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Bone Broth Diet and Eating Plan

By Dr. Josh Axe

September 26, 2022

The bone broth diet is an eating plan that combines principles of intermittent fasting and the Paleo diet, while also allowing you to take advantage of the many benefits of bone broth.

What are the benefits of this type of diet? It can generally help to support healthy skin and joints, while also supporting gut health and appetite control. Something else that people love about this plan is that you don’t need to meticulously count calories or track your intake of macronutrients like many other eating plans.

Instead, you can experience results by incorporating several servings of bone broth to your routine while you practice intermittent fasting, including by sipping on liquid broth (including new savory Bone Broth Protein powders that are mixed with hot water) or by adding Bone Broth Protein powder to a variety of health-centered, sweet and savory recipes.

Of course, you should always consult your healthcare professional prior to starting any new diet or lifestyle regimen.

What Is a Bone Broth Diet?

The bone broth diet is a meal plan that involves following a Paleo diet and intermittent fasting weekly, all while consuming bone broth daily. The idea is to repeat this cycle over a period of 14 or 21 days.

Several different versions of a bone broth diet exist today, including ones that really are bone broth fasts (certain days advocate for only water, tea and bone broth to be consumed). I recently created a new and sustainable bone broth diet alongside Ancient Nutrition co-founder Jordan Rubin.

There’s one type of food missing from most people’s diets: bone broth. Bone broth was a way our ancestors made use of every part of an animal. Bones and marrow, skin and feet, tendons and ligaments that you can’t eat directly were boiled and then simmered over a period of days. Bone broth is a traditional stock that is brimming with beneficial collagen protein that is made up of an array of amino acids, plus it has other collagen cofactors and important minerals.

As the first brothless generation on the planet, we're somewhat paying the price for it, with our gut, joints and skin health — all of which can be helped by bone broth.

It’s our belief that most diets fail because they don’t address the three synergistic strategies: superfood infusion (with bone broth), a mostly organic superfood diet and the power of intermittent fasting.

This plan involves having three servings of bone broth per day each day, alongside a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods. The goal is to follow principles of the Paleo Diet, which means grains, gluten, soy, dairy and added sugar are restricted.

Who Should Follow This Diet?

For most healthy adults, a bone broth diet plan is generally safe; in fact, it can benefit people of all ages who are looking to consume more protein, stick to a healthy diet overall and try fasting in an approachable way.

This diet may be especially useful for those looking to manage a healthy weight, or for anyone who is looking for support for skin, gut and joint health.

To determine if the diet is right for you, try following a 14-day or 21-day bone broth diet plan to see how you feel. There are plenty of bone broth diet tips and resources out there that can help ease the transition and maximize its potential benefits.

However, the bone broth diet may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant and nursing, for example, should not follow the bone broth diet and should instead focus on consuming a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet.

Those with underlying health conditions, such as those that affect the kidneys or liver, should always consult with their doctors before considering starting the bone broth diet.

Benefits

1. Can Help Support a Healthy Body Composition

Because Bone Broth Protein powder (made from concentrated bone broth) is high in protein and low in carbs/added sugar, it can be a great addition to a healthy diet that can help to control your appetite.

Many people use the bone broth diet for support healthy weight management since the plan swaps out processed foods and unhealthy ingredients for nutritious whole foods, while also bumping up your intake of protein. Higher protein intake is generally associated with reduced appetite and caloric intake.

This plan also involves the practice of intermittent fasting, which can further help to control calorie intake and may help support an overall healthy body composition.

Even while reducing how many calories you consume, the bone broth diet can supply you with key nutrients that are often missing in people’s diets today, including collagen and essential vitamins and minerals found in whole foods like veggies, nuts and seeds.

2. Helps Support Gut Health

Collagen, one of the main compounds found in bone broth, helps to support a healthy gut by supporting the overall integrity of the gut lining. In fact, collagen is known as the “glue that holds us together” and helps to form the lining of organs throughout the body.

A Paleo-type diet can also be generally beneficial for gut health and digestive health because it excludes some foods that can be difficult to properly digest, such as those containing processed grains and sugar.

3. Supports Joint Health and Mobility

Bone broth is a great source of collagen (and is made up of 19 amino acids), in addition to glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, which are found in chicken bone broth via type II collagen.

Together these help support healthy cartilage and can help support healthy joints and connective tissues, especially as someone ages and their body makes less collagen of its own.

4. Supports Skin Health

Collagen found in bone broth can help support skin elasticity and generally helps to maintain healthy connective tissues. A healthy, well-rounded diet is also important for skin health since it supplies important antioxidants and vitamins such as vitamins A and C.

5. Improve Satiety

Bone broth is an excellent source of amino acids, which are considered the “building blocks of proteins.” These amino acids are involved in many biological processes, including appetite control, muscle growth, hormone production and cognitive functions.

Sipping on a warm cup of a homemade bone broth or one of our new savory Bone Broth Proteins is a simple way to achieve satiety and take the edge off of hunger before a meal. This approach can make it easier to choose healthy foods and to stop eating once you’ve had enough. 

How to Follow a Bone Broth Diet Plan

Here are guidelines for following the bone broth diet plan:

• Follow a healthy diet that is similar to the Paleo Diet, meaning emphasis is on eating whole foods while gluten, grains, dairy, soy and added sugar are excluded.

• Consume three cups of bone broth per day, including before meals or in the morning when you're intermittent fasting.

• Foods to emphasize include: grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.

• Intermittent fast each day. In week one, aim for at most a 12-hour eating window (such as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). In week two, you’ll follow 16/8 fasting, which means you fast for 16 hours every day and limit your eating to an eight-hour window. Week three is the most strict, with just a four-hour eating window, such as 3 to 7 p.m.

• The diet should be followed for 14 or 21 days in total.

Learn more about the 14-Day Bone Broth Diet or the 21-Day Bone Broth Diet.

Here is a sample bone broth diet meal plan for one day:

• Breakfast : 8 oz. Sipping Broth; Grain-Free Oatmeal

• Lunch : 8 oz. Sipping Broth; Jerk Chicken Sandwich

• PM Snack: Hummus with Sliced Peppers

• Dinner: 8 oz. Sipping Broth; Chicken Cacciatore with Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Best Bone Broth Sources

Traditional bone broth requires hours to make; however, bone broth protein supplements have also become widely available in recent years, making it easier than ever to reap the rewards of bone broth anytime. Bone broth is now available in powder, liquid and even capsule form.

When choosing the best bone broth supplement, consider how you plan to use it and the flavor that you’ll enjoy most. The best compliment for a bone broth diet are Ancient Nutrition's new Savory Bone Broth Protein flavors that simply mix with hot water. They include butternut squash, tomato basil and chicken soup.

In addition, Ancient Nutrition’s Bone Broth Protein Pure flavor works well paired with a bit of salt and pepper in homemade soups and broths, or even with baked goods. Meanwhile, our Bone Broth Protein Chocolate and Vanilla flavors may be better choices for smoothies and certain baked goods.

Every flavor of Bone Broth Protein is Paleo-friendly, as it is made without dairy and grains.

If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can also try making your own bone broth at home. Look for bones and other animal parts at a butcher or farmer’s market that sells grass-fed products.

Traditional bone broth is typically made from the bones of either chicken, fish or beef. Sourcing the ingredients yourself puts you in full control of what’s going on your plate to help maximize the potential health benefits of the bone broth diet.

Recipes

What can you eat on the bone broth diet? You'll enjoy a variety of nutritious, healthy foods that will help ensure success since these meals will provide you with essential nutrients.

Fortunately, there are plenty of bone broth diet recipe ideas out there, making it easy to fill your week with delicious meals.

Ready to get started? Remember that throughout the course of the bone broth diet, you’ll want to limit ingredients such as sugar, dairy, soy, grains, gluten and processed foods.

Try these healthy recipes that feature various flavors of Bone Broth Protein:

• Banana Oat Pancakes Recipe

• Spinach Goat Cheese Frittata

• Pumpkin Soup Recipe with Bone Broth Protein Pumpkin Spice

• Tomato Pasta Sauce Recipe with Bone Broth Protein

• Strawberry Coconut No-Bake Energy Balls

Even easier? Get a copy of our 14-Day or 21-Day Bone Broth Diet Plan that's full of recipes as well as accompanies the Savory Bone Broth Protein powders.

Other Considerations

While a bone broth diet can be beneficial for many, there are several considerations before you begin. In particular, those with underlying health conditions should talk to their doctors before making any dietary changes.

The bone broth diet is also not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as those following a vegan or vegetarian diet. Also note that the diet is intended to be a short-term plan and should not be followed for long periods of time.

Additionally, keep in mind that not all bone broth is created equal, and it’s important to select a high-quality supplement (if you choose a dietary supplement) to make sure you get the most bang for your buck, such as Ancient Nutrition's own line of savory bone broth powders.

Final Thoughts

• The bone broth diet plan is a meal plan that involves cycling between following a Paleo diet and intermittent fasting, all while consuming bone broth daily.

• This plan involves having three servings of bone broth each day, alongside a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods such as grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.

• Benefits of this plan include support for joint, gut and skin health, while helping to promote a healthy body composition.

• Traditional bone broth requires hours to make; however, bone broth protein supplements have also become widely available in recent years, making it easier than ever to reap the rewards of bone broth anytime.

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS, is a doctor of chiropractic, doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist and author with a passion to help people get well using food and nutrition. He operates leading natural health website DrAxe.com and is co-founder of Ancient Nutrition, a health supplement company. He’s also author of the books Eat Dirt, Essential Oils: Ancient Medicine, Keto Diet, Collagen Diet and Ancient Remedies.