Bone Broth: Not Just for Hipsters and Might Make Your Skin Glow

For those that didn’t save the turkey carcass, here’s an idea to consider next time or whenever you have a bird carcass leftover. You’ll cut down on waste and possibly wrinkles.

You remember a couple of years ago when we started hearing more about the magic of bone broth and health? We saw celebrities sipping on the beverage for it’s nourishing qualities, as cafes and restaurants added this trendy beverage/food to their menus, and of course hipsters took a lot of flack for acting like this was something new. The fact is, it would be hard to say how long bone broth has been around, and while these trends and the prices they carry with them can be slightly annoying, new or ancient, there are many reasons to embrace bone broths.

Some studies have shown that bone broth can be an way to replenish the body’s diminished collagen, which happens with aging. And although there has been much debate on how well bone broth or any type of consumption of collagen through food is actually absorbed by the body, still trials show benefits in reducing joint and back pain, protection for a “leaky-gut,” immune system support, and improvements in skin elasticity resulting in healthier, younger looking skin.

And while some may complain about the way this trend has made something that shouldn’t be expensive, all of the sudden a luxury food, driving up the costs of meat bones from butchers and such, retailers can still appeal to those shoppers interested in the health benefits as well as cutting down on food waste. Here are some easy ways to consume bone broth: 

- As a beverage. There are so many interesting ways to increase the flavor profile of broth as a beverage which include everything from just a little lemon, salt and pepper to adding Asian flavors with ginger and lime. Check out these great 10 Delicious Ways to Drink More Bone Broth that we found to be both simple and creative. 

- Make soup. Just about any non-vegetarian soup can be made with a bone broth as your base. So encourage shoppers to make their own bone broth from a leftover chicken carcass the next day, and make Chicken Noodle Soup, Tortilla Soup, Egg Drop Soup, and more.

- Cook grains with bone broth. Using a bone broth to cook healthy grains is a great way to add a nutritional boost to dishes as well as more flavor. 

- Stews, veggies, and braising meat. Your veggies will absorb the nutrients you cook them in, so go ahead an sauté kale, broccoli, peppers, onions, tomatoes in your bone broth. Also it makes sense to use your broth in braising meat to make it more tender and flavorful. And why not use your bone broth with your slow cooker, meat and veggie, stews? 

With winter, the holidays, and flu season upon us, it’s a great time to teach your shoppers about bone broths. This hipster trend is actually fact-based and rooted in pre-historic times.