This is a very simple fruit juice jello, that can be used as a base for a huge range of your own homemade low-sugar jello flavors.
In fact, this recipe can be used as a foundation for any fruit juice jello creations of your choice, healthy or not. In this recipe we focus on low-sugar jello, since not all of us enjoy sugar or we’ve been advised by a health professional to consume less sugar.
To create our low-sugar jello, we are going to rely on sugar and sweetness from the fruit juice itself, without any added sugar. The juice you use is up to you, depending on your tastes; below are a few suggestions to give you some inspiration.
In addition to (or instead of) fruit juice, you can also experiment with different flavor extracts and syrups. Remember, however, that syrups and cordials are often packed with sugar, so if you want to stick to low-sugar jello we recommend skipping the syrup. Extracts don’t contain much (if any sugar), so you can still achieve an interesting array of low-sugar jello flavors using extracts, such as mint, coconut, lemon and more.
Do not add any colors to the jello, as tempting as it may be, as this could stain your colon and ruin all your hard colonoscopy preparation work. Flavored extracts = OK. Colors/dyes = Not OK.
Creating your own jello flavor combinations can be loads of fun, but make sure to avoid ‘off limits’ ingredients listed below, especially those fruits that prevent your jello from setting. As long as you are on the clear liquid diet, just remember to stick to your dietary restrictions while experimenting (eg no solids, dairy, milks, alcohol, red/purple etc) and you should be fine. Have fun!
Low Sugar Fruit Juice Jello for colonoscopy preparation
Cooking Time: 15 minutes + 4 hours refrigeration time
Serves: 4 (1/2 cup per serve)
Ingredients:
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz / 7g) gelatin powder
- 1¾ cups (14 oz.) fruit juice of your choice (see flavor suggestions below, or make your own)
- ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water
Instructions:
- Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of the fruit juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add boiling water and whisk until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the remaining fruit juice (and any flavor extracts, syrups etc if using).
- Pour jello into a large serving dish or into individual serving glasses.
- Chill for at least 4 hours until set.
Juices to avoid
- Fruits that prevent gelatin from setting (pineapple, papaya, mango, kiwifruit).
- Pulpy or cloudy fruit juices (eg orange juice, tomato juice, apricot nectar). Use clear fruit juice only.
- If you are preparing for colonoscopy, avoid fruits that stain the skin red/purple (eg berries, pomegranate, tomato). Cranberry is OK because it does not stain/dye skin.
Flavor suggestions
Pear & Vanilla:
- 1¾ cups (14 oz.) clear pear juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Cranberry:
- 1 cup clear apple juice
- 3/4 cup cranberry juice
White Grape & Ginger:
- 1 cup white grape juice
- 1/2 tsp ginger, very finely minced or juiced
Note for Vegans & Vegetarians:
If you are vegan or vegetarian, please be mindful that gelatin is an animal product. Unfortunately, agar-agar is not a suitable replacement for gelatin when on a clear liquid diet. This is because although agar-agar behaves in a similar way to gelatin when cooking, its digestibility by the human body is different to gelatin. Unlike gelatin, agar-agar is high in fiber and produces ‘bulk’ in the stomach and gut, defeating the purpose of the clear liquid diet which is to empty your colon. Gelatin on the other hand is digested very easily and does not contain any fiber. More info: https://draxe.com/nutrition/agar-agar/
Nutritional info: Calories: 96cal, Protein: 14g, Carbohydrate: 9g, Fat: 1g. This nutritional information is highly variable depending on the specific flavor combinations you create.
