Written by Kate Tietje
I get asked all the time, “What vitamins should I choose for my kids?” I hesitate to recommend store-bought vitamins in any form because even the good ones have some ‘extra’ ingredients in them.
There are also a number of recipes out there on various blogs. But most of those involve using fruit juice, gelatin, and powdered store-bought vitamins. This isn’t really ideal either, in my opinion, because it doesn’t fully solve the problem of using store-bought supplements. I really wanted to make something that was completely whole foods-based and did not rely on any store-bought supplements at all.
This mixture is in a kid-friendly gummy, and it isn’t very sweet or fruity. Some kids may want it fruitier (one of my kids wasn’t a fan; the others loved it), but I’ll give you some ideas on how to do that if needed. These vitamins are based on two herbs: dandelion and nettle. These two herbs are rich in so many vitamins and minerals. Dandelion contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, C, and K1. Nettle contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and beta-carotene, plus vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and K1. It contains most of the vitamins you need, except for the major fat-soluble ones (A, D, E, K). I would give this with a small spoonful of cod liver oil that should cover just about everything! I use Earthley’s Cod Liver Oil as an excellent addition to their brain and immune health.
The little specks in the vitamins are herb sediment that sneaked through my strainer!
Gummy Whole Food Vitamins
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. nettle leaf
- 2 tbsp. dandelion leaf
- 1 1/4 cup filtered water (divided)
- 4 – 6 strawberries
- 1 tbsp. raw honey
- 2 tbsp. gelatin
Directions:
Step 1: Mix the nettle and dandelion with 1 cup of water and the strawberries in a saucepan. If you want a fruitier flavor, add more strawberries or other berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.). Choose organic if you can. I used frozen organic from Costco. The berries provide their own vitamins, too!
Step 2: Bring it to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Strain the mixture, pressing the herbs and berries with a fork to get all the liquid out.
Step 4: After boiling, about 3/4 cup of liquid will remain. This is right. Set it aside for a minute.
Step 5: In another container, mix 1/4 cup cool water with 2 tablespoons gelatin. Let this sit for a couple of minutes.
Step 6: Stir the honey into the hot liquid. Then, pour it into a clean saucepan. Add the gelatin mixture, too.
Step 7: Turn on low heat and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved and incorporated.
Step 8: Pour the finished vitamins into a mold or a shallow baking dish. You can cut it into squares. I chose this cute little mold.
Step 9: Put it in the fridge for an hour or so until solid. Pop out of the mold or cut into 1/2″ squares and put into a jar to store.
That’s it! I let my kids eat 1 – 2 per day, although they are so healthy that you can’t really “overdose” on them — since they’re based on food and herbs.
If you want a healthy yet easy alternative, I recommend Earthley’s Nourish Me Naturally. It is an excellent option for everyone ages 1 and above, and you can even turn it into gummies!
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These sound very interesting – we’re grandparents – I
‘ll pass along to our kids, but is there any reason these wouldn’t work for adults as well? Would you need to increase the amounts of the herbs?
I was looking at the nettle leaf on Mountain Rose and it states “Its long term, extended use is not recommended.”.
Does that mean these vitamins wouldn’t be good for everyday?
I know nothing about herbs, so I’m just curious!!!
I’m curious as to why you say it’s doesn’t really contain enough of the fat-soluble vitamins…(some I understand but A and K are found in high amounts in Dandelion and Nettle) Just curious is I’m missing something…. I’ve been doing a lot of comparing of nettle and dandelion lately for my pregnancy tea. 🙂
I would love to make these for my grandkids, and myself too :-), but I’m not sure what gelatin to use. The link to yours didn’t work. Could you give me that info? Thanks!
Have you heard of herbal infusions, letting the herbs seep in water for ten hours to get the maximum goodness out? I just get my kids to drink nettle leaf herbal infusions, adding it to a smoothie or adding a bit of honey to sweeten.
Hi! I would love to make this for my kids, but I’m wondering if there is an age requirement for this mixture. My boys are currently 3 years old and 23 months old. Can they take this?
I am ready to make these vitamins but am concerned about the repeated mention to limit use of nettle (on multiple websites). I have a strong feeling that my pediatrician will not know how to respond to this question. While I’d love to save money and offer natural vitamins to my children, I don’t want to create medical issues that were otherwise not there. Do you firmly feel that daily consumption of the nettle over a long period of time is safe for little ones?
Could nettle tea and dandelion tea be used?
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Could I use nettle leaf powder instead? Also, during boiling will the leaf “extract” suffice for the nutrients or should I crush them to leave in the gummies? Also, could I blend the fruit first in my blender instead of just pressing the juice out? Sorry all the questions
So I was just wondering how much dandelion leaf I should use if I use fresh…. that’s the only option right now. 😉 It’s in our yard. 2T dried equals ___ fresh.
Hello! It’s more of a question really; wouldn’t you lose the nutrients in the berries (or any fruits you choose) in the boiling/cooking process?
I’m always afraid they just end up being fiber for the babies to consume…
I currently use vitabiotics well baby for my 8 month old but would definately prefer somthing more organic. He is exclusively breastfed & they advise on the uk to give them for the vit d. I will try this recipe when he’s 1 due to the raw honey content .
I enjoy your site ☺
Thanks for this recipe…my kids love them. I do have a couple questions though… Do these need to be refrigerated when they’re done? Also, I have the same little heart molds you used, however I’m having a hard time getting them out of the molds without them sticking and pulling apart. I was just wondering if you maybe coat the molds so they release better or have any other tricks for this? Thanks!
What a brilliant idea! Make your own vitamins will be the next frontier in our family’s journey to a healthy green lifestyle. Thanks!
I’ve been interested in whole food supplements without the “other stuff” for ages–thanks! I’m sure this is great with kids, but being one of those rare individuals who doesn’t like gummies, for me as an adult, as others have asked above, would the tea suffice or is there another recipe you’d prefer in that case?
Also, do you happen to know the conversion for freshly foraged herbs? I can also ask Mountain Rose Herbs but wanted to start here.
Thanks again!