Rather than wax and wane philosophical about society, relationships, and other random musings today…I thought I’d share a little healthy recipe with y’all! This weekend I was looking at old files in my computer and realized that prior to entering single motherhood and all of the new responsibilities and workload it has to offer, I used to be a lot craftier in the kitchen. I kind of miss that, and hopefully this blog post will inspire me to carve the time back out to make stuff like this more often again. Hopefully it inspires you too!
Kids…and ok, a lot of adults too, of course!… love gummy snacks. From vitamins, to fruit snacks, and our childhood favorite gummy bears, there’s an endless variety of these chewy treats available at every store. The problem is, that while some brands are healthier than others, even the organic ones are full of added sugar.
So, what’s a mom to do if her kids love gummy snacks but she doesn’t want to overload them with sugar? Simple…make healthy, wholesome, homemade ones! As a matter of fact, these are great for children of all ages…and since they are full of collagen and protein, they make the perfect post workout snack as well.
As a little reminder why I try to keep my kids as low sugar as possible…sugar, even organic sugar, causes inflammation in our bodies and weakens the immune system. It’s full of empty calories and has no nutritional benefit whatsoever. Sugar has been linked to diabetes, tooth decay, cancer, liver disease, heart disease, lowered/impaired immune function, and has also been proven to trigger the brain in much the same way as cocaine. So yeah…cutting it out as much as possible is a very good thing!
Sadly, added sugar is found in almost everything, but there are ways we can avoid sugar overkill in our kids and you don’t have to be a super crunchy mom or have tons of time on your hands. If you can mix up a box of Jell-O then you can make all natural, sugar free gummies that actually have a ton of health benefits!
Before I go on, the fruit gummy snacks that I’m going to talk about and share with you are not vegan, however, they are Kosher. For vegans and vegetarians, the gelatin can be replaced by agar, but for today, we’ll stick to the gelatin.
All you need to make these healthy gummy snacks is water, Kosher gelatin powder, and 100% pure fruit juice. For added taste and/or nutrition you can also add pureed fruit, honey, kombucha or kefir.
I prefer to use kosher, grass-fed gelatin because it’s full of protein, collagen, and contains a virtual cornucopia of beneficial amino acids. I also like to go for organic fruit or veggie & fruit mix juices as well as some raw honey or Manuka honey for added taste and enzymes.
You can use a shallow baking pan to create a sheet of gummy goodness that you and your kids can cut into shapes with a cookie cutter, or you can use a silicone baking mold. These are fun because they come in all kinds of fun shapes like LEGO bricks, flowers, vehicles, geometric shapes, animals, and gingerbread men. Trust me, these healthy gummies are just as fun to make as they are to eat!
To make your healthy gummies, you’ll need:
*1/2 cup of cool water
*1/2 cup of boiling water
*1/2 cup of powdered gelatin
*1 rounded tablespoon of raw honey (optional)
*1 cup juice
*1 cup fruit puree (optional)
Once you have all of your ingredients and your pan or molds, you’re ready to go. You’ll want to make sure that all of your ingredients are right at hand since the gelatin sets very quickly.
Just a few simple steps…and voila!
*Add ½ cup of cool water to a medium sized glass bowl.
*Add gelatin powder and whisk quickly until the gelatin and water become a thick paste.
*Quickly add the ½ cup of boiling water and continue to stir quickly.
*Once you have a dense yet still stirrable paste, add the tablespoon of honey and the cup of fruit juice and puree. Keep on whisking until everything is nicely blended. If you aren’t adding honey or puree then skip to the next step.
*When you’ve achieved the desired texture and mixture of gelatin and juice, pour the contents into your shallow pan or silicone mold and place in the fridge.
*Leave it in the fridge for 1-2 hours and enjoy! Yep..that’s really it!
You can keep these gummies in the fridge for up to a week, but they’ll probably be gone before that time is up!
You can also make several other versions of these delicious and healthy gummy snacks with added vitamins, like Vitamin D drops or a liquid multivitamin. For an extra immunity boost add Elderberry Syrup or Sambucus to keep the cold and flu season at bay. For a nice sleepytime snack, add cooled chamomile tea to the mix. The options are limitless!
The next time you cringe at the thought of your kids eating yet another sugar filled snack, organic or not, grab these simple ingredients, toss them together and you’re guaranteed a fun little DIY and good health!
**As an affiliate, I make a small portion of sales made via links in my blog.
