Jiggling Fruit Cubes

OK, so this is a little blast from your Jell-O past. Add a little fruit juice for a (slightly) more grown-up version of jiggling Jell-O cubes.

Servings: 8

Equipment: stove, small saucepan, medium bowl, 2 ice cube trays

How long does it take?

10 minutes to make, 2 hours to chill

What's in it?

2 cups unsweetened fruit juice
1/2 cup fresh fruit, chopped
3 packages sugar-free flavored gelatin

How to make it:

Step 1: Boil the juice.
Bring fruit juice to a boil in the small saucepan.

Step 2: Prepare the gelatin.
Empty gelatin packages into medium bowl. Carefully add the hot juice to the gelatin, and stir.

Step 3: Add the fruit.
Stir in your favorite fruit and pour the mixture into ice cube trays.

Step 4: Chill.
Let the cubes chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.

Top the fruity cubes with a little low-fat vanilla yogurt or silken tofu sweetened with maple syrup and you've got a nutritious treat.

Nutrition breakdown:

Calories 43, Protein 2 g, Carbohydrate 9 g, Fat 0, Dietary Fiber 0, Vitamin C 18 mg (36% of RDA), Vitamin A 77 IU (10% of RDA)

What's in it for you?

Gelatin comes in regular or sugar-free. Which is the better choice? Both sugar and sugar substitutes (also found in diet soda) are great things not to overdo. Both are real nutritional weaklings, but for a little something sweet, either one's OK in moderation.

Unsweetened fruit juice packs in the vitamins and gives a quick energy boost. Substituting it for water in the gelatin recipe gives you more vitamin C and A, which help keep colds and infections away.

Chef's tip:

Experiment with different juice, fresh fruit, and gelatin flavor combinations. Here are a few to ideas to get you started:

• Orange juice, orange sections, and lime gelatin
• Tropical fruit juice, pineapple, and lemon gelatin
• Mixed berry juice, strawberries, and raspberry gelatin