Five years ago, I first published this post when the boys were turning 9 and the girls were nearing their fifth year! Now, as both sets of twins are in double digits, my focus has shifted from the need for nutrient rich snacks that don't drop crumbs everywhere to mineral rich snacks that help to improve stress resilience.
The stressors that kids face today are a far cry from what I had to deal with as a kid. Minerals help to support the stress response, impact emotional stability and protect the brain against mental illness. Emotional instability can be directly correlated to mineral loss, Negative mood, irritability, stress, rumination, poor psychological resilience, and anxiety are associated with inadequate calcium intake. Folate, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamin deficiencies have been cited in major depressive disorders.
If we look at the mineral content of a gummy...the largest component ingredient is the juice. Juicing extracts most of the vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals from fruits and vegetables, but it also removes fiber, which is important for digestion and blood sugar management. For this reason, drinking juice is generally less healthy than eating the whole fruit. But we also can take a different view of this and note that gummies made at home are also free of dyes, preservatives and added ingredients that can stress the body. Also, making your own gummies at home gives you the option of selecting juices free of added sugar which further prevents wild blood sugar swings from occuring.
Swings in blood sugar can lead to mineral deficiencies, particularly in minerals like magnesium, potassium, and zinc, as when blood sugar levels fluctuate significantly, it can disrupt the body's ability to absorb and utilize these essential nutrients properly, potentially causing depletion over time. Homemade gummies, although delicious, are not hyperpalatable and appetite suppressive like a traditional gummy candy.
Homemade gummies also give you the opportunity to add further nutrients through electrolytes, sea salt, whole fruit or even fiber rich chia seeds.
Looking beyond minerals, let’s dig into some of the health benefits of making your own gummies at home using high-quality gelatin from the Great Lakes Gelatin website,
Collagen 101
Protein, considered the building block of metabolism, is the second most plentiful substance in the body (after water). It is needed for the growth and repair of every cell in the body. Up to 40% of the body is made up of connective tissue with 70% of the connective tissue being collagen.
This is an especially important consideration for children as they are in an enhanced state of growth and repair.
Collagen is the protein that forms connective fibers in tissues such as skin, ligaments, cartilage, and bones. Collagen acts as a kind of intracellular glue that gives support, shape, and bulk to blood vessels, bones, and organs including the heart, kidneys, and liver. Collagen is also required for the repair of blood vessels, bruises, and broken bones.
Again, children are forming the foundation of their lifelong structure. We want them to have resilient, strong bodies that can withstand the stressors that they will encounter with sport and life in general.
After the age of 25 the body’s natural ability to produce amino acids diminishes, but supplementing the diet with collagen protein can help. Collagen Hydrolysate is unique in its amino acid profile because it contains high amounts of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Other protein food supplements contain much lower levels of these key amino acids.
Here we circle back to the benefits of collagen for us as adults. This is huge for tissue repair via collagen synthesis.
Both cartilage and bone in joints are subject to continual physical stress, so they are constantly being broken down and replaced. The cartilage that covers the surface of joints is composed of cells called chondrocytes. These cells are embedded in an extracellular matrix containing collagen fibers and other molecules linked into an integrated network with hyaluronic acid. A diet devoid of ample protein to combat the collagen breakdown can result in sore or damaged joints.
Joint health, are you interested? Well, I am! In order to move well, we need to have healthy joint motion! Proper movement training is one way to encourage this, but nutrition and appropriate supplementation are also essential!
I love to pack the gummies as a quick and sustaining energy booster between clients at work. The dummies are perfect as I can pop them in my purse, and nothing gets stuck in my teeth!!
They are also a perfect fit for the lunchbox! This was William’s lunchbox that was packed along with a hot thermos of spaghetti and meatballs. The lunch needed to be kept at room temp… and the little owl gummy fit right in.
Ok, if you are not convinced by now to enjoy these little creations, here is one last point!!
They do not drop any crumbs!!
Onto the recipe:
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened fruit juice
6 T gelatin (I use Great Lakes Gelatin)
2-4 Tbsp raw honey*
Add On's:
1 probiotic capsule* (I use Megaspore Probiotic as it is heat resistant)
1 pack LMNT
Putting it all together
Bring the juice to a boil over high heat. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the liquid into a large, wide-mouth bowl.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the hot juice and allow it to absorb most of the liquid (it takes about 5 minutes). Make sure to spread out the gelatin so it does not clump.
Whisk the gelatin into the juice well, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return it to the heat. Bring it to a low simmer and keep whisking until all of the gelatin is absorbed.
Pour the gelatin mixture back into the large bowl and let it cool until it is just warm to the touch. Add in the honey and probiotic capsule if you are using them.
Use a dropper, small measuring cup or turkey baster to fill your chosen gummy molds. Refrigerate overnight until set. Store in a sealed container for up to three weeks!
Another recipe not pictured:
Ingredients
1 large mango, peeled cut into chunks
1/3 c lime juice
1/3 c water
4 Tsp gelatin powder
Putting it All Together
Add mango chunks, lime juice, and water to a saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir occasionally until liquid barely starts to simmer.
Blend the mixture using a blender or food processor until smooth.
Let the mix sit in an uncovered bowl of your blending or food processor for about 10 mins in order for it to cool down before adding the gelatin.
Add in the gelatin powder and blend again until fully incorporated.
Pour the gummy mixture into a glade dish and place it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
When the gummies are set, you can cut them into small squares or use any cookie cutter to create fun shapes.
I hope you enjoy this very simple and easy implement recipe. I batch prep this recipe once every two weeks and typically add a raspberry LMNT pack and chia seeds to the gummy.
Sources:
Lakhan SE, Vieira KF. Nutritional therapies for mental disorders. Nutr J. 2008 Jan 21;7:2. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-7-2. PMID: 18208598; PMCID: PMC2248201.
Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Białek-Dratwa A, Sobczyk K, Grot M, Kowalski O, Staśkiewicz W. Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Front Nutr. 2022 Aug 22;9:943998. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.943998. PMID: 36071944; PMCID: PMC9441951.
Bourre JM. Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 1: micronutrients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep-Oct;10(5):377-85. PMID: 17066209.
Wasantwisut E. Nutrition and development: other micronutrients’ effect on growth and cognition. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 1997;28 Suppl 2:78-82. PMID: 9561639.
Duncan A, Yacoubian C, Watson N, Morrison I. The risk of copper deficiency in patients prescribed zinc supplements. J Clin Pathol. 2015 Sep;68(9):723-5. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2014-202837. Epub 2015 Jun 17. PMID: 26085547.
Nakamura M, Miura A, Nagahata T, Shibata Y, Okada E, Ojima T. Low Zinc, Copper, and Manganese Intake is Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in the Japanese Working Population: Findings from the Eating Habit and Well-Being Study. Nutrients. 2019 Apr 15;11(4):847. doi: 10.3390/nu11040847. PMID: 30991676; PMCID: PMC6521019.
NIH Fact Sheet for Professionals. Magnesium. published online June, 2022
NIH Fact Sheet for Professionals. Phosphorus. published online March 26, 2021
NIH Fact Sheet for Consumers. Potassium. published online March 22, 2021
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