Homemade Healthy Fruit Roll-Ups

Smoothies are excellent sources of vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. A good, high fiber smoothie will aid with digestion, and a Vitamin C rich smoothie will help boost your immune system. That’s why I love this recipe for dehydrated smoothie fruit roll-ups; they’re easy to make, really delicious, and are much more healthy snacks than store-bought fruit roll-ups.
You could make whatever kind of fruit smoothie you like most, so feel free to adjust the recipe accordingly. I’ll share my favorite mix: strawberry-banana.

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups Smoothie

1. Add 2 bananas, about 2 1/2 cups of strawberries (stems removed), and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Sweeten with your preferred sweetener. About 4-6 drops of stevia or 1 tablespoon of agave nectar works. Blend to incorporate your sweetener.
3. Spread the smoothie onto your dehydrator sheets. Set for about 105 degrees. If you don’t have a dehydrator, I love my Nesco FD-75PR — it gets great reviews, isn’t too expensive (only about $60 on Amazon), and is great for making all kinds of healthy snacks.
4. Leave for about 3-4 hours, flip, and then leave for another 3-4 hours. The fruit roll will be completely dry and have the same texture and consistency as store-bought fruit rolls when they’re done.
5. Lay the dried fruit on paper and cut into serving-sized strips. Roll them up and enjoy.

Frozen berries work too if you’re stuck in the Winter months. Just thaw the berries first. The texture will be a bit different, but they make great healthy snacks nonetheless.

Here are some ideas to be more creative with recipe!

image source: http://www.veggie-wedgie.com/?p=803
http://www.thethirdboob.com/2013/09/school-lunch-tips-and-tricks-for.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/orange-you-glad-its-tu-bishvat/
http://www.sondibruner.com/2011/06/03/fruit-rollups/