As a mom of a toddler, I sometimes have to get a little creative with snacks. He eats well, I cannot complain, but it's nice to have special treats he gets excited about that also have health benefits! We follow a predominantly 'Paleo' diet meaning we don't eat much processed food, sugar, soy, or grains and our toddler eats exactly what we eat. I absolutely credit his expansive palate and willingness to eat most foods, to our eating habits in addition to our pantry being pretty clean.
Anyway, my guy helped "cook", pour, and pop the gummies out of the silicon molds. This is also such a fun activity with a toddler who is interested in counting and helping. {Such a fantastic way to give toddlers/kids meaningful context in terms of numbers/counting instead of rote memorization! But, that's another post for another day...} We make our gummies with grass-fed collagen from Vital Proteins. We also use these star and cube silicon molds.
Benefits
There are so many amazing health benefits to eating gelatin some of which include improvements in skin/connective tissue, digestive, and mental health. I highly recommend women who are trying to conceive and women who are pregnant, and postpartum to incorporate gelatin or collagen into their diets. I'm only listing my personal top 2 benefits. There are many!
1. Joint Health - Research shows athletes who took a hydrolyzed collagen supplement experienced less pain in their joints.
2. Improved Sleep Quality - Glycine is an amino acid found in gelatin. One study found that 3g of glycine before bed helped produce both subjective and objective improvement in sleep quality. In addition, glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and can decrease general anxiety and promote sense of calm. Who doesn't want to improve sleep quality and mental relaxation?
Chamomile and lavender gummies
Yields 25 {star} gummies
1 cup of {filtered water} - 6 tbsp Vital Proteins beef gelatin
2 tea bags Traditional Medicinals Chamomile & Lavender tea
1/2 cup raw honey
Directions:
Prepare the gummies by boiling the water in a saucepan, steep 2 bags of tea for 5 minutes covered. Remove tea bags and let water come to room temperature. Add the gelatin, stir until combined, will look a bit chunky. Set aside for 3 minutes to allow gelatin to bloom. Stir in honey and turn heat on low, stir until mixture is completely smooth.
Remove from heat, pour into a pyrex or any container with a spout. Pour into any silicon mold. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm. Store your gummies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks!