I absolutely love this powerful health tonic, which has been around for thousands of years. It’s simple and affordable and is a staple in our household to keep our guts in check.
Bone broth is one of the best first foods for your little one's gut health especially for babies suffering from colic or reflux. Many ancient civilizations used it as the first food for babies due to its healing properties, which also aids digestion. The collagen that it contains cannot be compared to any other food if you do it correctly. The broth facilitates digestion by drawing out digestive juices into the gut, which assists the breakdown and absorption of food.
The broth is great for babies suffering from food intolerances and eczema as it targets the root cause, which is in the majority of cases a leaky gut. The gelatin in bone broth helps to repair the integrity of the gut by restoring the mucosal lining in the stomach. It is one of the calming food for inflammation and thereby promotes a conducive environment for the growth of good gut bugs. It can be a godsend for babies suffering from diarrhea or constipation. It can even help reduce and possibly eliminate food intolerances over time. It’s so much better to give your family a gut of broth than a cup of water with your food for this very reason, another ancient tradition.
Considerations when making bone broth:
Need to use organic vegetables and bones from pasture-raised meat. You may need to get from a butcher that sells organic. You want to avoid any bones from animals that are fed antibiotics or hormones as that is what you would also be absorbing.
Filtered water is a must. Need to use a filter that removes both chlorine and fluoride. I use Aquasana, but there are also others such as Berkley or even a good water filter jug.
Typically you can add a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar to help leach out minerals from bones in a shorter time. This is not suitable for eczema babies as ACV is high in salicylates. You can actually do without or use pure vitamin C powder or citric acid.
It is great for freezing in little pots, however, you need to let it thaw naturally and heat on a very low heat on a stove, not a microwave.
What is it?
It’s simply a broth or soup made from the organic bone of beef, chicken or turkey. I find that chicken feet, … yes I said feet produce the most collagen with the best quality jelly consistency. When it forms that jelly wobbly that is when you know you have got it right! You can lots of different vegetables depending on the age of baby. For younger babies, you should leave out spices and onions until after 9 months old for easier digestion. You can also start out by boiling in a slow cooker or crock-pot for 6 hours and start increasing for up to 12 hours.
How can you use it?
It can be used to mix with purees for your baby's first food. It can be added to your tomato sauce or different stews. I even cook rice or millet in it to add extra nutrients. Now that I've listed a food few reasons why this magic ingredient should be added to your baby’s first food list. I'm going to share a simple recipe to get you started. There are many different options out there, Dr Axe has some great ones, the only things need to consider is age-appropriate vegetables for your bubs. The bottom line is there aren’t many first foods out there that will offer more benefit to your baby’s health.
Ingredients:
1kg of bony chicken parts, such as necks and wings. I use organic chicken feet. You will need to check with your butcher or you could also use 1 whole free-range chicken).
4L filtered water - enough to cover the chicken
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (this helps to draw out the nutrients from the bone marrow and cartilage)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
For babies under 9 months ( leave out the onion, celery, and parsley as it may cause gas)
Method:
Put the meat into a pot and make sure it is covered with water. I use a slow cooker.
Add the ACV if using, and vegetables and bring to the boil and simmer for 6-8 hours ( this is enough for baby, adults would cook 12 hrs upwards.
Add in the herbs in the last 30 mins.
Use a sieve to remove the cooked bone and veg.
Let it cool and place into mini containers. It can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 1 month.
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