By: Dr. Melanie DeCunha, ND

Have you heard of gelatin as a health food? A derivative of collagen, many people use it to help ease joint pain, improve skin & hair and regulate glucose levels. However, did you know that it can also help to manage anxiety and improve sleep? Gelatin is a high source of glycine, which is an amino acid (building block of protein) that is important for our central nervous system. Now the question is, how do you incorporate more gelatin in your (or your kids) diet without scarfing down oodles of artificial colour & high fructose corn syrup containing candy? Easy! You use unflavoured pasture raised gelatin (I used Great Lakes Gelatin) to make the treats of your choice! Of course, you can simply add the gelatin powder to any liquid and just drink it, but where’s the fun in that?! So below I have listed 2 recipes that I tried out this weekend that proved to be a big hit around the office (I had to smuggle them out of the house after my husband left for work). Check em’ out below and enjoy!

Lemon gummy bears

Ingredients:

• 3 T Unflavoured gelatin
• 1 Orange
• 2 Lemons
• 3 T Organic Honey

Instructions:

• Juice orange and lemons. Should yield approximately 1/3 C of juice.
• Pour juice and honey into saucepan and heat on low (do not allow to bowl).
• Gradually sprinkle in gelatin while whisking to prevent any clumps.
• Once combined, pour gelatin into molds (you can buy a variety of adorable silicone molds on Amazon) or a shallow dish/pan.
• Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yields 1 mason jar full of tiny gummy bears

Check out the recipe for Watermelon Starbursts here