I’ve watched the bone broth bandwagon pass many times over the past few years and always resisted jumping on. It all felt a little too trendy. After this horrible winter of colds, coughs and flu, I couldn’t resist any longer – I finally jumped on the bone broth bandwagon.
My 5 year old started school last September and my entire family has suffered because of it. I can honestly say that we haven’t had more than a 4 day stretch of good health between the 5 of us since the end of October. Desperation set in when January rolled around and we were all still catching colds. After a quick search on foods that strengthen immune systems, I was referred to bone broth by “Dr. Google.” I started to read countless articles about the healing powers of bone broth. I don’t know if I’m fully sold, but in the best case scenario we would all turn into superheros, and in the worst case scenario, we would feast on delicious soup regularly. Based on that analysis, I figured the 8+ hours of simmering bones would be well worth it in an attempt to help our ailing immune systems.
Big bonus: A homemade delicious bone broth that is free from gluten and top allergens pretty easy to make.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone Broth is basically soup that is made with the bones and connective tissue of animals (beef, pork, chicken or fish) and can contain a small amount of meat adhering to the bones. The bones are simmered for 8 or more hours so that it produces gelatin from collagen-rich joints and releases a small amount of trace minerals from bones. It is boiled for so long that at the end of cooking, the bones crumble with light pressure.
Healthy
So many people are raving about the health benefits of bone broth. To start, bone broths are rich in protein, and are a source of minerals. The phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium in the bones seeps out into the broth leaving you with the essential building blocks for healthy bones.
Dieticians, nutritionists and homeopaths claim that the gelatin (or collagen) boiled out of animal bones can aid in digestion and joint pain, as well as beautifying nails, hair and skin. This same gelatin can also help seal up holes in intestines to protect a leaky gut.
Two great articles to read that will provide you with a balanced perspective on Bone Broth are:
- Why Bone Broth is So Good for Us, GOOP
- Science Can’t Explain Why Everyone is Drinking Bone Broth, Time Magazine
Hip
The idea that “real” animal stock can reduce inflammation, speed healing, calm allergies and combat fatigue was brought into the mainstream when the book Nourishing Broth was published in 2014. Since then, celebrities like Kobe Bryant, Salma Hayek and the GOOP goddess Gwyneth Paltrow, have been promoting bone broth detoxes and diets to improve basically everything health related.
Delicious
Making homemade bone broth is simple, with a few vital steps to follow to make sure it doesn’t taste like mud. There’s a little bit of prep work and babysitting, followed by 8+ hours of simmering, but the final product is a hearty, rich, nourishing broth that is completely free from top allergens.
You can use your broth as a soup base for delicious dishes like this Hearty Vegetable and Beef Bone Broth Noodle Soup.
