Want healthy meals your kids will love?

Dye Free No Sugar Jello for Kids

21 Comments

Recently, I was listening to an audio version of Dr. Fuhrman’s new book, The End of Dieting (which was awesome).  He was suggesting some healthy dessert ideas when he mentioned combining Agar powder with fruit juice and fruit to make jello. Curious because I hadn’t heard of it before, I checked it out the next time I was at the health food store.  I found the Agar powder in the baking aisle next to the standard gelatin.   It came in a bottle, that looked like a pill bottle.  It says it is a “naturally gelatinous powder derived from marine red algae.”

We were excited to try it! We haven’t eaten Jello forever.  So, I bought some and we got to work!

jello shots and wedges from super healthy kids.jpg

Now that it is summer, my kids actually are in the kitchen with me a lot! So, Erica (my 13 year old) took the reigns on this one.  All we did was:

  1. Combine Welch’s white grape juice with agar powder (recipe below) and boil in a pot for 2 minutes.
  2. Chop fruit while it was boiling.
  3. Pour into jello mold
  4. Add fruit
making agar jello.jpg

Then we waited for it to set up in the fridge.. Which only took about 1-2 hours. Unlike traditional jello, once set, you can actually take this jello out and leave it out at room temperature and it keeps it’s shape.  We made it three times this weekend!  Twice in the mold above, and once in little cups.

Jello for kids from Super Healthy kids.jpg
jello and fruit from super healthy kidsjpg.jpg

We loved it! You can use any 100% fruit juice of course, and any fruit.  Change it up and make it fun.

jello molded wedges from super healthy kids.jpg
Dye Free No Sugar Jello for Kids

A tip:  Using the directions on the package of the agar powder was too rubbery!  Maybe your kids would like it. It reminded me more of a gummy fruit snack than jello. It was super stiff, rubbery, and sort of like plastic!  (the package called for 2 Tablespoons of Agar powder with 2 cups of water and cooking for 5 minutes).  The second time we cut it back to 1 1/2 teaspoons for 2 cups of liquid after watching the video of this cute lady making it. (She only used 1/2 teaspoon though)

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3.3 from 44 votes

Dye Free No Sugar Jello for Kids

Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 101kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups welch’s white grape juice or 1 cup white grape juice and 1 cup of water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons agar powder
  • 2 medium kiwi
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

  • Whisk together in a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
  • Boil for 2 minutes.
  • Pour into jello mold and add chopped fruit.
  • Allow to set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Fiber: 2g
Keyword : dye free, jello, kid friendly, no sugar

www.superhealthykids.com

Try it this summer! Let us know what your kids think.

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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21 Comments

Thank you for this. My daughter has never had jelly as I didn’t want her to eat junk. We shall be trying this soon!

Christa- that mold i got from my grandma last time I visited her.. I literally think it’s from the 1950’s! LOL. She gave me a handful of them and I love them!

Oh my Goodness!!! I can not thank you enough for this!! My kids love jello but I could not give them stuff from the box!! I am on the hunt for agave powder and will absolutely be making this!!

While this is a great concept the welch’s grape juice is full of sugar and so unhealthy so I wouldn’t call this recipe “no sugar”

This web site really has all the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask. cedggddaddfa

agar agar can be purchased in almost any asian market or large health food store. also available online. why use gelatin? gelatin is made from ground up animal bones, hooves, tendons, ligaments. agar is plant based. 🙂