Eating For The Rest of Your Life

Dealing With A Picky Eater? Use Bone Broth To Add Healthful Nutrients Plus Great Taste To Your Family's Dinner Menus

by Jon Weaver

Like many Americans, your family may include someone who is reluctant to try new foods or even unwilling to eat the balanced diet they need for proper nutrition. In fact, this problem is so widespread that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has even created a guide to help parents cope with and encourage their children to want to eat a more healthful diet. In addition to using the tips presented by this guide, parents can also look for ways to incorporate healthful, nutrient rich ingredients into their current recipes to bolster the nutrition of their picky eaters, and bone broth is a great way to accomplish this feat in a delicious way.

Bone broth supplies essential nutrients

Made by simmering browned meaty poultry, beef, pork, lamb or other bones for several hours along with vegetables like onions, garlic and carrots and herbs such as parsley, bone broth extracts protein, collagen-rich gelatin and minerals from the bones. In addition, bone broth provides:

  • cysteine - an amino acid found in broth made with chicken bones that helps to thin mucous secretions and alleviate symptoms of the common cold
  • glucosomine - an anti-inflammatory agent
  • glycine - a calming agent
  • calcium and magnesium - for strengthening bones

Adding nutrition to everyday recipes with bone broth

For families who are trying to get picky eaters to eat nutrient-rich foods, using bone broth makes the struggle much simpler because it can simply be used to replace water and other cooking liquids in most main and side dish recipes. Your picky eater may notice that their meal has more flavor and richness, but since the foods will look the same, they will not try to avoid them. Some good examples of using bone broth in your current recipes include:

  • using bone broth to replace half the cooking liquid for potatoes, rice, pasta or quinoa
  • using bone broth as the base liquid for gravies and sauces
  • using bone broth as the base for soups and stews
  • using bone broth to cook or season vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and peas

Using bone broths to replace canned soups

While canned soup is convenient for quick meals, it is often filled with sodium or other ingredients you are trying to avoid in order to eat a more healthful diet. Using bone broth as an instant soup base is a great way to replace canned soup varieties, such as chicken and rice or noodle and mixed vegetable soup, and your picky eater will likely not even notice the switch. To do this, simply heat a cup or two of bone broth to simmer and stir in ingredients such as a handful of frozen carrots or mixed vegetables, some finely minced leftover cooked or canned chicken and a handful of pasta or instant rice. Cook until the all ingredients are heated through and any pasta or rice is done before serving.

For more information, contact Nourished Foods or a similar company.

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