What I Love About Homemade Bone Broth for Kids
What I love about bone broth: It’s both easy to make and super nutritious. I have always resvered the Native Americans idea of using the whole animal after killing it. They would use the meat and organs for fur and the fur for clothing. Literally every bit of the animal was utilized in some way so nothing went to waste. I think about that ideal when I make my homemade bone broth for kids.
It all starts with either chicken, beef, or fish bones. As I generally don’t eat red meat, I make chicken bone broth. I use the bones when I make whole chicken or have a rotisserie chicken. You can also go to a butcher and ask for beef bones.
Just like with the meat, the type of bones you (chicken, beef, or fish) will determine the nutrients that goes into your broth.
The Simple Process Starts with Bones and Water
You will Need:
- Bones (preferably organic)
- Filtered water
- Vegetables of your choice (see below)
- Herbs and spices of your choice (see below)
- A crock pot
- Apple cider vinegar
After you’ve eaten the meat, save the bones. Put them in a crock pot. Add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. This helps to break down the cartilage.
Fill the pot with filtered water. Add in your desired vegetables/herbs.
Ingredients to Add to Bone Broth
Some suggestions for vegetables to add:
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Ginger
- Tumeric
- Watercress
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Peppers (red, green or yellow)
- Any other vegetable you’d like
Some suggestions for spices and herbs to add:
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Cinnamon stick
- Anise seed
- Any other herbs and/or spices including salt and pepper
I cook the bones/veggie/herbs broth on low in a crock pot for about 24 hours. You can cook it up to 48 hours. One of the nice benefits of making bone broth is the aroma! The aroma will fill your kitchen nicely.
If you do keep the bones cooking for up to 48 hours, you will notice the bones become really brittle.
What I love about this recipe
I love that it’s so easy to make bone broth. Literally, it’s like you throw in a couple of ingredients, turn on the crock pot and forget it. But actually, don’t forget it. Especially if you don’t have a crock pot with automatic shut off. You have to make sure to turn it off after 24-48 hours.
I once forgot to turn off my crock pot and ended up with brittle bones and blackened veggies. And all the broth had evaporated. Don’t let that happen to you!
Another thing I love about bone broth is it freezes nicely for up to three months. That way I can always keep some on hand in case I need it for a recipe or something.
Finally, I love that there are a lot of ways to serve bone broth.
Ways to Serve Bone Broth
Besides the obvious way which is to use it as a base for soup, there are other ways to consume bone broth.
I like to use it when I make either brown rice or quinoa. Anything you have to cook where you use water basically. It adds not only flavor but nutrients as well.
You can also drink it just like any hot drink. I actually drank bone broth during my very long baby delivery. It’s a long story, but I was in the hospital for days while I was induced. It provided me with both nutrients and hydration. And then the doctors tell you to stop eating and just drink so that was literally the only thing that was giving me sustenance at one point. Eventually the hospital only allowed me to drink water. But I digress…
It’s a great aid if you ever try a liquid diet/or fast.
Bone broth provides many great nutrients and micronutrients.
Bone Broth has Many Health Benefits
Besides providing both nutrients and micronutrients, bone broth provides collagen. Many people have probably have heard of collagen injections and collagen is used for a more youthful appearance. Collagen also helps with keeping bones and joints healthy and moving.
The vegetables and herbs you add will also provide additional nutrition depending on what you choose to add.
Bone broth is definitely something I give my toddler so she can (hopefully) acquire the taste for it. And I’m hoping all the protein and calcium it provides will help her to continue to grow strong and tall.
As always I hope the same for your kids and family. And as always I hope you remember to savor!
