Popular Pedialyte Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best
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Since hitting the market more than 50 years ago, Pedialyte has been known primarily as the drink that parents give their children to ward off dehydration. Similar to sports drinks like Gatorade, Pedialyte contains electrolytes to aid in the rehydration process. But unlike sports drinks that can be packed with an unhealthy amount of sugar, this brand has such a strong reputation that it's routinely recommended by doctors.
These days, Pedialyte is no longer just for kids. While adults may have initially been intrigued by its purported ability to cure hangovers, this drink is now actively marketed to people of all ages, including grown-ups (via The Wall Street Journal). Whether you need to get rehydrated following vigorous exercise or a nasty bout with the stomach flu, Pedialyte now hopes that both children and adults will grab one of their drinks.
If you're new to this brand, you may have trouble deciding on a flavor. Considering that the slate of Pedialyte flavors ranges from delicious to disastrous and you may be considering them with an unsettled stomach, it's important to select wisely. In this ranking, we'll list flavors of Pedialyte, starting with the worst and saving the best for the end of the list. Although you may be able to find other flavors that aren't a part of this ranking, we've made sure to list all of the most popular flavors.
23. Fruit Punch Pedialyte Sport
To directly take on the kings of the sports drink world including Gatorade, Powerade, and Bodyarmor, Pedialyte unveiled Fruit Punch Pedialyte Sport, a flavor featuring five important electrolytes and only a quarter of the sugar that's found in many traditional sports drinks. Sadly, while this stuff looks like a sports drink and indeed smells like a sports drink, it tastes like fruity swamp water. After taking one sip, you'll be ready to toss it into the closest dumpster and switch back to another brand posthaste. Truth be told, even the worst flavors of Gatorade taste better than this epic failure of a sports drink.
Logically, you might initially care that this drink contains potassium, magnesium, phosphate, sodium, and chloride — the five electrolytes that help speed up rehydration. You might also be pleased with the idea that this drink has only five grams of sugar, while a Gatorade of the same size has a far more considerable 21 grams of sugar. But once this nasty stuff enters your mouth, your taste buds will overrule your brain and you'll know you've made a colossal mistake.
22. Grape Pedialyte Organic
What could be even healthier than doctor-recommended Pedialyte? How about an organic version of Pedialyte? Grape Pedialyte Organic is certified organic by the USDA and contains no artificial flavors, artificial colors, or artificial sweeteners. The organic ingredients on the label include organic grape juice, organic citric acid, and organic stevia leaf extract.
But even if you are dedicated to eating an organic diet, there's no way you will enjoy Grape Pedialyte Organic. This drink tastes like grape-flavored medicine. This means that the grape flavoring is both too artificial and too fierce and becomes off-putting within seconds. Even if you water it down, it's impossible to make this drink taste good. No matter what you do, it has a chemical-like aftertaste that can't be ignored.
If you really want Pedialyte but you insist that your beverage must be organic, there is a better option than this grape-flavored tragedy and it's listed higher on our ranking. Don't settle for this stuff.
21. Grape Pedialyte Sparkling Rush
Another grape-powered calamity is Grape Pedialyte Sparkling Rush. While not quite as bad as Grape Pedialyte Organic, it's certainly neck and neck. The Sparkling Rush line of Pedialyte adds quite a bit of fizziness to their standard equation. Unfortunately, it also tastes like grape-flavored medicine — but at least the aftertaste doesn't taste like chemicals. That's something, at least.
Grape Pedialyte Sparkling Rush comes as a powder and each box contains six packs of powder. After you open a pack, you add it to 16 ounces of water. Right when the powder hits the water, you'll see a lot of fizzing and bubbling. The instructions on the box say to wait ten seconds before you drink it.
Truthfully, the mouthfeel of this Pedialyte line is a very interesting change of pace. This drink is almost soda-like in how it fizzes in your mouth, which can be almost pleasant under different tasting circumstances. It's just too bad that this grape-flavored version of Sparkling Rush is such a bust.
20. Lemon Lime Pedialyte Sport
The Pedialyte Sport line comes in two flavors: the previously mentioned fruit punch flavor and a sour flavor called Lemon Lime Pedialyte Sport. This one isn't anything to write home about but it's definitely the better of the two options. When the drink first greets your tongue, you'll notice a slight amount of sourness. Moments later, a sour aftertaste that's notably harsher and less enjoyable will strike. While not the most pleasant of experiences, this sour sports drink is just okay enough for you to swallow if you're thirsty.
Pedialyte claims that pro athletes have used their drinks for hydration purposes for decades and that this line has three times as many electrolytes as a traditional sports drink. But even if all that is true, you'll have a tough decision to make. Do you put up with the iffy taste of their Pedialyte Sport line to reap the hydration benefits. Or, do you go with a sports drink that tastes better? Or, alternatively, do you go with one of the higher-ranked Pedialyte flavors on this list even though it's not specifically geared toward sports performance? Your best bet is to probably give Lemon Lime Pedialyte Sport a try and move on if you can't stomach the flavor's sourness.
19. Orange Pedialyte Classic
Orange Pedialyte Classic is not the easiest flavor to locate. It's currently only available as powder packs. But even if you typically love orange-flavored drinks, don't go out of your way to get your hands on this powder. Your imagination may tell you that this stuff is destined to taste like Tang or SunnyD, but the reality of the situation isn't nearly as fun. Instead of being a refreshing mix of citrus and sweetness, this drink instead tastes like watered-down orange juice with salt added to it.
If you're a parent buying Pedialyte for your child (just like your parents did for you when you were a kid), Orange Pedialyte Classic is one flavor you should be sure to avoid. Adults may be able to deal with salty orange juice, but children will be much less understanding of the odd taste. The flavor may not be as gross as drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth, but it's darn close.
18. Unflavored Pedialyte Classic
If you're an extremely boring person whose favorite color is white and whose favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla, then Unflavored Pedialyte Classic might be for you. Otherwise, you deserve to pick one of the flavors near the top of this list.
When Pedialyte says this drink is unflavored, that's exactly what they mean. This stuff has absolutely no taste at all, to the point where it tastes just like water. The consistency is slightly different than water, sure, but that's the only difference.
While you deserve better than to settle for Unflavored Pedialyte Classic, it does have some uses. First of all, if you're mixing Pedialyte with something else, this is the perfect flavor choice. Secondly, if you have a seriously upset stomach and all flavors sound utterly disgusting, you can use this as a replacement for water. Finally, if you have a picky child who seemingly finds something wrong with every flavor you pick, this is quite possibly a safe choice.
17. Crisp Lemon Berry Pedialyte Organic
The other organic flavor this brand sells, Crisp Lemon Berry Pedialyte Organic, is quite odd, but it might grow on you. From its name, you'd expect this flavor to be tart. Surprisingly, though, it's actually really sweet with only a mildly sour aftertaste. The roller coaster ride from super sweet to sour will shock your senses at first. However, don't be stunned if you grow to enjoy the ups and downs.
The weirdest thing about Crisp Lemon Berry Pedialyte Organic is that it doesn't have any berry flavoring at all. Where does the sweetness come from? If you look at the list of ingredients, you'll see that the sweet flavor is due to the presence of organic apple juice. Apparently, Pedialyte didn't think customers would flock to a drink with a flavor called lemon apple — and they were probably right. That's not a typical combination but it works okay for this unique organic beverage.
16. Mixed Fruit Pedialyte Classic
If you have a sweet tooth that is always begging for more and more sugar, you should think about purchasing Mixed Fruit Pedialyte Classic. Despite its name and the fact that you can see an orange wedge, a piece of lemon, and a pair of cherries on the label, this drink doesn't taste like fruit. Instead, it just tastes like sugar water with a hint of citrus. If you look at the list of ingredients, there are no specific fruits included on the label. That certainly makes sense based on the flavor experience you'll get when you drink this.
If you like how this flavor of Pedialyte tastes, also consider Mixed Berry Pedialyte with Immune Support. It comes in packets but it tastes exactly the same once you mix the powder with 16 ounces of water. In addition to all the goodness of what Mixed Fruit Pedialyte Classic provides, this version also contains vitamin B12, vitamin C, and vitamin E. If you can stand the somewhat bland sweetness of this, it may be a decent option.
15. Iced Grape Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus
Compared to the previous two grape-flavored drinks on this list, Iced Grape Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus is a giant leap in the right direction. That said, it's still below average compared to other Pedialyte flavors but it's decent enough for you to drink it without gagging. This particular flavor tastes like flat grape soda with a very subtle minty aftertaste. After you give it a try, you'll understand why Pedialyte decided to name it "iced grape," even if the name is initially kind of confusing.
The downside to this flavor is the fact that its mintiness builds up the more you drink it. By the end of your first bottle, you'll be ready to move on to another beverage that doesn't have a toothpaste-flavored aftertaste.
It does have plenty of other factors that might recommend it to you. Think of the AdvancedCare Plus line as Pedialyte's deluxe line, with drinks that are packed with zinc, probiotics, and extra electrolytes. For example, Iced Grape Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus has 630 milligrams of chloride, while Unflavored Pedialyte Classic has 440 milligrams of the same electrolyte. If the flavor doesn't bug you, then the nutritional content might be enough to make you reach for a bottle.
14. Cherry Pedialyte Sparkling Rush
The other flavor in Pedialyte's Sparkling Rush line is powered by cherries. While it's at least much better than the grape alternative, it's not something that you should rush out and purchase. The problem with this flavor is that there's just not enough of it. You can taste a little bit of cherry in the mix, but it's so minimal that it gets overpowered by the fizziness of the finished drink. If the cherry flavor packed a stronger punch, this bubbly beverage would be much higher on the list.
One thing to keep in mind with regard to Cherry Pedialyte Sparkling Rush is that this line doesn't contain zinc, while all other lines of Pedialyte do. Although it has electrolytes in it, if you want zinc, this drink just won't work for you. Zinc's health benefits include helping immune system cells communicate, so you may well want to incorporate it after all.
If you really yearn to try fizzy Pedialyte, go with this flavor. This probably won't become your regular beverage of choice but it's worth taste-testing for the adventure of it.
13. Blue Raspberry Pedialyte AdvancedCare
Though not quite as tasty as an iconic blue raspberry Icee, Blue Raspberry Pedialyte AdvancedCare is the first flavor on this list that can be classified as being potentially worthy of your hard-earned cash. It's also possible that this could become one of your favorite flavors, just maybe. Compared to the Icee flavor of the same name, this Pedialyte flavor is actually really similar. Unfortunately, it has a super sweet aftertaste that stops it from climbing higher in this ranking. If you were to add a few spoonfuls of sugar to a blue raspberry Icee, that's approximately what you should expect this beverage to taste like.
It's important to note that there's a difference between Pedialyte's AdvancedCare line and its Advanced Care Plus line. The AdvancedCare line has zinc and probiotics but it doesn't have the extra electrolytes that AdvancedCare Plus has. The amount of electrolytes in this line is similar to what you'd get with a drink in their Classic line.
12. Berry Frost Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus
Berry Frost Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus is sure to catch your attention when you see it at the grocery store. Not only is the color of this drink neon blue but, if you look closely at the bottle, you'll also see strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries depicted on the label. A drink supercharged by all of those berries is too good to be true, right? Surprisingly enough, it's actually not.
After you take a swig of this drink, your taste buds will be convinced that it's indeed packed with berries. The flavor of Berry Frost Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus isn't very strong, sure, but you'll enjoy everything you're able to taste. The best part is actually the aftertaste, which is a yummy combination of sweetness and tartness.
If you want a zero-sugar version of this same flavor, pick up a bottle of Berry Frost Pedialyte Electrolyte Water. It's surprisingly a little bit sweeter despite its lack of sugar, but is still enjoyable.
11. Chilled Cherry Pomegranate Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus
If you like sour drinks better than sweet ones, Chilled Cherry Pomegranate Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus is a flavor you should reach out and grab. The pomegranate flavor is much stronger than the cherry flavor, but the duo works together nicely. The cherry adds a dash of sweetness, which ensures that this beverage doesn't get overwhelmingly sour in your mouth.
Like Iced Grape Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus, this flavor also has a slightly minty aftertaste. Though sour, sweet, and minty might make it sound like this drink has too much going on, it's actually quite a relaxing flavor to consume. You could easily consume a few bottles of this stuff while grinning the entire time, though hopefully, you're not quite that dehydrated.
The only thing to keep in mind is that this flavor should be kept really cold. If you drink Chilled Cherry Pomegranate Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus when it's somewhat closer to room temperature, you won't experience this flavor at its best. The warmer it gets, the more overbearing the sourness becomes, so be sure to grab it directly from the fridge.
10. Strawberry Pedialyte Classic
If you're looking for a flavor with universal appeal, a selection can't get much safer than going with Strawberry Pedialyte Classic. Adults who take a sip of this will get flashbacks of their childhood. Children who drink it for the first time will almost certainly ask for more and more.
What stops this Pedialyte flavor from being near the top of the ranking is its distinct lack of depth. From the moment it enters your lips until you finish the bottle, it tastes exactly the same. That's not terrible, to be certain, but there's no entertaining aftertaste or anything else to break up the strawberry monotony.
That said, the strawberry flavor with a little bit of extra sweetness is nothing to complain about. No matter your age, you'll surely continue to like this beverage. Eventually, though, you'll want to spread your wings and look for something a bit more creative and energetic. When you arrive at that realization, put down Strawberry Pedialyte Classic and try one of the top nine flavors.
9. Tropical Fruit Pedialyte AdvancedCare
Which fruits are responsible for making Tropical Fruit Pedialyte AdvancedCare so delectable? Pedialyte doesn't list any fruits on the label, so it's difficult to know for sure. It tastes similar to Tropical Punch Minute Maid, a drink that has oranges, pineapples, grapes, and passion fruit in it. The only clue we have is a small picture on the label of this Pedialyte flavor that appears to feature a mango, a strawberry, and a pineapple slice. But it definitely tastes like it has oranges, passion fruit, and maybe even some banana flavoring in it, so you'll have to decide for yourself what, exactly, went into this particular drink.
If you like tropical punch, you can be confident that you'll really like this flavor. One sip of it and you'll be ready to hit the beach and lay out in the sun. It's not as sweet as Hawaiian Punch, which should be considered a positive attribute by most people (at least those who don't have an inveterate sweet tooth). While the sweetness levels aren't the same, it's clear that they share some of the same ingredients. Hawaiian Punch, for the record, has apples, oranges, pineapples, apricots, guava, papaya, and passion fruit listed in its ingredients.
8. Kiwi Berry Mist Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus
If you know what to expect, Kiwi Berry Mist Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus has a chance to become one of your go-to flavors. Conversely, if you don't know what you're going to get out of a bottle of this stuff, you may be so confused that you'll give up on this drink before giving it a fair shot. The unexpected thing about this neon green beverage is that it tastes mostly like strawberries. For a drink that's so green and a name that features the word "kiwi" so prominently, the intense strawberry flavor is rather shocking to the uninitiated. Instead, you'll have to wait for the aftertaste to revel in the namesake kiwi flavor.
Despite the name and a bright color that is so neon it looks radioactive, you should perhaps think of this flavor as strawberry kiwi. If you do that, your taste buds and brain will be fully prepared for what's to come. Add in all the extra nutritional goodies that come with the AdvancedCare Plus line and this flavor is a force to be reckoned with.
7. Fruit Punch Pedialyte Electrolyte Water
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best sugar-free option this brand has to offer is Fruit Punch Pedialyte Electrolyte Water. Not only are there zero grams of sugar in it, but this beverage also has no artificial flavors or colors. Moreover, Pedialyte claims that this has 50% more electrolytes than what you'd find in traditional sports drinks. Perhaps most important of all, this flavor in particular tastes really good. At first sip, it tastes like a combination of cherries and berries. That's followed up by a citrusy aftertaste with just the right sort of acidic bite to round things out.
If you're looking for Pedialyte's answer to Powerade Zero and G Zero by Gatorade, this is it. Even though you can expect more electrolytes, you don't have to sacrifice taste — and that's a serious win, isn't it? For those following a keto diet or other low-carb diets, Fruit Punch Pedialyte Electrolyte Water is just about the perfect drink. It tastes good, keeps you hydrated, and it has zero sugar so there are no keto-related limits to how much of this stuff you can drink.
6. Strawberry Lemonade Pedialyte Classic
On a sweltering summer afternoon, nothing can quench your thirst quite like Strawberry Lemonade Pedialyte Classic. Utilizing a pretty memorable mix of sweet, sour, and salty flavors, this drink will seemingly rehydrate you within seconds. After a few sips, you'll be likely to feel totally refreshed and ready to go back into the sun. While there are better tasting flavors of Pedialyte, nothing hits the spot quite as quickly as this stuff. For athletes who are always on the go and want to feel refueled as fast as possible, you may want to go with this flavor.
To get Strawberry Lemonade Pedialyte Classic, you'll have to do some of the heavy lifting yourself, as this flavor only comes in powder packs. If a powder isn't convenient for your purposes, Strawberry Lemonade Pedialyte AdvancedCare is an already liquid substitute that is almost as tasty. The subtle saltiness is a little bit lacking in the AdvancedCare version but, other than that, you'll love it just the same.
5. Cherry Punch Pedialyte AdvancedCare
Of all the Pedialyte flavors in which cherries play a starring role, Cherry Punch Pedialyte AdvancedCare is far and away the best. The cherry flavor is strong and tastes exactly like genuine cherries. Compare it to other flavors like the truly disappointing Cherry Pedialyte Classic and it's a night and day difference.
To help the cherry flavor win you over, Cherry Punch Pedialyte AdvancedCare has a couple of other fruits come along for the ride, namely apples and oranges. The apples add a delicate amount of sweetness, while the oranges add just the right dimension of sour and tart flavors without overwhelming you. Cherries, apples, and oranges might sound like an odd trio to use in a punch, but Pedialyte makes it work flawlessly.
Interestingly, this is one of the few flavors that taste good no matter if it's kept cold in the refrigerator or if it's left out overnight and allowed to come to room temperature. In fact, you can keep a few of these bottles in your car and always have a scrumptious drink at your disposal when you're out and about.
4. Orange Breeze Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus
If you're one of those individuals who starts their day with a tall glass of orange juice, you may want to reconsider that habit. While orange juice has important nutrients like vitamin C, it also has much more sugar in that glass than you might expect. Ounce for ounce, its sugar content is actually similar to soda and chocolate milk. You wouldn't pat yourself on the back for starting your day with a can of soda, so you should consider switching to something with less sugar — perhaps something like Orange Breeze Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus.
While an eight-ounce glass of Florida's Natural orange juice — the best orange juice brand of them all — has more than 20 grams of sugar, there are only six grams of sugar in 12 ounces of Orange Breeze Pedialyte AdvancedCare Plus. Those numbers alone make it a no-brainer to switch. As far as taste is concerned, this orange-flavored beverage by Pedialyte is outstanding. It really does taste like it's made with freshly squeezed oranges.
3. Apple Pedialyte Half Liter
While it's not easy, it's unquestionably worth the effort to track down apple-flavored Pedialyte. The easiest thing to do is to buy Apple Pedialyte Half Liter, which is, as you may have already guessed, half the size of a regular bottle of Pedialyte. While that may sound like a negative, the size of this half-liter bottle is actually easier to take with you where you need to go, so it's not all that bad. The other way to get this flavor is to buy a powder variety pack, which contains the following flavors: Grape, Fruit Punch, Strawberry, and, yes, the seemingly rare Apple.
All it will take is one mouthful of apple-flavored Pedialyte for you to realize that it's indeed worth it to jump through hoops to get your hands on this stuff. It's sweet enough to cause you to instantly take note of it, but not so sweet that you'll get sick of the taste after a few sips. Once you're finished with your first half-liter bottle, you'll be counting down the minutes until you open your next one.
2. Coconut Burst Pedialyte Classic
Whenever you purchase a coconut-flavored drink, you know you're taking a gamble. Sometimes, especially if you're in the mood for one, a coconut beverage is amazing and is something you'll reminisce about fondly for the rest of your day. But there are also times that coconut drinks are so artificial-tasting and utterly revolting that you need to spit it out immediately to avoid losing your lunch. Thankfully, Pedialyte's coconut flavored drink belongs in the former category and not the latter.
Coconut Burst Pedialyte Classic offers such a pleasant taste that it's sure to bring a bit of tropical joy to even the bleakest of days. The flavor is extremely subtle but, given the intensity of other coconut drinks, this makes the Pedialyte version an undeniable winner. It's like Unflavored Pedialyte Classic that has been gently and lovingly kissed by coconut flavor, not punched by it. It might not sound awesome but, once you give it a try, you too will love it.
If you're not feeling well and the thought of anything too flavorful or too plain sounds unpleasant, go with Coconut Burst Pedialyte Classic. It's proof that a great-tasting drink doesn't need a ton of flavoring in it to please your taste buds. Sometimes subtleness says a lot.
1. Grape Pedialyte Classic
Though Pedialyte has some grape-flavored busts to their name, don't let that cause you to miss out on their top flavor. Grape Pedialyte Classic is what every other flavor of Pedialyte aspires to be. It's so flavorful that it's in a league of its own. If this is the only Pedialyte flavor that you ever drink, anyone who has tasted it will understand. Essentially, Pedialyte took the standard artificial grape flavor that you've tasted in everything from candy to cocktails and somehow elevated it to the next level through some sort of flavor wizardry. After you taste the Grape Pedialyte Classic, it could well become your standard-bearer for everything else in the culinary world that uses grape flavoring.
What makes this Pedialyte flavor so great is how balanced it is from the beginning to the end. It starts off a little bit tart and ends up a little bit sweet by the time the aftertaste kicks in, all without anything overcompensating or out-competing the other flavors. With each proceeding sip, this drink just tastes better and better. When your bottle is empty, you'll agree without a scintilla of doubt in your mind that this flavor deserves the number one spot in this ranking.