Bottom Line Up Front: I made my own DIY electrolyte drink mix. I will give you the recipe and the analysis behind it in this post.
I really thought I was optimally hydrated because I eat well and drink a lot of water. Turns out I was wrong. I was drinking enough water, but I wasn’t getting enough electrolytes. I found this out because I tried LMNT drink mix. I noticed it helped me eliminate occasional cramping and feel better. The mixes taste really good too. I would look forward to making them. The problem was the price. It was basically a dollar per serving. Again, the stuff tastes great (every flavor is good) and is individually portioned in the right ratios of 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium. It’s probably fairly priced, but I just wasn’t prepared to pay $2 per day for the two servings I wanted, sometimes more depending on my activity and sweating.
I decided the following after spending $250 on LMNT over the course of a year:
- I wanted to keep using electrolyte drink mixes daily
- I liked the LMNT formula of sodium, potassium, and magnesium in the ratios above
- I was going to make my own
The TL;DR: My DIY Electrolyte Drink Mix Recipe
If you don’t want to hear the back story and just want the mix, here it is. Recommend you get a scale for precision if you don’t already have one. There are manual measurements in the recipes below, but they will not be as accurate.
For a 30-Serving Flavored Batch:
- 77.4 grams of KEY NUTRIENTS Powder (any flavor)
- 70.05 grams (~4 tbsp + 2 tsp) of Table Salt
- 2.88 grams (~1/2 tsp) of Potassium Chloride
- 5 grams per serving (just about 1 teaspoon)
- Total Cost: $0.25 (25 cents) per serving
For a 30-Serving Unflavored Batch (mix it with something with flavor like pre-workout or another beverage):
- 75 grams of Table Salt (~5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- 11.5 grams of Potassium Chloride (~2 tsp)
- 12 grams of Magnesium Malate (~2 tbsp)
- 3.3 grams per serving — this is roughly 1 teaspoon + a small pinch (since 1 tsp is ~5 g, you’ll adjust down slightly)
- Total Cost: $0.053 (5.3 cents) per serving
Now if you want to hear how I figured this recipe out and get some tips and tricks at the end, read on.
The Backstory – How I Created the Mix
Since I already knew the formula, which they don’t hide at all, I figured I could just use table salt I had at home and buy potassium and magnesium in bulk. Mix up a batch every time I wanted some. So, I did the initial math. Turns out it’s way cheaper to mix this stuff yourself (duh).
I got my bulk potassium and magnesium in the mail and went to make my first serving. For some reason I thought I could just quickly mix up all three each time I wanted some. When I tried that, however, the weight of the servings for magnesium was so light in weight that my scale wouldn’t even register it. Also it was annoying. I had the bright idea to mix up 30 servings at once, so the weights would make sense. Plus, I didn’t have to break out the bags to make some each day.
OK…quick math: 30 x 1000mg (30 grams) of salt plus 30 x 200mg (6 grams) of potassium plus 30 x 60mg (1.8 grams) of magnesium and I’d be good. Right? Wrong. I don’t remember what made me think a little further exactly, but I realized that 1000mg of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) isn’t 1000mg of sodium (it’s 40% sodium). And upon further research, the potassium chloride I bought is actually only 52% potassium. And the magnesium malate I bought is 15% elemental magnesium! This turned into a serious math problem. I’m smart, sure, but I turned to Grok (AI). What would have taken me a lot of mental gymnastics was solved in about 1.2 seconds. I asked it to make me a 30-day recipe for my electrolyte drink mix using table salt, potassium chloride, and magnesium malate. Here is what I got:
Scaling for 30 Days:
- Sodium (table salt): 1000 mg sodium per day × 30 days = 30,000 mg (30 grams) of sodium. Since table salt is ~40% sodium, you’ll need 30,000 ÷ 0.4 = 75,000 mg (75 grams) of salt. That’s about 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (since 1 tbsp = ~18 g of salt).
- Potassium (potassium chloride): 200 mg potassium per day × 30 days = 6,000 mg (6 grams) of potassium. Potassium chloride is ~52% potassium, so 6,000 ÷ 0.52 = ~11,538 mg (11.5 grams) of potassium chloride. That’s roughly 2 teaspoons (1 tsp = ~6 g).
- Magnesium (magnesium malate): 60 mg magnesium per day × 30 days = 1,800 mg (1.8 grams) of magnesium. Assuming magnesium malate is 15% magnesium, 1,800 ÷ 0.15 = 12,000 mg (12 grams) of magnesium malate. That’s about 2 tablespoons (1 tbsp = ~6 g, depending on density).
Total Dry Mix:
- 75 g table salt (~5 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- 11.5 g potassium chloride (~2 tsp)
- 12 g magnesium malate (~2 tbsp)
This makes roughly 98.5 grams of dry mix for 30 servings. Each serving is about 3.28 grams (98.5 ÷ 30).
How to Make and Use It:
- Mix the Batch: Grab a clean, dry container (like a jar or airtight tub). Measure out 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of table salt, 2 teaspoons of potassium chloride, and 2 tablespoons of magnesium malate. Dump them in and shake or stir thoroughly to blend evenly. A whisk or fork can help break up clumps.
- Storage: Keep it in a cool, dry place—moisture is the enemy here, as it can clump the powders or degrade them over time. An airtight container with a silica packet (if you have one) works great.
- Per Drink: Scoop out ~3.3 grams of the mix—this is roughly 1 teaspoon + a small pinch (since 1 tsp is ~5 g, you’ll adjust down slightly). Add it to 16-20 ounces of water, stir until dissolved, and you’re good to go. If you have a small scale, use it to get exactly 3.3 g for precision.
Then I asked how much this would cost:
Step 1: Cost Per Gram of Each Ingredient
- Table Salt: $1.67 ÷ 737 g = ~$0.00227/g
- Potassium Chloride: $16 ÷ 250 g = ~$0.064/g
- Magnesium Malate: $28 ÷ 500 g = ~$0.056/g
Step 2: Total Batch Cost (30 Servings)
- Table Salt: 75 g × $0.00227/g = ~$0.17025
- Potassium Chloride: 11.5 g × $0.064/g = ~$0.736
- Magnesium Malate: 12 g × $0.056/g = ~$0.672
- Total Batch Cost: $0.17025 + $0.736 + $0.672 = ~$1.57825
Step 3: Cost Per Serving
- Total batch = 75 g + 11.5 g + 12 g = 98.5 g
- Per serving = 98.5 g ÷ 30 = ~3.283 g
- Cost per serving = $1.57825 ÷ 30 = ~$0.05261
So, each serving costs about $0.053 (5.3 cents), rounded for simplicity.
I used this mix for a few weeks. It was painful to drink though because it tasted basically just like pure salt. I would pour some in a small glass of water (4-6 ounces), dissolve it, and shoot it down like a shot at a bar. I really missed my LMNT just based on taste, not on actual electrolytes.
Then I decided to start looking for a calorie-free drink mix I could just add to my DIY mix. Problem solved. I wasn’t really finding anything I wanted as I was browsing through Amazon, but I stumbled upon another electrolyte drink mix that was much more reasonably priced. Maybe that would just be the solution – pay someone else to mix it up and flavor it for me, but pay much less than I was paying for LMNT. Thousands of good reviews, made in the USA. I’m in. Upon inspection though, the new issue was the electrolyte composition: 110mg of sodium, 250mg of potassium, and 100mg of magnesium. Sodium was much too low. I know one of LMNT’s biggest selling points is the amount of sodium, which is often far far lower in electrolyte drinks. I completed agreed with the science supporting much higher sodium dosages, especially for those of us who never eat processed foods like the average American and, thus, are probably under-consuming sodium!
So my new bright idea was to use the ingredients I already had, mix them into the new drink mix, and get to the optimal electrolyte ratios I want. Not figuring this out myself. Back to Grok. Here is what I got back this time:
Step 1: Adjust KEY NUTRIENTS for Potassium and Magnesium
- Potassium: You want 200 mg, a full 4.3 g serving has 250 mg.
- Ratio: 200 ÷ 250 = 0.8 (80% of a serving).
- 80% of 250 mg = 200 mg potassium—perfect.
- Magnesium: You want 60 mg, a full serving has 100 mg.
- Ratio: 60 ÷ 100 = 0.6 (60% of a serving).
- 60% of 100 mg = 60 mg magnesium—exact match.
- Decision: Use 60% of a serving to hit magnesium precisely (the stricter limit), then adjust sodium and potassium upward.
So, 60% of a 4.3 g serving = 4.3 × 0.6 = 2.58 g.
- Yields:
- Sodium: 110 mg × 0.6 = 66 mg
- Potassium: 250 mg × 0.6 = 150 mg
- Magnesium: 100 mg × 0.6 = 60 mg
Step 2: Supplement to Reach Targets
- Sodium: You want 1000 mg, KEY NUTRIENTS gives 66 mg → Need 1000 – 66 = 934 mg more.
- Table salt (~40% sodium): 934 ÷ 0.4 = 2335 mg (2.335 g).
- That’s a slightly scant 1/2 teaspoon (since 1/2 tsp ≈ 3 g, adjust down a bit).
- Potassium: You want 200 mg, KEY NUTRIENTS gives 150 mg → Need 200 – 150 = 50 mg more.
- Potassium chloride (~52% potassium): 50 ÷ 0.52 = 96 mg (0.096 g).
- That’s a tiny pinch—about 1/32 teaspoon (1/8 tsp ≈ 0.75 g, divide by 8).
- Magnesium: You want 60 mg, KEY NUTRIENTS gives 60 mg → No extra needed.
Per Serving Recipe:
- KEY NUTRIENTS: 2.58 g (60% of 4.3 g).
- Table Salt: ~2.335 g (slightly scant 1/2 tsp).
- Potassium Chloride: ~0.096 g (tiny pinch, ~1/32 tsp).
- Mix into 16-20 ounces of water.
Final tally:
- Sodium: 66 mg (KEY NUTRIENTS) + 934 mg (salt) = 1000 mg.
- Potassium: 150 mg (KEY NUTRIENTS) + 50 mg (potassium chloride) = 200 mg.
- Magnesium: 60 mg (KEY NUTRIENTS) = 60 mg.
For a 30-Day Batch:
- KEY NUTRIENTS: 2.58 g × 30 = 77.4 g.
- Table Salt: 2.335 g × 30 = 70.05 g (~4 tbsp + 2 tsp).
- Potassium Chloride: 0.096 g × 30 = 2.88 g (~1/2 tsp).
- Total mix: 77.4 + 70.05 + 2.88 = 150.33 g.
- Per serving: 150.33 ÷ 30 ≈ 5.01 g (just about 1 tsp).
Mixing and Use:
- Combine 77.4 g KEY NUTRIENTS, 70 g table salt, and 2.9 g potassium chloride in a dry, airtight container. Mix thoroughly.
- Scoop ~5 g (a level teaspoon) per 16-20 oz of water. A scale is ideal for precision, especially with the 2.58 g KEY NUTRIENTS per serving.
This gets you spot-on at 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium.
The cost breakdown for this new flavored recipe:
Cost Per Serving:
- Table Salt: 2.335 g × $0.00227/g = ~$0.00530 (0.53 cents)
- KEY NUTRIENTS: 2.58 g × $0.09272/g = ~$0.23922 (23.92 cents)
- Potassium Chloride: 0.096 g × $0.06108/g = ~$0.00586 (0.59 cents)
Total Cost Per Serving:
- $0.00530 (salt) + $0.23922 (KEY NUTRIENTS) + $0.00586 (potassium chloride) = ~$0.25038
So, each serving costs about $0.25 (25 cents), rounded for simplicity.
Breakdown:
- KEY NUTRIENTS dominates the cost at ~95% of the total ($0.239 of $0.25), since it’s the priciest per gram.
- Salt and potassium chloride are negligible, contributing just over 1 cent combined.
Final Tips
- You can see that both mixes were far cheaper than LMNT, which is $1 per serving if you buy the insider bundle with a subscription (this is the cheapest option); it’s much more if you buy one box at a time.
- The flavored was 25 cents, a 75% reduction in cost.
- The basic three-ingredient, unflavored was almost free at only 5 cents per serving, a 95% reduction from LMNT.
- If you are mixing this into another drink that has flavor, the unflavored is the way to go for sure as it just adds electrolytes to your other drink, making it an electrolyte drink effectively.
- If you want to drink it alone, getting a drink base and adding the other electrolytes is the way to go. I have been drinking the same lemonade flavor for a few months and absolutely love it. I’ll probably try some new base soon when mine runs out.
- You can definitely make both easily, then use the flavored when drinking it alone and the unflavored when mixing it with something else that is already flavored.
- I make 60 servings at a time, so I double the recipe size above.
- You can store 60 servings in a small 1.25-cup Rubbermaid air-tight container that would fit in your hand, so it takes up very little space.
- I use a one teaspoon measuring spoon which is perfect for a 5 gram serving for the optimal ratio for the flavored recipe.
- I’d recommend trying LMNT if you want the effects with maximum convenience and price is not a problem for you also. It’s a great product.
Post thoughts, questions, etc. to the comments below.