Water Kefir Jello for Pregnancy and Beyond

This is the gelatin I use, but Vital Proteins also offers grass-fed gelatin

My Mom used to tell me about how she craved jello when she was pregnant with my sister and I (twins). In fact, she craved it so much that she would wait until my Dad went to work, then make a package the "quick-set" way, and then eat the whole thing herself. I could tell that this seemed really strange to her...almost like she was guilty about it! But the more I started learning about the nutritional needs of pregnant women, the more I understood how WISE her body was!

Building babies takes a LOT of nutrients, including proteins and fats (she was building two!) Personally, I craved eggs during my first pregnancy, which isn't surprising now considering that I ate a mostly vegetarian diet. My body knew that I needed more protein than I was getting, and it told me so. Now that I know more about how helpful probiotics are for a healthy immune system and pregnancy, I'm sharing a recipe that has quality protein and probiotics in a tasty package.

Water Kefir Jello

my water kefir

I've made this one with apple cinnamon flavored water kefir, but you can use any flavor. Water kefir is a mild, broad-spectrum probiotic beverage that can be flavored in myriads of ways. Probiotics help to populate and balance the microbiome, which strengthens the immune system of mother and baby. For directions on how to make water kefir, see here.
 
You will Need:

• 3 cups water kefir
• 1/2 cup filtered or mineral water (or anything other than treated water)
• 3 tablespoons gelatin (grass-fed)
• a few tablespoons lemon juice or any other flavor you would like to add

Method:

• sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan
• After gelatin is dissolved, turn on heat to medium and warm until gelatin is melted, just a few minutes
• Let the water/gelatin mixture cool
• Take out the dish you want the jello to be in and pour in the cooled mixture, plus the rest of your ingredients. Stir well, then chill until solid. 

That's All! Simple and protein-packed. My kids love this also. Some individuals don't like the taste of the gelatin, so you might substitute some of the water kefir for a stronger organic juice. Just play around with it, and enjoy!

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