You’ve probably heard people talking about the amazing results they are experiencing from drinking bone broth: better skin tone, relief from joint pain, improved digestion, weight loss, and more! The key to their success? Actually drinking bone broth every day! Yep! Just heat, swallow and repeat.
And while it’s easy to think about drinking bone broth and say you’ve committed to this new habit, the reality is that incorporating any new behavior (including drinking bone broth) into your daily routine can be extremely hard to do.
That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide on how to hack into your head, help you prioritize your daily cup of golden collagen goodness and never forget to drink your bone broth again.
1.Take Making It Out of the Equation
It may seem obvious, but if you don’t have bone broth, you can’t drink it! So keeping a stock of it is essential to making it part of your routine.
One of the main reasons that only 5% of Americans are drinking bone broth is because they are hung up on figuring out how to make it. If you are one of the fantastic folks out there who has perfected your homemade bone broth recipe, well done! But for the rest of us, finding the hours to invest in sourcing bones, simmering them, and storing that high quality bone broth is downright daunting.
That’s why we made bone broth accessible for everyone – even the busiest people who are rarely at home. Our broth is shelf stable and will keep in your pantry (or desk drawer) for up to two years at peak freshness.
Whether you have some on hand as back up for when your homemade broth runs out, or choose to enroll in one of our subscription plans to have bone broth delivered to your door on your schedule, the first step to making bone broth a habit is having it around.
2. Make Bone Broth Part of Your Routine
We’ve all got those little things in our lives that we do without thinking. Making that morning cup of coffee, feeding Fido, or brushing our teeth. And if you’ve got kids you know that a bedtime routine is a must.
So take a look at your current routine and find a spot in your day to fit in a mug of bone broth. Maybe it’s at breakfast? Those extra grams of protein are a perfect way to keep you satisfied until lunch. Or perhaps you have a few minutes post-workout? That mug of broth will rehydrate you, replenish lost electrolytes, and speed muscle recovery. Or could it be that adding it to your evening unwind works best for you? A warm mug of bone broth is a calming nightcap before a good night’s sleep!
Where does bone broth best fit into your schedule? Now make a note of this new spot and write it down like this: “Instead of having a second cup of coffee, I’m going to drink a mug of bone broth.” or “When I get hungry at 11am (because I always do), I’m going to drink bone broth.” Or even, “Before I sit down to watch TV every night, I’m going to grab a mug of bone broth.”
Be sure to include the activity or action that you are already doing daily in your sentence. So now, when you do this already formed behavior, it will trigger your new bone broth routine.
3. Add Reminders Around You
Even with the best intentions, it’s hard to remember to drink your bone broth. So adding little hints to your surroundings can be key to keeping you in the habit.
Slightly, well, annoying reminders – like setting an alarm on your phone – work well for many people, because they simply can’t ignore them! But gentle reminders or reinforcing behaviors are also a big help. Selecting a special mug to be your bone broth mug is a great idea, and is doubly effective if you resist putting it back in the cabinet. Instead, leave your bone broth mug (or travel mug) out where you will see it. This could be in the middle of the kitchen table, by the coffee maker, even on top of your computer or phone.
And be sure to store a carton of bone broth front and center in your fridge, because when we are hungry, we often grab the first thing we see! So, go ahead and put a post-it note on your favorite snack food that reads, “WAIT! BONE BROTH INSTEAD!”
4. Learn to Crave Bone Broth
Even if you want to drink bone broth every day it can be difficult to like drinking it. For some people, the taste just isn’t in their wheelhouse. If you’re one of those people who drinks all the broth at the bottom a bowl of chicken noodle soup (even when all the noodles are gone!), you’ll likely love the taste of bone broth. But if not, then drinking bone broth could be an adjustment for you.
Even as adults, we sometimes have to practice liking new foods. It takes about 6 tries for the mind to recognize a new flavor as a suitable food. You may not remember, but you actually had to learn to like the taste of alcohol or coffee. Expect the same process with bone broth! So, if you have to give yourself time to develop a taste for it, remember that that’s perfectly normal. Be patient and don’t give up.
Sometimes, adding a simple pinch of sea salt makes the broth more enticing to your palate. Likewise, incorporating your favorite herbs and spices like ginger or cayenne pepper might make it oh so much more enjoyable. Check out our free Bone Broth Sipping Guide to get some ideas for delicious flavor combinations.
And for kids and other picky eaters, “hiding” bone broth in a smoothie full of sweet fruits and yummy veggies works wonders. Hello, berry bone broth smoothie! Just remember, when using bone broth in a smoothie or shake, no need to heat your broth first. Simply swap out the liquid (juice, nut milk, or water) in your favorite smoothie recipe for bone broth. Start small with about ½ a cup of bone broth and work your way up to 1 or 2 cups per blend.
Need some bone broth smoothie inspiration? These Ultimate Bone Broth Smoothie recipes will get you well on your way to learning to crave bone broth.
5. Cook with Bone Broth!
Another great trick for picky eaters or people who want to consume more than a daily mug of broth, is cooking with bone broth. Hey, it’s really just soup stock anyway!
Remember that for centuries bone broth was commonly-used ingredient in cooking. Now that it’s been lost from most people’s kitchens, it’s time to bring it back!
Here are a few tricks for incorporating more bone broth into your cooking:
- Use bone broth in any recipe that calls for stock, like soups, stews, and sauces. Because of the nutrient content from collagen and amino acids, you can stretch it in a soup recipe by adding part bone broth and part water.
- Cook rice, quinoa, oatmeal, beans, or any other food that absorbs liquid in bone broth instead of in water. This is a wonderful way to add protein, collagen, glycine, and glutamine to these foods for your family.
- And if you’re a pro in the kitchen, try using bone broth to deglaze pans, braize vegetables and meats, and make gravy that is to die for.
Here are some of our favorite recipes to get you started cooking with bone broth:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken Risotto
- Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Bone Broth Gazpacho with Cilantro Chimichurri
- Paleo Poutine with Bone Broth Gravy
6. Get Your Loved Ones Hooked
We find that those who share a daily cup of bone broth with a loved one have greater success in making their bone broth habit stick. This act of connected eating can turn bone broth into a friendship ritual or even a family tradition.
How much better could you feel if instead of bonding over a glass of wine, you shared a mug of bone broth with your bestie? How would your family’s future be different if you cuddled up for movie night with bone broth smoothies instead of ice cream sundaes?
Sharing your love of healthy habits makes those around you healthier and happier, too. And the best part is that you’ll start reminding each other to drink bone broth! Who could be your buddy on your healing journey?
Consistency is key when it comes to making bone broth a part of your healthy lifestyle.We hope our tips help you to start your own bone broth ritual and begin loving your body from the inside out!
We hope our tips help you to start your own bone broth ritual and begin loving your body from the inside out!
Carrie Bonfitto is a board-certified holistic nutritionist and wellness educator in Los Angeles. Through her private practice, Two Hearts Nutrition, she turns up the heat on healthy eating transforming it into delicious and practical food therapy. Having spent years getting bounced from doctor to doctor before taking her health into her own hands, Carrie is dedicated to helping those who suffer with chronic conditions regain their vitality.