The absolute easiest healthy snack to make with kids
Want a super quick, easy snack you can make with kids that also happens to be healthy?! Seriously, this is a 2- or 3-ingredient, 10 minute activity, and my daughter was very into it. Vegan gummy bears, or in our case, gummy dinosaurs (because my kid is obsessed with dinosaurs at the moment, and Michael's has a cheap dino mold that works perfectly for this little treat) are simple and fun to make.
All you need is agar powder (a vegan gelatin alternative derived from marine red algae, packed with nutrients like iron, calcium, and fiber) and the organic fruit juice of your choice. You may choose to add a little bit of honey or agave nectar if the juice is not sweet enough for your (or your kid's) taste, but we found that fruit juice is plenty sweet on its own and chose not to add any sweetener.
Simply bring 1/2 cup of fruit juice and 1/2 tbsp agar powder to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir almost continuously as the mixture heats up, for about 5 minutes until it becomes syrupy. You're going for a thick syrup consistency; but it worked for us even when I thought my mixture was still too runny. Then, carefully pour the resulting syrup into silicone candy molds (we found some online in the shape of gummy bears, and others shaped like dinos as I mentioned above). Pick whatever shapes appeal to your kids :) Our saucepan has a pour spout, but you could use a dropper to fill the molds alternatively.
Cool the filled molds in the fridge; they'll be ready in a few minutes! Pop 'em out and enjoy a healthy, yummy, quick snack. Super fun for lunch boxes!
