, drink it with meals, not on an empty stomach. Start with 1-2 cups a day to see how your body responds. If you're physically active and sweating a lot, you might need more, but go easy and don't exceed 3 cups a day. Add some ice cubes if needed and enjoy! If you suffer from keto-flu symptoms, have 2-3 cups per day with meals (3 cups only if you are physically active and have no stomach discomfort) and also add more sodium to your diet (try Homemade Bone Broth).
Keto Italian Cream Soda
Cool, creamy, and tart-sweet, Keto Italian Cream Soda is the ideal way to chill out on a hot day. These Keto Italian Cream Sodas are absolutely delightful and a fun way to cool off. They are so light and fizzy, with homemade raspberry syrup, soda water, and a splash of cream. It’s a little like drinking a melting keto popsicle with a straw. And it’s all inspired by homegrown berries. Italian soda is a sweet drink made with carbonated water and flavored syrups. It actually originated in California, but was made famous by the folks behind the Torani syrups. So most people refer to it as Italian soda. If you add cream, as many versions do, it’s called an Italian Cream Soda. Some people call this as “French Soda”.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Key Ingredients
- Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen, and you can use other berries or low carb fruit.
- Sweetener: Allulose is recommended for a more syrupy consistency, but any sweetener works.
- Heavy cream: For a dairy-free version, try using some coconut cream.
- Club soda: Club soda is recommended for this recipe, as it provides plenty of fizz. But any seltzer or sparkling water will work.
Preparation
- Prepare the syrup. Bring the berries to a simmer with water and sweetener and cook until the berries can be mashed up. Add a splash of cream. This step is optional. Garnish. Make sure to simmer the berries only to the point where they can easily be mashed. You don’t want to boil off all the water, as this is meant to be a syrup. You should get about 1 cup of syrup from this recipe.
- Italian soda: Fill a high ball glass with ice, then add club soda to about 2 inches from the top.
Additional Tips
Make sure to simmer the berries only to the point where they can easily be mashed. You don’t want to boil off all the water, as this is meant to be a syrup. I like to use club soda for this recipe, as it provides plenty of fizz. But any seltzer or sparkling water will work. While you can use sugar-free store-bought syrup, one reader found that this caused the cream to curdle. It may depend on what brand you use. But be forewarned that the ingredients for many of those syrups can be a little dodgy. They often contain artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame, as well as artificial flavors.
Nutritional Information
This keto-friendly recipe for cream soda has 3.9 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fiber. If you count net carbs, that comes to 2.9 grams per serving.
Sugar Free Berry Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
- Berries
- Water
- Sweetener
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries, water, and sweetener.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries can be mashed easily, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Press on the solids to release as much juice as possible.
Keto Drink Mix
This keto drink mix is an easy and delicious alternative to drink packets to make an instant fruity beverage! No sugar needed, this homemade recipe is easily customizable with plenty of flavor options! Depending on where in the world you are located, you’d refer to today’s recipe as either a drink mix or a cordial. It’s so much easier than keto powder drinks and needs just 2 ingredients to make. It’s a great alternative to sugar free soda and other low carb drinks. No sugar is needed, but you’d never tell. What I love about this drink mix is how easy it is to customize to suit your flavor preferences- I’ve made it with lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, and more!
Key Ingredients
- Lemon juice: Fresh or bottled lemon juice can be used.
- Simple syrup: Homemade keto simple syrup.
Preparation
- Start by whisking the lemon juice and simple syrup until completely combined.
- Set it aside while you sterilize the jars.
- In a dishwasher, add the jars and put them through a short cycle (10 minutes).
- As soon as they are cleaned, remove the hot jars from it and immediately add in the drink mix.
- When ready to serve, combine 1 part drink mix to 3 parts water (or seltzer/soda water) in glasses filled with ice.
Flavor Variations
The base ingredients make a lemon drink mix, but you can easily switch out the lemon for a plethora of other flavors. For a raspberry flavor, blend 2 cups of raspberries until smooth. Put the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the raspberry juice.
Storage Instructions
- To store: The drink mix can keep at room temperature, sealed, for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Place the drink mix in shallow containers and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Detailed Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the keto simple syrup with lemon juice until combined.
- Pour the drink mix into sterilized jars and seal immediately.
- When ready to enjoy, combine 1 part drink mix with 3 parts iced water or chilled seltzer.
Infused Water Recipes
Get ready to quench your thirst with these 7 Easy Infused Water Recipes. Learn how easy it is to make healthy, refreshing flavored water infused with all sorts of gorgeous fresh fruit and herbs. Suitable for Gluten Free, Low Carb, Keto, Whole 30, Paleo and Vegan diets. Flavored water is great for quenching the thirst of a crowd. The colorful fruit water looks sooooo good and makes a great centerpiece for all sorts of occasions.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
General Tips for Infused Water
- Each of the recipes included in this post makes 1.25 liters (5 cups) of infused water.
- The longer you leave in the fruit, the stronger the flavor gets.
- After you have drunk about half your infused water, simply top it up again with more water.
- Citrus fruits can make your infused water bitter if left in too long.
- If you refrigerate your infused water then it should last for 3-4 days. Discard the fruit and herbs after a day.
- You can make fruit infused water ice cubes. Simply remove the fruit and then freeze the water in an ice cube tray.
Infused Water Combinations
- Beyond Lemon or Lime: Place everything in a large pitcher with a lid or cover with a plate. Allow to soak overnight.
- General Fruit Infusion: Put everything in a large pitcher.
- Rose Garden Infusion: Place all ingredients in a pitcher and cover. Allow to soak overnight.
- Peach and Sage Infusion: Place all ingredients in a pitcher and cover. Allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Sweet Drink Infusion: Put everything in a large pitcher and cover. Allow to soak overnight. Do not strain this one!
- Spa-Inspired Infusion: Put everything in a large pitcher and cover. Allow to steep overnight.
- Green Tea Infusion: Mix everything together in a large pitcher. Cover and allow to set overnight.
- Berry Infusion: Place all ingredients in a pitcher and cover. Allow to chill overnight.
- Sweet and Sour Infusion: Put all ingredients in a pitcher and cover. Allow to chill overnight.
- Unique Taste Infusion: Put all ingredients in a pitcher.
Benefits of Infused Water
Infused water tastes great and encourages you to drink more water. These infused water recipes contain ZERO Freestyle SmartPoints!
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto