My son Finn (almost 2 yo) isn’t a big snacker. WHAT, a toddler who doesn’t snack?! He eats three meals a day, always with plenty of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to fuel his body for at least 3-4 hours. No, he doesn’t eat perfectly (!!), and some days he snacks more than others, but most of the time he eats well at meal time. I credit this to the amount of food and the balance we offer at each meal. I do my best to keep up with this routine because the more he snacks, the more picky he is and the less he eats at meal time. If your child is more of a grazer, eating both healthy snacks and well at meal time, then that is great – go with it!
I always make sure Finn has some healthy fats with his meal – whether it’s butter, ghee, coconut oil or olive oil – this helps keep his belly full and his blood sugar stable until the next meal. The one snack he eats most days is a mid afternoon snack around 4pm. He eats lunch around noon, and we have dinner around six, so he needs a little something to carry him to dinner. (Notice the emphasis on little – I don’t give him a lot of food, because whenever I do, he doesn’t eat a good dinner) These gelatin gummies are a great snack to have on hand because they’re easy for me, he loves them, they’re nutrient dense, and are great for the digestive system.
Quick Note on Feeding a Toddler/Young Child: If you have a toddler who is always hungry and asks you for a snack every hour or so, try adding more healthy fats at meal time. Drizzle some extra olive oil on lunch, add an extra teaspoon or two of butter to oatmeal, and a good spoonful of melted coconut oil on chicken at dinner. You can also try to offer a little extra food at meal time, and slowly less food during the day. This will take time for their bodies to adjust, so don’t rush it. Snacks and milk can fill bellies in between meals, so pay attention to whether this seems to be affecting your child’s appetite. I will do a full post on this at some point!
Blueberry Lemon Gelatin Gummies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Once the blueberries are defrosted (or mostly defrosted) add to a blender or food processor.
- Add lemon juice, water, and maple syrup.
- Blend for about a minute, or until thin and well blended.
- Pour blueberry mixture into a small saucepan. Heat mixture until just luke warm, one to two minutes – the gelatin incorporates better when the blueberry mixture isn’t very warm.
- Once the mixture has warmed just a bit, slowly add gelatin, whisking constantly.
- Once all of the gelatin is mixed thoroughly, pour mixture in to an 8×8 baking dish. Place dish in the fridge to cool for about an hour.
- Remove from fridge and slice into small squares (I cut like I’m cutting tiny pieces of brownies). Store in fridge for up to one week.
Notes
- “Collagen Hydrolysate” is different than “Gelatin.” Vital Proteins and Great Lakes make both types, so be sure you’re using the right GELATIN and not Collagen for this recipe! If you’re using Vital Proteins, the Beef Gelatin (that will cause these gummies to actually gel) has a green label. If you’re using Great Lakes Gelatin, the Beef Gelatin label is red.
- I use frozen blueberries because they’re more juicy when they defrost, they’re cheaper, and they’re much easier to find all year round.
- I know my son would love it if I made these into cute little gummy bears like many recipes show. If you have the time, go for the cute gummy bears….but if not, I promise your child will love you just the same! I held off making them for a while because I didn’t want to bother with the gummy bear mold…don’t make the same mistake!
- If you end up with little clumps of gelatin after you’ve mixed, simply take a fork and skim these off the top.
