Bone Broth Recipes for Weight Loss and Vibrant Skin

Bone broth: just another wellness fad in our beauty-obsessed western culture? 

There are plenty of bone broth recipes for weight loss out there that have proven to be effective. Fad or not, it works.

The roots of bone broth go back thousands of years to ancient China where they believed that elements found in bone broth helped aid digestion, promote kidney health, and reduce signs of aging. 

Today, bone broth is still widely utilized across Asia but has also made its way West and is found in just about every American health food store.

But what is bone broth and does it really live up to its hype?

Bone broth is made by boiling the bones and connective tissues of animals in order to extract their nutritional elements. 

Just like chicken or beef broth, bone broth can be used as a base for soups and stews or drinken straight like tea.

We’ve known for a while now about the long list of nutritional elements such as calcium and magnesium found in the makeup of bone broth, but we haven’t always known whether it helps with weight loss and vibrant skin like many of both its proponents claim it does.

As it turns out, according to an article in the National Kidney Foundation, one cup of bone broth contains more protein than one cup of chicken broth, which, considering the strong correlation between diets of sufficient protein and weight loss, bone broth could be beneficial for those trying to lose weight. 

Additionally, research conducted to determine whether bone broth leads to more vibrant skin shows that collagen, an element in bone broth, helps to visibly improve skin condition by increasing hydration and elasticity levels while reducing roughness.   

So, perhaps bone broth is not just the next weight loss and skin miracle fad!

How can we integrate more bone broth into our diets?

Most commonly, bone broth is drinken straight like tea. 

However, if you’re not into drinking it plain, you can simply swap out any recipe that calls for chicken, beef, or vegetable broth with bone broth. 

Some great bone broth recipes for weight loss are made out of soup, chili, or sauce. These all taste just as good when made with bone broth as they would with any other type of broth.  

Even simpler, the next time you’re preparing rice or quinoa, cook it in bone broth rather than water to sneak in some extra nutritional benefits!

Tips for making bone broth most effective at achieving weight loss and vibrant skin:

Not all bone broth is created equal.  

While simple to make homemade, there are some tricks that can help amplify the nutritional value of your broth which leads to greater weight loss and skin benefits.

The right ingredients in bone broth recipes for weight loss

Remember, bone broth is not just bones. 

Bone broth is a mixture of bones, marrow, and the all-important connective tissues. 

Therefore, in order to maximize the nutritional value of your broth, be sure to get a mixture of all three elements.  

The best place to shop for bones is often your local butcher shop. When shopping, ask the butcher specifically if they have bones set aside for making bone broth. 

If your butcher doesn’t have any ready to go, just ask for a mix of bones and connective tissues worth 3 pounds.

Amp up the flavors

Everything tastes better with flavor, including bone broth!  

Before boiling your bones, you’ll need to roast them in the oven. 

For additional flavor, try adding minced garlic and onions to your bones before popping them in.

After your bones are roasted, bring them to a boil with dried spices like bay leaf and oregano.

For added medicinal benefits, bring your bones to a boil with adaptogens such as ashwagandha or turmeric powder.

Get the most nutritional value

Bring your bones to a boil with something acidic such as apple cider vinegar, wine, or white wine vinegar. 

The acidity helps to break down the proteins within the connective tissues and release them into the broth.

Related Reading: 5 Best Vitamins for Weight Loss

Here are 2 simple, homemade and delicious bone broth recipes for weight loss and vibrant skin:

Stovetop bone broth

Makes about 3 quarts of broth

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs bone mix; can be a mix of different animals or just one
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• 12 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees ferinhight
2. Rinse off bones with water
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the bones on the paper
4. Pour olive oil over the bones and use hands to evenly coat
5. Roast the bones in the oven for 30 minutes flipping halfway through
6. Remove the bones from the oven and place in a large 6 to 8 quart stovetop pot
7. Pour the water and wine into the pot and heat on high
8. Once the water reaches a boil, immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and add the bay leaves and pepper
9. Simmer the bones uncovered for 8 to 14 hours
10. Routinely skim and remove the foam that accumulates at the top of the pot
11. Use a tongs to remove any large, leftover bone chunks
12. Use a strainer to remove the remaining bones, and either serve immediately (add salt as needed) or pour into jars for later use

Note: If you are using just poultry bones, simmer for 8 hours.  If you are using just beef or pork bones, simmer for 14 hours.  If you are using a mixture of both, simmer between 10 and 12 hours.

Instant Pot bone broth

Makes about 3 quarts of broth

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs bone mix
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 12 cups water
• 1 large onion
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
2. Rinse off bones with water
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the bones on the paper
4. Pour olive oil over the bones and use hands hands to evenly coat
5. Roast the bones in the oven for 30 minutes flipping halfway through
6. Remove the bones from the oven and place in a large 6 quart Instant Pot
7. Pour the water and vinegar into the pot and use the saute function to bring to a boil
8. Once the water reaches a boil, skim and remove the foam that accumulates at the top of the pot and set the pot to manual, high pressure for 120 minutes with the cover of the pressure cooker on and locked.  Be sure that the pressure-release valve is closed!
9. While the bones cook, chop the onion into quarters and set aside
10. Once the 120 minutes have passed, allow the pressure cooker to release the pressure on its own (this should take around 90 minutes)
11. Once the pressure is released, open the cover and add in the onion
12. Cover and lock the lid, close the pressure-release valve, and cook again for another 120 minutes on manual, high pressure
13. Once the 120 minutes have passed, allow the pressure cooker to release the pressure on its own (this should take about 90 minutes)
14. Use a tongs to remove any large, leftover bone chunks
15. Use a strainer to remove the remaining bones, and either serve immediately (add salt as needed) or pour into jars for later use