Perfect Protein Infused Fruit Leather
A Perfect idea for kids’ lunches, camping, and travel.
Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders, kids need amino acids for strong muscles, optimum growth, alert brains, and satisfied appetites;
“Every cell, muscle and organ in a child's body needs protein. When kids eat protein-rich foods, their bodies break the protein down into amino acids that they need to grow and function optimally. “ “Kids need an ample amount of protein to stay alert and think clearly. The amino acids in protein improve brain function, according to the Franklin Institute. Tyrosine, an essential amino acid, is instrumental in the production of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, which help kids stay alert and energized. Conversely, when kids eat high-carbohydrate meals that are devoid of protein, their brains' tryptophan levels increase and produce serotonin, which may make them feel tired.-Maia Appleby
So, here’s a recipe for all of the Fitness Moms out there who are always looking to add a little more substance to their kid’s lunches. Perfect Protein Infused Fruit Leather is a great way to incorporate one of the best forms of bioavailable protein into to your kids’ diets. I love using the Diesel Whey Isolate because it is a clean and pure protein made from New Zealand Whey (All Natural, Meadow fed cows, No GMO’s, No rBGH), and is sweetened naturally with Stevia. Diesel is also fat free, yeast free, wheat free, lactose free, gluten free and aspartame free.
4 cups of fruit makes about one baking/cookie sheet of fruit leather.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Fresh fruit (4 cups per serving)
Water (1/2 cup)
1tsp lemon juice
2 scoops Diesel Whey Isolate (I use either Strawberry, Banana, or Pineapple Mango, or a combination of the the three)
Your favourite healthy sweetener (Stevia, Honey, Agave Nectar, etc)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 Rinse your fruit. Make sure to pit, core, and de-stem the fruit because we want a smooth consistency of our puree. Make sure to peel apples and pears as well.
2 Place the fruit in a large saucepan. Add the 1/2 cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit. Simmer, cover and let cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan. Remove from heat and add the 2 scoops of Diesel Whey Isolate, as well as one teaspoon of lemon juice to help brighten the flavour of the fruit. This is also the time to add your natural sweetener to taste. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavour if you wish!!
3 Now, transfer your mixture to a blender or food processor and puree it until it is a nice, smooth consistency. You can also use a wand-type mixer and puree the mixture in a large bowl.
4 Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and pour out the purée into the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
5 Place the baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to a low 140°F. If you have a convection setting, use it, it will speed up the process and help dry out the purée. Let dry in the oven like this for as long as it takes for the purée to dry out and form fruit leather. We usually keep it in the oven overnight, so about 8-12 hours. The fruit leather is ready when it is no longer sticky, but has a smooth surface.
6 When the fruit leather is ready, you can easily peel it up from the plastic wrap. To store it, roll it in its plastic wrap, put it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
SIMPLE METHOD:
You can save time by using apple sauce or baby food puree that has already been cleaned and stewed.
One of my favourite combinations is unsweetened strawberry apple sauce combined with organic baby banana food puree and 2 scoops strawberry diesel!!!!!!
Cut into 4 each “fruit roll up” contains 12.5g of protein!!!!!!
For a printable PDF version of this recipe, click here
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