I think I get this question weekly.
“I want to start eating/feeling better … what should I do first?”
And for the most part I like to just meet people where they are at and make a few recommendations. Maybe replace some packaged/processed foods in their diet currently. Possibly recommend quitting soda pop. Suggest thinking healthy fats and clean sources of calories and carbs instead of low fat/low carb/low cal.
But for those who really want to take a great “first step” to eating cleaner, feeling better, and nourishing their body more, my answer is always … start with bone broth.
Bone broth is packed with vital minerals that will help the body start functioning better. Because the majority of us are just flat out depleted. We are either eating a diet lacking in minerals, or we just plain aren’t absorbing them … or most likely both. Bone broth is a great, gentle way for the body to readily absorb minerals that are lacking in the body.
Bone broth is also filled with gut healing and protein packed gelatin. The biggest step toward making the body function better would be to make your gut function better. Because pretty much everything stems from how you are digesting the fuel you are feeding your body. Gelatin can heal gut lining. And it is also a great source of protein. Many days per week, soup made with bone broth is served as lunch in my house. It started that way as a way for me to keep our budget on track – super cheap, filling protein. And it has continued that way because, well, it is delicious!
Here are a few soup recipes you can try once you make your broth. And if you want to drink it straight up out of the mug … by all means!
So here is how to make bone broth. Don’t over-think it! It is pretty fool proof. 😉
Beef Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 3 pounds grass-fed beef soup bones I get mine from our milk farmer — ask around at farmers markets!
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 2 – 3 large carrot coarsely chopped
- 2 – 3 celery stalks coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (since it is heated up I don’t worry about it being raw, but I do opt for organic)
- filtered cold water
Instructions
- Roast the raw bones in a 400 degree oven for an hour.
- Put the roasted bones, veggies, and ACV into your crockpot or oven roaster and fill with water to cover the bones by an inch-ish.
- Let the mixture sit for 30 – 60 minutes. DO NOT TURN THE HEAT ON YET. This allows the vinegar to extract minerals from the bones.
- Turn the crockpot on low or oven roaster at 200 – 225 degrees for 24 – 36 hours.
- Strain the broth.
- Store in the fridge up to 7 days, in the freezer 3 – 6 months, or deep freezer up to a year. Let the broth come to room temp before putting in the freezer. Leave the top off for 24 hours to freeze if you are storing in glass jars in the freezer to allow for expanding (or you will be very sad to see your cracked jar in a few days!).
Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 – 3 chicken carcasses/bones from cooking your pastured chicken
- Leftover carrots, celery, onion pieces from cooking your chicken or from scraps throughout the week (you can use fresh too)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (since it is heated I don’t worry about it being raw, but I do opt for organic)
Instructions
- Put everything into your crockpot or oven roaster and fill with water to cover the bones by an inch-ish.
- Let the mixture sit for 30 – 60 minutes. DO NOT TURN THE HEAT ON YET. This allows the vinegar to extract minerals from the bones.
- Turn the crockpot on low or oven roaster at 200 degrees for 24 – 36 hours.
- Strain the broth. Store in the fridge up to 7 days, in the freezer 3 – 6 months, or deep freezer up to a year. Let the broth come to room temp before putting in the freezer. Leave the top off for 24 hours to freeze if you are storing in glass jars in the freezer to allow for expanding (or you will be very sad to see your cracked jar in a few days!).
Renee is a wife and mama of 3 busy bees under 5 years old. After struggling for years with gut and food allergy issues, she has been able to heal, and is passionate about raising the next generation of kids with a better understanding of how food affects their bodies. She is committed to teaching others that simple, real food can make positive changes in health and can be done on a (very) tight budget, all while making the kids smile. Renee blogs at Raising Generation Nourished and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagra
