I want to share a delicious and hydrating snack that are a healthy alternative to the jell-o treats you probably grew up on.

I used to eat jell-o when I was sick, it was served up in the lunch line at school, and like many kids, I loved making jell-o jigglers with cookie cutters.  One of my family’s traditional holiday dishes is a cranberry fruit salad made with jell-o.  I’ve watched patients in hospitals consume jell-o post surgery. Ugh. I’ve had my fill of jello.

One serving of regular Jello contains 19 grams of sugar (about 5 teaspoons- that’s a lot!).  Not to mention Jello uses BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) as a preservative. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, BHA is a possible carcinogen. Why does it belong in our food? 

I never knew the facts about Jell-o until I started reading ingredient labels on food!

Let’s face it – there’s nothing healthy or “nature fed” about sugar and artificial ingredients.  The good thing is, you can make the healthy version of these gummy snacks with real grass-fed beef gelatin!

What is Gelatin?

I’ll admit, when I learned real gelatin comes from animal bones I was a bit grossed out (but intrigued).  Even though I grew up on a farm raising cows, with regular servings of beef, and soups made with bone broth at the table, I wasn’t sure about adding gelatin from bone collagen to these sweet treats.  However, gelatin has some incredible health benefits, and that turned my head right away.

Improves Digestion

Gelatin improves gut health and digestive system integrity.  It supports the secretion of gastric acids, and helps restore the lining of the stomach. Gelatin also absorbs liquid, helping to keep fluid in the digestive tract which promotes healthy bowel movements.

Support Detoxification 

The liver uses the amino acid glycine (found in gelatin) for detoxification, and its ability to detoxify is actually limited by the amount of glycine available.

Beautiful Skin

Gelatin provides glycine and proline, amino acids used to produce collagen, which is one of the primary elements of our skin.  Give your skin these protein building blocks so your body can create enough collagen.  You’ll be protecting your skin against the damages of sun exposure, and preventing wrinkles.

Strong Bones

Research showed that athletes who took a hydrolyzed collagen supplement experienced less pain in their joints, which could help improve performance for those of us who like to move!  Plus if you have inflammatory joint or bone diseases like arthritis or osteoporosis, getting enough gelatin can potentially help you manage pain and inflammation, and build stronger bones.

Making Homemade Jello

Healthy jell-0 and gummies can be made right in your Nature Fed kitchen with juice, fruit, and grass-fed beef gelatin.  Of course, choose your gelatin from a quality source so you’re not consuming a product from factory-farmed animals which have been fed GMO-feed, given artificial hormones, antibiotics, and raised poorly.  Here’s some you might want to try:

Vital Protein Pasture-Raised Gelatin

Great Lakes Grass-Fed Beef Gelatin

INGREDIENTS

• 17 ounces coconut water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons grass-fed beef gelatin
• 1/2 teaspoon stevia
• 6-8 strawberries
• 2 drops lime essential oil
• 2 drops lemon essential oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mason jar, add gelatin to cool water and whisk to dissolve gelatin powder.  It will begin to thicken.
2. In a medium-sized pot, heat lemon juice and coconut water over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the gelatin mixture to the hot mixture and stir to mix.
3. Remove from heat, and add essential oil and stevia to taste.
4. Pour liquid into 8×11 glass dish, and place sliced strawberries throughout.
5. Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.