Sugar-Free Blueberry & Lemon Electrolyte Drink

Pin itFollow us 148.4k

Ditch the sugar and additive laden sports drinks and make your own keto-friendly beverage! This keto electrolyte drink is so good! Apart from providing electrolytes for those who are physically active, this sugar-free beverage is ideal for anyone following a keto diet.

It's based on my original Keto Electrolyte Drink and Electrolyte Aqua Fresca from my latest Beginner's KetoDiet Cookbook. Just 1 to 2 cups will help prevent keto-flu by restoring electrolyte balance during the initial phase of the ketogenic diet.

You can use any berries you like. I used blueberries, my favourite low-carb fruit! Blueberries have powerful antioxidant and antiaging effects due to polyphenols that help protect against the effects of ageing and oxidative stress. They are known as "the memory food" and are good for eye health. Blueberries can protect against  free radical damage and reduce inflammation, the true cause of heart disease.

The only drawback is that unlike other berries, they are relatively high in carbs and you need to watch your serving size. Depending on your carb tolerance, have no more than ¹/₄ to ¹/₂ cup per serving. Wild blueberries are preferable as they have a lower carb count.

Substitutions and Tips

• Drink with meals (not on an empty stomach). Start with a cup per day and increase to no more than 2 cups per day to avoid stomach discomfort. Too much magnesium citrate causes loose stools so keep that in mind.
• Instead of potassium chloride, you can use lite salt or cream of tartar. To read more about potassium supplements, check out this post: The Importance of Potassium in Low-Carb Diets.
  
• Instead of Erythritol, you can use other healthy low-carb sweeteners from this list, or skip the sweetener altogether.
• If you don't like sweeteners, they can be omitted.
• Nutrition facts in blueberries are estimated and counted partially (80%) as part of the pulp and the peel are discarded.

Nutritional values (per serving, cup, 240 ml/8 fl oz)

Ingredients (makes about 6 cups)

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
• 4 cups water (~ 1 l)
• ¹/₄ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve (40 g/ 1.4 oz) - see note below
• ¹/₂ cup lemon juice (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• ¹/₂ tsp potassium chloride (see Tips below for alternatives)
• ¹/₄ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp Natural Calm magnesium supplement (12 g/ 0.4 oz)
• Optional: 20-30 drops liquid Stevia or to taste
• lemon slices from 1 lemon, to serve
• ice to serve

Instructions

1. Place the blueberries in a sauce pan and add 2 cups (480 ml) of water. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Once simmering, reduce to minimum, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat and keep it covered for another 20 minutes.
2. Remove the lid and add Erythritol. Stir until well combined. Pour the blueberry juice into a bowl through a sieve. Use a large spoon to crush the blueberries and push through until smooth, discarding the peel. Let it cool down to room temperature.
3. Juice the lemons. Add them to the bowl. Add to the blueberry juice.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients: magnesium citrate, potassium chloride, salt. Mix until all ingredients are dissolved. Add the remaining water. You can use still or sparkling water.
5. Add some ice cubes if needed and enjoy! Optionally, add a few drops of stevia. 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 keto diet (try Homemade Bone Broth).
6. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, cup, 240 ml/8 fl oz)

Net carbs	Protein	Fat	Calories
Blueberries (wild), fresh
3.2 g	0.4 g	0.3 g	20 kcal
Water, still
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.3 g	0 g	0 g	1 kcal
Lemon juice, fresh
1.3 g	0.1 g	0 g	4 kcal
Potassium chloride, supplement
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Natural Calm, magnesium supplement
0 g	0 g	0 g	0 kcal
Total per serving, cup, 240 ml/8 fl oz
4.9 g	0.5 g	0.3 g	26 kcal

Pin itFollow us 148.4k