There are many tips and tricks that boost the yum-factor in Whole30 meals–using broth in your recipes is a huge one!
When it comes to broth on Whole30, there is an entire spectrum. From non-compliant, to “okay in a pinch”, to a nutritionally-dense superfood, there are tons of options out there. Confused? Don’t be! We’re here to make sense of it all.
How Do I Use Broth on Whole30?
Broth on Whole30 can be a magical thing. You can use it as a base of any Whole30 soup or stew, in dishes like Braised Cabbage and Bratwurst (yum!!), or you can drink a mug of it on its own!
Broth can come in handy for many slow cooker recipes as well…it’s so much tastier than using water as your liquid to keep things from drying out.
Not All Broth is Created Equal
Type 1: Grocery Store Finds
When it comes to sourcing your broth, you have a few different options. You may, of course buy compliant broth from the store, paying special attention to the ingredient list to avoid any slip-ups.
Some common additives in store-bought broths or stocks include sugar often labeled as “dextrose” to try to sneak it past consumers and MSG for flavor, both of which are not allowed on Whole30.
As always, a good rule of thumb is to look for labels with the fewest (and most pronounceable) ingredients–keep it simple!
Type 2: Health Food Store (or Online Marketplace) Finds
While compliant, shelf-stable, grocery-store-picks will do just fine, many of these are cooked quickly at high heat for flavor, skimping out on all of the amazing nutritional value that makes bone broth truly amazing!
Because of its growing popularity, there are more and more options out there for really high-quality bone broth you can get from the store.
Some of our favorites include:
Each brand has a variety of flavors depending on the bones they’re made from. The most popular include chicken or beef, but some companies like Epic mix things up with interesting flavors like Turkey Cranberry Sage or Jalapeno Beef!
Be sure to check out your local health food store’s freezer aisle as good quality bone broth is commonly sold frozen rather than with the dry goods.
Type 3: The DIY Option
Perhaps the best option (and the recommendation of the Whole30 creators!) is to make your own bone broth. This is the most economical of the three, as soup bones are fairly inexpensive and you can even use the bones you have leftover from your previous meals.
One of our favorite budget-friendly Whole30 tricks is to roast a whole chicken, remove the meat from the bones and portion out for future meals, and use the bones to make homemade stock!
Where to begin? We have an awesome post on everything bone broth here.
The only downside is that the process involved in making your own bone broth can be time-intensive, so if you’re feeling impatient, one of the above options may be easier.
What’s So Great About Bone Broth Anyways?
We mentioned before that bone broth is much more nutritionally dense than those store-bought cartons of stock…wondering why?
The long, slow and low cooking method plus the addition of an acid like lemon juice or vinegar helps pull vitamins and minerals from the bones in a way that’s very easily integrated by our bodies. It’s a great source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, just to name a few, as well as collagen for keeping your hair, skin, nails and digestive tract healthy and strong.
Ever have a cup of homemade chicken soup and just feel warm and fuzzy? Bone broth will do just that–nourish you from the inside out!
Because of its health properties, high-quality bone broth is highly recommended for people with leaky gut or autoimmune issues as it is easy to digest and helps to reduce inflammation and repair damaged tissue. Pretty cool, huh? Not to mention delicious!
What are your thoughts? Do you make your own bone broth at home? What’s your favorite recipe? We want to hear all about it! Leave us a comment below.
