Benefits of Bone Broth

Why is everyone so obsessed with bone broth? Bone broth seems to be taking over the internet day by day, but is it really as good as everyone makes it out to be? We've looked near and far to uncover the truth about bone broth, and here's what we found...

 

You’re probably here because you haven’t stopped hearing about bone broth - what is it, how can you make it, and why is it so popular?

Bone Broth is an aromatic, tasty and powerfully nutritious meal, with many health & nutrition benefits. 

It has been a key staple among many traditional and cultural cuisines for thousands of years. Slight differences in taste and flavour, but the core intention and health benefits remain the same and we have been reaping in its nutritional benefits for centuries. 

You may be wondering then, why all of sudden it is gaining so much traction and popularity? Bone Broth, and more specifically the Bone Broth Diet, has been made popular in recent years due to the uprise in both Ketogenic and Paleo diets, and the increase in the health-conscious consumer. Bone Broth is also a widely popular staple in the diets of many celebrities; Gwenth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Mindy Kaling and Salma Hayek, all rave about the benefits of this delicious, highly nutrient-based soup that can either be made at home or purchased ready to enjoy!

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is a staple meal among many cultures - variations of the recipe can be found in Asian, Middle Eastern, South American, European and Caribbean cuisine, to name a few!

This simple, savoury, highly nutritious meal is made by slow-simmering animal bones in a pot of water, to extract the flavours, nutrients, and minerals, and turn them into a tasty soup stock!

This diverse meal can be made with a variety of flavours - chicken, turkey, fish, beef, pig and lamb! You don’t just need to use the bones - you can throw everything leftover into the pot, from the skin to any other parts!

To ensure the highest quality of broth, it is best to use the bones from an animal that is pasture-raised and free of antibiotics, steroids and hormones.

Why is Bone Broth good for you? Here are the top 8 reasons why bone broth is nutritious AND delicious!

• Introducing bone broth to your diet can aid in weight loss. Due to the simple nature and ingredients of bone broth (just water and bones), this soup is very low in calories. This makes it a great way to fill up in between meals, curb hunger or assist with intermittent fasting. This can then result in weight loss or a reduction of belly fat.
• Bone Broth is high in nutritional value and benefits. Not only is it high in flavour, but it is also packed with nutrients, such as calcium, protein, collagen and amino acids, such as glycine and proline. These nutrients are extracted from the bones and marrows.
• Drinking bone broth can aid in reducing inflammation. Bone broth contains nutrients found in supplements used for reducing the effects of arthritis and inflammation. These nutrients also aid in protecting our joints.
• Bone Broth can promote positive gut health. A healthy gut may be the result of sipping bone broth, especially if you are someone dealing with poor digestive health or leaky gut syndrome. This is because the gelatin found in bone broth contains glutamic acid, which can help produce a healthy mucosal lining in your digestive tract.
• Bone Broth may Help Reduce cellulite. Cellulite can be the result of damaged connective tissues. Bone broth can help promote the reduction of cellulite, as it contains glucosamine and essential fatty acids. Both of these are used to build the connective tissues of your body!
• Give your immune system a boost with bone broth. There’s a reason we eat chicken soup during the winter season or when we're sick; it’s warm, soothing and highly nutritious. Bone broth is high in amino acids, which are essential in promoting a strong immune system.
• Bone Broth can help improve the look and feel of your skin. Bone broth might just be a part of your new skincare routine! The longer amount of time that the bone broth is simmered for, the more collagen and gelatin is extracted from the bones and marrows, which means more nutrients for you!
• Incorporating bone broth into your diet can improve your sleep. Getting a good night's rest might be the result of drinking bone broth - it contains glycine, an amino acid that can aid in improving sleep quality and fatigue the next day.

How to use bone broth?

There are quite a few ways that you can enjoy bone broth and its many benefits. Ultimately the variation and way you choose to eat it depends on what your diet allows and your own personal health and lifestyle restrictions. You won’t find a more diverse ingredient - this flavourful stock can be added to many meals and dishes, including soups, sauces, stews, gravies and casseroles! Add bone broth to your next stir fry, pot roast or beef stew. It can also be enjoyed on its own, as a meal, or in a cup on the go as a snack, to fulfill hunger in between meals. 

How much bone broth should I drink daily?

The answer to this varies depending on the diet you choose to follow and on your own personal choice. Enjoying a piping hot cup of bone broth is compatible/allowable with the Whole 30 diet, Ketogenic Diet, Paleo Diet, as well as for those with gluten intolerances and dairy allergies.  Most recommend incorporating at least 1-2 cups of bone broth into your daily diet, although there is no reason as to why you can’t enjoy it more if you love it!

What ingredients do I need to make bone broth?

Bone broth is very simple and easy to make in terms of ingredients! 

To make bone broth all you need is:

• Animal bones/skin/scraps (from your local butcher or last night's dinner)
• Water
• Vinegar or another acidic liquid (many use raw apple cider vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice) 
• A pot
  

You can add vegetables, spices and herbs you would usually add to a soup or stew for additional flavour and provide additional antioxidants. Feel free to toss in some carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and fennel bulbs and season with salt, pepper, bay leaves, parsley, garlic powder, thyme and oregano. 

How do I make bone broth?

Looking to make this delicious and nutritious soup at home? The cooking method for making homemade bone broth in a pot is simple!

1. Combine water (a gallon give or take depending on the size of your pot), 2-4 pounds of animal bones and connective tissues and 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar into a pot. If you are planning on making any sort of red meat bone broth, you may wish to roast the bones in the oven for 30 minutes prior to cooking your broth. This may help to extract and enhance the flavour of your broth.
2. Do not turn on the heat, but allow for these ingredients to sit for 30 minutes so that the apple cider vinegar may begin to extract the nutrients from the bones and tissues. This is the key ingredient that plays a crucial role in ensuring your bone broth is as nutritious as possible. The vinegar will break down the collagen in the marrow and connective tissues into gelatin. It will also aid in extracting nutrients and minerals from the bones!
3. Once settled for 30 minutes, you may add any vegetables, spices and herbs and bring all the ingredients in the pot to a boil.
4. Once it begins to boil, reduce it down to a simmer and cook anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.
5. You may notice as the broth cooks, that a froth or foam may begin to rise to the top. Scoop these impurities from the pot as it simmers. You may need to do this a few times during the cooking process.
6. Once your broth is done simmering, strain the broth and cool it down to room temperature before transferring it to a container or jar. Glass mason jars work best for storing in your fridge. You may notice as it cools down that a thin layer of fat at the top, do not scoop this out as it contains the important nutrients that this broth is known for.

Once made, bone broth can typically be stored for 5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Do I need any special equipment to make bone broth?

Great news! You can make bone broth in any pot! The method is really more depending on how much time you have and how long you want your bone broth to cook for. The bone broth can be cooked on a slow simmer from anywhere between 10 to 24 hours and can be cooked for up to 48 hours. However, the longer the broth is cooked the more nutrients and minerals are released, making the broth healthier and richer in benefits. Due to the longer cooking times of the bone broth, a slow cooker might be the better cooking option, so that you may leave your bone broth to simmer overnight, in a regulated, controlled environment. Cooking with a slow cooker may also aid in speeding up the cooking times!

Where to buy bone broth?

We understand that you may not always have time to make bone broth from scratch, considering the long cooking times it involves. Our busy lifestyles do not always allow us to cook everything from scratch. However, this doesn’t mean that our health or dietary needs should suffer as a result. 

The good news is that there are quite a few pre-made bone broths available! We know you want convenience, but don’t want to sacrifice quality, flavour or nutrients. Kettle & Fire’s line of bone broths are made from filtered water, organic vegetables and bones of grass-fed cattle and free-range chickens, that are free of additives, preservatives, hormones and steroids. Slow simmered for 20-24 hours, to ensure it is both high in nutrients and delicious in flavour. Kettle and Fire’s bone broths are a natural source of collagen, amino acids and are low carb and sugar-free. Get ready to have a delicious store-bought bone-broth that is just as tasty and rich as homemade bone broth.

Preparation times are easy, just simmer in a pot on the stove for 5 minutes! They’ve got it all from bone broth bases to delicious, creamy soups. They come in the staple bone broths free: range Chicken Bone Broth and Grass-Fed Beef Cooking Broth. As well as delicious Keto-friendly bone broth-based soups like savoury Chicken Bone Broth Coconut Curry & Lime, slightly spicy Tom Yum Chicken Bone Broth Soup and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Keto Soup with Chicken Bone Broth. 

Kettle and Fire’s line of bone broths let you enjoy the nutrients and health benefits of bone broth, without having to sacrifice the time it takes to make it. It will taste as if it's homemade, leaving you with the warm, soothing aromatic experience of your grandma's home cooking.

Whether you choose to make your bone broth from scratch, or pick up a ready-made broth from the store, ensuring to choose fine quality products will provide you with the best nutritional benefits. Bone broth and all of its benefits will have you thinking of new ways to incorporate the stock into not only your cooking but also your diet and lifestyle as well.