What's the deal with bone broth? Mindful eating tips for Thanksgiving, and Homemade Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric
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Happy Holidays! Yup. I said it. Ready or not, here we go.
I love this time of year, mostly for the fun cooking projects and tasty food. It’s also that time of year again when you inevitably need a surplus of broths and stocks for holiday cooking.
Why not make your own this year and save some money? In fact, why not make it more nutritious while you’re at it?!
Enter bone broth.
What’s the deal with bone broth?
Bone broth can go by many names—stock, broth, brodo, bouillon, and so on. Different cultures celebrate their version using various animal bones and cooking techniques. Whatever you call it and however you make it, the defining ingredient is a meat-based broth made with animal bones and connective tissue (and often vegetables and herbs, sometimes spices too).
It’s become a very trendy health food in recent years, but in reality, it dates back centuries and maybe even as long ago as the 12th century.
Depending on the type of bones and other ingredients used, the nutritional composition of bone broth is varied, and therefore, is hard to research. However, we know that it’s nutrient-dense and has the potential to aid in hydration and recovery, digestion, support joint health, and fight inflammation.
Nutrient-Dense
When looking at each component separately, the nutrients derived from animal bones alone are rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium which are leeched into the broth. If using fish bones, you can even extract iodine. Cartilage and other connective tissue found in bone broth contain nutrients like glucosamine, collagen (one of the more trendy and popular components), and bone marrow contains protein, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, and more.
Hydration and Recovery
Bone broth is rich in amino acids and electrolytes, offering support and adequate hydration for athletes and those who need an extra boost like women during labor and delivery or during recovery in the early postpartum days.
Digestion
Bone broth is a simple and easy-to-digest liquid that many find gentle and comforting on the stomach and digestion. This might actually be scientifically linked to the gelatin found in bone broth. Gelatin contains glutamine which has been shown to improve gut health, specifically the lining of the GI tract. The gelatin content of bone broth might also help modulate the microbiota (the healthy gut bugs) composition in the gut, therefore improving overall intestinal integrity and health, but more research is still needed.
Joint Health
Gelatin contains amino acids and other nutrients that help to build connective tissue in the human body, such as tendons and cartilage. Research shows that these amino acids and nutrients, also found in bone broth, may help decrease joint pain although more human studies are needed.
Anti-Inflammatory
Research shows that chicken bone broth or “chicken soup” specifically may be the best thing to cure the common cold due to its anti-inflammatory properties that slow down or even stop cold symptoms. Also, glycine and arginine, which are both found in gelatin, have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body although it hasn’t been directly tied to bone broth.
What to look for in bones?
It’s important that you choose high quality, fresh or frozen bones, whenever possible, for making bone broth. I recommend looking for 100% organic, grassfed bones as well as pasture-raised to get the most nutrients possible from the bones and tissue and to avoid any potential contaminants or toxins.
You want to use bones that are naturally high in nutrients and gelatin such as knuckles, feet (chicken), and marrow bones. Adding in some meaty bones like short ribs or oxtail will provide a lot of flavor.
Buying whole animals/birds when you can (and potentially even processing them yourself) is a great way to ensure quality and maybe even save yourself some money in the long run.
Scroll down for the recipe for Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric.
If you’re not up for making bone broth, considering making veggie broth/stock by collecting your vegetable scraps (ends, peels, stems, and so on) in a glass container or freezer bag that you store in your freezer. Once the container is full, make a delicious homemade stock by covering the ingredients with water in a stock pot and bringing them to a gentle boil, then simmering for at least 1 hour. Remove from your heat source and let cool to room temp. before storing in an airtight container in your fridge for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to one year.
Join me for a live virtual cooking class with PCC Community Markets!
Tuesday, November 30, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Bone Broth 101
Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric
Beef Bone Broth with Mushrooms and Rosemary
When you need some comforting nourishment, look no further than bone broth. As a registered dietitian nutritionist and postpartum doula, cookbook author Carly Knowles is often asked about bone broth — how to make it, why it’s beneficial and its overall efficacy. In this class, she will explain how to make bone broth at home using both stovetop and Instant Pot methods. She’ll demonstrate what to look for when picking out quality bones, and show how to extract the most flavor by making two distinct types of broth: Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric, and Beef Bone Broth with Mushrooms and Rosemary.
This is a demonstration class offered live online via Zoom.
Mindful eating tips for Thanksgiving
Staying balanced during the holidays can be a challenge for some. Some people choose the “screw it” approach and take the next couple of months “off” from their health goals (diet, exercise, alcohol intake, etc.), while others modify and adjust accordingly without guilt or any repercussions, and there are those few that change nothing this time of year and keep truckin’ along.
Whomever you are and whatever your needs are, YOU DO YOU!
For those that are looking for a little more support around staying balanced, specifically with eating, during the holidays, I recommend focusing on mindful eating techniques. It’s not an all or nothing approach, but rather a gentle way to support your health goals/diet goals while ultimately empowering yourself to stay in the driver’s seat.
Here are some tips I offer to my patients who are working on mindful eating during the holidays:
Review the menu ahead of time (if available) and consider what you want to eat without social pressure.
Show up to the party/meal/gathering/holiday dinner with moderate, but not intense, hunger.
When plating your meal, choose some healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates.
Add a salad or vegetable to create more balance and incorporate some color.
Take subtle, deep breaths and check in with yourself before eating.
Put down your utensil or set your plate down in between bites or throughout the app/meal to remind yourself to slow down and remain present with your food.
Chew slowly and savor your food.
Assess your hunger/fullness level on a scale from 1-10 (aim for 4-7 whenever possible).
When you’re moderately full, stop eating. Take a break or take any leftovers home to enjoy later.
Remember, you don’t have to explain yourself or your dietary choices to anyone. Ever. You do you!
Chicken Bone Broth with Lemon and Turmeric
Chicken stock or chicken bone broth may truly be the best thing to cure the common cold. Research shows that chicken soup made from the bones of a chicken contains anti-inflammatory properties that may slow down or even stop cold symptoms. Bone broth of all varieties is rich in amino acids and electrolytes, making it a fantastic sports recovery drink for those who need an extra boost or for during labor and delivery and in the early postpartum days.
***You can make a plain chicken stock by only using chicken bones, feet, water, acv, and wakame and omitting everything else.
Makes: 3-4 quarts (serving size will vary)
1 whole previously cooked chicken carcass and feet, meat removed
Water
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 (2 inch) strips of wakame (added for additional minerals/nutrients)
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
1 medium white or yellow onion (peel on OK), roughly chopped
2 whole garlic cloves (peel on OK)
3 (1 inch) pieces fresh ginger (peel on OK)
2 (1 inch) pieces fresh turmeric (peel on OK)
1 lemon, quartered
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the chicken carcass and chicken feet on a baking sheet and roast until the bones have browned, about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size and amount of bones. Consider using bones that are naturally high in collagen, such as knuckles, feet, and marrow bones.
Place the roasted bones in a slow cooker/Instant Pot or Dutch oven and cover completely with water and the vinegar; let sit for 1 hour (no heat). This allows time for the vinegar to leach minerals from the bones. After 1 hour, add the rest of the ingredients (if desired) and additional water if needed to keep the contents covered.
Turn your slow cooker/Instant Pot on high or your stove on high heat and bring the broth to a boil. Skim off any foam that accumulates on the surface. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least 24 hours. For a deeper, more complex flavor and a more potent, mineral-rich broth, let simmer for up to 48 hours. Check your broth intermittently to skim off foam and add more water if necessary.
After 24 to 48 hours, turn your slow cooker/Instant Pot off or remove your Dutch oven from the heat and let it cool slightly before handling. Using a large colander or fine mesh strainer, carefully strain your broth into a large bowl, discarding the bones and all other ingredients. Season the broth to your liking with salt and pepper before pouring into individual jars or containers. Let the broth cool completely before adding lid(s) and placing in your refrigerator.
After 3-4 hours in the refrigerator, remove some or all of the fat layer that’s accumulated on top (chicken will produce less fat than beef fyi). This will prevent your broth from having a greasy mouthfeel. Some people report a more appealing and less gamey taste too (especially when using grassfed beef) after it’s been removed.
You can store the broth in your refrigerator for 7 to 10 days or keep it in your freezer, leaving 1 to 2 inches of headspace in the container, for up to one year.
Notes: Use well-sourced, high-quality bones (organic and grassfed whenever possible) for the best broth. Ask your local butcher or farmer for bones and/or save your bones from other recipes in a freezer bag until you have enough for a full batch.
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