Why Bone Broth is Good for You & How to Make It

There is ample talk about the benefits of bone broth for those who are wanting to restore their gut and/or nourish their bodies with the nutrients that it has to offer. In this post, I’m going to share with you the why bone broth is good for you, specific benefits of bone broth, how you can make it at home, and how to consume it.

What does bone broth do for your body?

Benefits of bone broth

For starters, it is one of the most beneficial foods to restore gut health. We eat so many foods that are not nutrient rich, so imagine how much time our gut and liver spends to cleanse out toxins and digest these foods. Because the broth is filling, it can give your body a break from other foods when you consume it instead of toxin filled foods. For those who preform a fast with broth, their gut takes a digestion break from any inflammatory foods so that it can focus on restoring and repairing the gut lining

Minerals and Vitamins in Bone Broth

Consuming bone broth is a nutritious way to give vitamins and minerals to your body, and it can also be filling like a soup would be.

What vitamins and minerals are in bone broth? It contains:

Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Vitamin A
Vitamin K2
Zinc
Protein
Collagen in the bone, cartilage, skin, tendons, and so on, which in turn support your bones, tissues, skin and so on
Amino acids, which removes toxins from your body and supports your body’s immune and digestive systems

If you’ve been told you need more of these, then bone broth is a great way to get these minerals and vitamins into your body naturally.

Other benefits

Studies also note that bone broth can promote relaxation and deeper sleep. Whether you are consuming broth for better sleep, more protein, amino acids, or the minerals and vitamins mentioned above,

I’m interested in the health benefits of bone broth, because we are expecting our first baby and I’m planning to rest for a good amount of time after the birth. I listened to the book the first 40 days, and in it the author addresses the #1 to consume after the baby is born will be various types of broth. This is to restore help restore the stomach lining, cleanse the wounds, and restore depleted nutrients from birthing, and to boost the immune system for speedy recovery and milk production.

Now there are many health benefits whether you are pregnant or not. We have actually been consuming it regularly all winter long to cook our vegetables, rice, noodles, in soups, and even for canning some meat.

How to Make Bone Broth

You can make it one of three ways: on the stovetop, in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot is a beloved kitchen gadget for us!), or in a slow cooker.

Stovetop

Add bones to a large stockpot

Cover with water (and add vinegar if you want to)

pouring a jar of water over bones in a cast iron pot on the stove

Boil and then let it simmer 4-24 hours.

bones boiling in a cast iron pot on the stove

Strain and keep in the fridge for 4-8 weeks

straining bone broth from bones into bowl

Pressure Cooker (InstaPot)

Put bones into InstaPot

Pour water over the bones until they are covered (and add vinegar if you want to)

pouring a jug of water over bones in an instapot

Pressure cook on high for 2-3 hours

Pour the liquid through a strainer and then into jars to store in the fridge for 4-8 weeks

woman straining bone broth into ball canning jars

Slow Cooker

Place bones in a large stockpot

Fill the slow cooker with water to cover the bones (and add vinegar if you want to)

Let it simmer 12-24 hours (or even longer for stronger broth)

With a strainer, strain off the liquid and keep in the fridge for 4-8 weeks

How to Use Bone Broth

Drink Straight

You can drink the broth just as is. Sort of like you would have a soup. I would just add a little bit of salt or other spices for some extra flavouring.

Cooking

There are many ways you can incorporate bone broth into your cooking, including:

Soups
Steaming vegetables
Cooking starches: we use it as an alternative to water when cooking potatoes, rice or noodles
Canning: add into your jars as a substitute to water
White sauces: in combination with cream and/or milk, this gives a great flavour to white sauces