Fruit leather is one of my favorite snacks to have on hand for my girls and their friends. This is such a simple way to get nutrients from fresh fruits. While many fruits don’t necessarily travel well, fruit leather is excellent to take on the go!
Not only is this a delicious snack for children and adults, but the ingredients have incredible healing properties…let’s take a closer look.
Bananas
A banana contains about 76% water, making it a fantastic electrolyte food. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, B6, potassium, copper, and manganese. A high glucose content makes bananas an excellent brain food and muscle builder. So as you can imagine, bananas are a perfect food for an athlete – they replenish energy and instantly revitalize the body.
This incredible fruit contains very strong anti-fungal and antibiotic compounds, and has the ability to stop a virus in its tracks. Furthermore, bananas promote nutrient absorption and assimilation. In addition, they support the natural bacteria in the bowel, which keeps your digestive tract healthy and immune system strong.
Strawberries
This fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B-complex, E, and minerals such as manganese, iron, and zinc. They are packed with antioxidants which helps the body repair and rejuvenate.
In addition, strawberries are very anti-inflammatory which makes then a critical food for those suffering from autoimmune conditions. Similarly, they are high in vitamin C which boosts the immune system and helps the body fight flu’s and other respiratory infections.
Strawberries are excellent for weight loss as they are low in calories and high in nutritional compounds.
Mangos
Mangos are known as “The King of the Fruits” because they taste like candy and are packed with nutritional value. They are an incredible source of vitamins A, C, E, and B-complex, and are a powerful anti-cancer food.
Additionally, mangoes help prevent strokes, heart disease, arthritis, cognitive disorders, respiratory diseases, and kidney disease. Mangos are an excellent brain food as they contain a significant amount of B-6 which is critical for the production of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. B-6 also helps maintain hormonal balance and proper immune function.
Furthermore, mangos help to alkalize the body and are a prebiotic food which means they contain compounds that feed good bacteria in the intestines, aiding in digestion and assimilation of food.
In some countries, mangos are eaten before bed as they help prevent insomnia and aid in a good night’s sleep. For a delicious pre-bedtime snack, check out my Cherry-Mango Sleep Smoothie recipe.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is an incredibly nutritious drink, packed with B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and manganese. Additionally, coconut water is one of the highest sources of electrolytes on the planet. In fact, it has the same level of electrolytes that we have in our blood.
Did you know that coconut water is identical to human plasma? Plasma is what makes up 55% of human blood. Coconut water can be considered a “universal donor.”
Furthermore, as a complete electrolyte, coconut water is hydrating on a deep, cellular level.
Homemade Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 3 bananas
- 1 pint strawberries
- 4 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ½ Cups coconut water
Or
- 3 bananas
- 3 Cups frozen mangos
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Cups coconut water
Instructions
- Blend well 60 seconds.
- Dehydrate for 24 hours at 105 F. If you don’t have a dehydrator see if your oven does. Nowadays the new ovens, including my own Breville Smart Oven + my Anova Culinary have dehydrator settings.
- If you don’t have that you can make this on the lowest setting for your oven, which should be in the range of about 200F.
- I would typically leave the oven door slightly ajar to keep the inside cooler than 200F and you will get a very decent result. Just watch it because it may be ready in 12 hours or even less.
Notes
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
