How I got my kids to eat their greens: homemade gummies

The single hardest healthy food to get kids to eat? Leafy greens. Even my least picky eaters turn up their noses at a bowl of kale. And, let’s be honest. Sometimes I do, too. Instead of admitting defeat, I was inspired to hit the kitchen, and find an easier way to get my tots (and myself!) to eat those greens!

The answer was shockingly simple — what if I made our own gummy fruit snacks, hiding the finest superfoods and super greens inside? If you’ve never made your own homemade fruit snacks or gummies before, you’re in for a treat. They’re surprisingly simple! And the result is absolutely delicious.

I pureed a pack of frozen organic blueberries, grabbed some naturally sweet fruit juice and flavorless gelatin, and then opened up my favorite can of green powder, Energy Greens. This powder contains eight different superfoods (acai powder, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass powder, alfalfa grass powder, maca, vanilla, and cinnamon), and it tastes delicious too! I had a batch of super-boosted green gummies ready to eat in less than an hour.

My kids thought they’d hit the jackpot — their mom was freely handing over handfuls of great-tasting blueberry gummies. And I was certain I’d won the lotto — all of my kids noshing down more greens in a day than they have ever eaten in their lives. And without me begging, cajoling, or prying? Yes, indeed. It happened at our house, and I have a feeling it’ll happen at your house, too.

Here’s how to make your own Super Green Gummies:

Start by grabbing all necessary ingredients. If you’ve never bought green powder before (which can be found at most grocery stores), look for one that doesn’t have too many ingredients. You just want pure, organic spirulina, chlorella, and other healthy add-ins.

Whisk it all together in a saucepan. Don’t boil the mixture; you’ll want to heat until it’s nearly steaming to incorporate all the gelatin.

Now spoon into molds. (There are dozens of adorable silicone molds available online. Google “silicone chocolate molds” or “silicone ice cube molds” to find them.) Alternately, you can pour this mixture into a parchment-lined baking dish. Once firm, cut into cubes with a knife.

Place your molds in the freezer or fridge until firm. It will take about 20-30 minutes.

Once firm, gently peel each gummy out of the mold. And enjoy! Store them inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Happy superfood snackin’!

Super Green Gummies recipe

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3/4 cup blueberry or pomegranate juice
• 3-10 drops Stevia to taste (can be substituted for other sweeteners)
• 1-3 tablespoons green powder
• 4 packets unflavored gelatin powder

Directions:

1. In a hi-speed blender, puree blueberries, juice, stevia, and green powder together. Taste and sweeten as needed, until desired flavor is reached. (If making these gummies for the first time, you may want to start with just a small amount of green powder, so the fruit completely masks the flavor.)
2. Pour this mixture into a medium pot. Cook over medium heat. When warm to the touch, whisk in gelatin powder and continue to whisk until well dissolved.
3. Spoon mixture into silicone molds, or pour into a parchment-lined 8×8” baking dish. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 20-30 minutes. Gently remove gummies from mold (or slice gummy mixture into cubes if using a large baking dish). Enjoy immediately or store in fridge for up to 1 week.