Pineapple, Lemon, Green Tea Gelatin Recipe & Gelatin’s Benefits

This is a gelatin snack I made for something to chew on during bowel cleansing the day before my colonoscopy this year. I use a grassfed Kosher beef gelatin, Great Lakes Gelatin (available on Amazon). They have a few types and the one you are looking for to make the firm gelatin snack is the red container. Whereas, the green container (the hydrolysate) will dissolve in liquids and not harden, so it can be used in water, shakes, drinks and smoothies as a healthy superfood boost, adding a little protein as well. It’s important to get gelatin that is from grass fed/ pastured animals in order to avoid contamination with hormones, pesticides and heavy metals.

Gelatin is derived from collagen found in animal bones. It is a dehydrated broth powder made up of bones, cartilage, collagen and minerals. It’s primarily composed of the amino acids glycine and proline, which we do not get much of in our diets since they are concentrated in bones, fibrous/connective tissues and organs of animals, and we don’t typically eat those parts.  

Gelatin used to be a part of traditional diets and has now been lost to our modern diet as “Jello,” which is made of GMO ingredients, lots of sugar and artificial food coloring. As you may have guessed, real gelatin has many health benefits. This is why it is a suggested food in all the nutritional protocols I’ve seen for digestive tract/gut healing. I like using it as a quick substitute for bone broth because, as a powder, it’s always something you can have on hand.

Health Benefits of Gelatin include:

• Source of amino acids, which support a healthy mood, strong bones, proper muscle development and smooth skin.
• Source of some protein. 
• Source of collagen (note that collagen is too large a molecule to be absorbed through skin, so save your money on lotions with it and ingest in instead!)
• Supports skin, hair and nail growth
• Can help tighten loose skin (good for skin firmness and elasticity – may help prevent stretch marks)
• Good for your joints and can aid in joint recovery
• Can improve digestion as it binds to water and helps foods move through your digestive tract easily and helps heal the gut lining
• Improve bone integrity. Gelatin contains easy to digest calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals which helps build a healthy bone matrix.
• Helps maintain muscle mass
• Lowers inflammation 

Alright, that may be more than you care to know about gelatin, but I personally always wondered why it was considered so healthy and constantly recommended for GI problems. 

Recipe:

Prep and cook time: 5-10 min

Refrigeration time: 1 hr

Servings: 2*

Ingredients:

• 1, 6 oz can Pineapple juice
• 10 oz (1 1/4 c) Water
• 2 TB gelatin
• Juice from 1/2 Lemon
• Zest from 1/2 Lemon
• 1 Green tea bag (I used Tazo Zen Green tea this time)
• 1 TB Maple Syrup, optional
• 2 drops Stevia, optional

Note: the sweeteners listed were both used as detailed – this yielded a gelatin that was not too sweet, but felt sweet enough.

Method:

1. Place liquids in a saucepan and turn on medium heat.
2. Stir the gelatin into the liquids.
3. Meanwhile, gather the remaining ingredients into the pan.
4. Let the contents heat up for at least 5 minutes.
5. Pour liquid in desired container(s).
6. Refrigerate 1 hr. to solidify the gelatin.

Notes: You can Drizzle the gelatin in while you stir to combine. This helps avoid clumping. I didn’t do this (I forgot), and it dissolved as I stirred and it got warmer, so no worries.
*I normally do not eat a cup of gelatin, so this can definitely be eaten as more than 2 servings, but for the colonoscopy prep, I had all of it (both cups I split the mixture into) over the course of the day. It was awesome to have somehing solid during a liquid day, and it is allowed for your prep – just cannot have red or purple color/dye.