Many keto-kids need a supplement to control their blood acid levels. We’ve written about our experience with that issue before, so you can see the Blood Acid Chronicles post for details on our experience.

Nora’s supplement is called Cytra-K. It is a packet of potassium citrate crystals that is formulated with saccharine and red dye that dissolves into a sweet, carb-free drink. She now takes 2 packets a day, which would be enough Cytra for a small cup of the drink at every meal. Nora used to love drinking it, but the appeal of her sweet pink drink has worn off. As an alternative delivery method, we now make it into a jello treat that she eats three times per day. Gelatine is pure protein, so it doesn’t take away from other precious carbs and it’s easy to add cream for a sweet little keto item.

We typically mix up a batch each evening to be ready for the next day. It takes a few minutes and Nora has happily eaten 3 Cytra & Cream Hearts every day for many weeks now. I guess it’s a lesson in changing the routine when your kid gets tired of something.

I couldn’t get a decent photo of the Cytra Heart, so at least I got a happy Nora! You can see that the cream rises to the top when it sets, so it’s creamy on top and pink jello on the bottom.

Cytra & Cream Gelatine Hearts
2 packets Cytra-K
2.7 g Knox unflavored gelatine powder
1.5 T Organic Valley Heavy Cream (1/2 T in each)
3/4 cup boiling water

Place 3 silicone molds on to a flat plate or pan. You will want an even surface to transfer the filled molds into the fridge so that they don’t spill.

Weigh the gelatine powder into a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Add the Cytra-K crystals. Pour in 3/4 cup of boiling water and stir well until the gelatine is completely dissolved. Divide equally (1/4 cup each) into the 3 molds. Measure 1/2 T of cream into each mold. Place in fridge to set, at least 1 to 2 hours.

Each serving of gelatine is 0.9 g of powder (0.9×3=2.7 g, so there is 1 serving of gelatine in each heart here), which has 1 gram of protein per serving. Therefore, each gelatine heart has 1 gram of protein and 3 grams of fat, for a 3:1 ratio, in addition to dividing up her daily dose of Cytra-K. We also add her Miralax into the mix too, still 1/2 tsp per day to ward off constipation. Thankfully, between the Miralax and plenty of fiber she has not had a problem with constipation in a long time.