Dessert… that part of the meal that most kids look forward to the most 🙂 That part of the meal that is usually loaded full of sugar – which will likely keep them awake, just as you want them to go to sleep!
How would you like to feed your little one, or yourself, a dessert that would encourage sleep? Come to think of it, how would you like to eat, or feed your little one, a dessert that had all these additional health benefits:
- Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion.
- Inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, etc.
- Reduces joint pain.
- Eases the symptoms of autoimmune disorders.
- Fights inflammation.
- Has calming effects, which may help you sleep better.
- Promotes strong, healthy bones.
- Supports the body’s connective tissues.
- Promotes healthy hair, skin, teeth and nails.
- Anti-ageing and wrinkle-reducing.
- Improves the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.
- Detoxifies the liver.
Well you can, and its so simple to make too…
Say hello to Jelly!
“Jelly? A healing, sleep-inducing food?”, I can here you shout.
Yes, jelly – but homemade jelly. Not the the sugar and chemical laden type poured out of a box or served to patients in hospitals!
The superfood ingredient found in Jelly is gelatine.
What is Gelatine?
Gelatine powder is a is flavourless, translucent substance derived from the processing of animal connective tissue and bones to extract collagen, an insoluble fibrous protein. Once extracted and powdered, gelatin dissolves in hot liquids and becomes more solid as it cools. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in gummy sweets, marshmallows, desserts, ice cream, dips and some yogurts.
Gelatine contains easy to digest (bio-available) calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, amino acids and trace minerals.
Gelatine used to be a big part of healthy traditional diets when people regularly consumed bone broths as well as the fibrous tissues and organs of animals. While I am a big fan of drinking bone broth (and I really encourage you to give it a try), the little ones may not be so keen on it. So another way to get the healing benefits of gelatine into your diet is to disguise it as Jelly 🙂
Traditionally the recipe for Jelly calls for hot water, but why not use hot tea instead to add to the medicinal qualities of this dessert? I have recently discovered Carmien’s Sleepy Time Tea – a blend of organic rooibos, chamomile and strawberry – and Mila absolutely LOVES it! And yes, it is medicinal!
*This recipe is not in my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics‘, but it will be in the second book 🙂
