Monday, February 6, 2012

"Healthy fruit snacks"



These are a recipe I found on pinterest and tweeked it to make it a bit healthier. I dont feel so bad letting my 2 year old eat these!

1 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 envelopes knox gelatin

In a saucepan combine the berries and water and cook until the berries are soft, about 5 minutes. Place in blender with spinach and blend until smooth. Place back in the saucepan and add the applesauce. Cook and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a seperate bowl combine the juice and knox gelatin. Let sit 1 minute. Add to berries mixture. Pour into a 8x8 glass pan. Refridgerate 3 hours or until set. Cut into squares.
Store in fridge.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach.

Pomegranate juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins and flavonoids.

Pomegranates are listed as high-fiber in some charts of nutritional value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the edible seeds which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils and micronutrients. Juice of the pomegranate may be effective in reducing heart disease risk factors.

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