Bone Broth vs Short Cooked Meat Stocks
There's a deep ancestral knowing to having a pot of broth or stock simmering away on the stove. It’s one of the old ways, the foundations to our maternal traditions, where food was medicine.
But I grew up in the cultural slipstream of the patriarchy’s rush to keep women busy… A push for fast, easy and convenient.
Like so many, I was swept into the pace of busy, where the sacred act of always having a brew on the stove turned into stock cubes and cartons from the supermarket.
In a reclamation of ancient wisdom I returned to broths on my healing journey.
Bone broth has been riding the Main Character energy of the natural health world for years now and to be fair it deserves some of the hype. Bone Broths are deeply nourishing, rich in minerals and amino acids that our depleted and inflamed body systems are desperately craving.
But here’s the thing, bone broth isn’t right for everyone.
If you’ve been sipping on the broths and find yourself feeling worse… headaches, more fatigue, mood shifts and bloating… it’s not all in your head.
See bone broths are quite high in histamines and glutamates - maybe too high for your body's current capacity.
This is why I prefer short cooked meat stocks over bone broths - deep nourishment with a gentle touch.
So, what’s the difference?
Bone broths are cooked for much longer, they are typically simmered for 12 - 48 hours, which extracts beautiful collagen, gelatin and deeper minerals, great for joints and skin health. But this long cooking time also denatures some of the proteins, raising levels of histamines and glutamates, which can aggravate symptoms in sensitive individuals.
Meat stocks, on the other hand, are cooked for a shorter time (1.5–3 hours) using meaty bones with connective tissue. This means they:
Contain a broader spectrum of amino acids
Are lower in histamines and glutamates
Support gut healing in a gentler way
They’re ideal in the earlier stages of healing when the gut is inflamed and the nervous system is overwhelmed.
Meat Stocks for Motherhood Fatigue
If you’re dragging yourself through the day, fuelled by caffeine and willpower, meat stock is your ally.
Unlike bone broth, meat stock is:
Easier to digest
Faster to make
Rich in bioavailable minerals like potassium, magnesium, and sodium that support energy and adrenal function
Symptoms it supports:
– Crashing at 3 pm
– Wired but tired
– Brain fog
– Dizziness or light-headedness when standing
– Low blood pressure
Meat Stocks for Balancing Hormones
When hormones are out of whack—irregular cycles, painful periods, high estrogen symptoms—gut health is always part of the picture.
Short-cooked stocks help to:
Seal the gut lining (reducing estrogen reabsorption)
Reduce inflammation (which disrupts hormonal signalling)
Support liver function and detox pathways
Symptoms it supports:
– Heavy periods
– PMS
– Breast tenderness
– Worsening anxiety before your bleed
– Histamine flares during ovulation or late luteal phase
– Post-pill hormone chaos
Meat Stocks for Mood Support
Bone broth can actually make some women feel worse mentally if they’re not ready for it due to the glutamate and histamine content.
Meat stocks, being gentler and lower in these compounds, can:
Nourish the nervous system
Calm anxious states
Support GABA pathways naturally
Symptoms it supports:
– Anxiety or panic
– Mood swings
– Irritability or rage
– Feeling overwhelmed by noise or mess
– Sleep issues
Meat Stocks for Children's Health
Kids often have sensitive systems and immature detox pathways. That means less is more when it comes to nourishment.
Meat stock is:
Gentle on little guts
Perfect for post-illness recovery
A foundational food for children with eczema, ADHD, allergies, or gut issues
Symptoms it supports in kids:
– Tummy aches
– Eczema
– Behavioural swings
– Poor sleep
– Poor immunity and constant colds
When Are You Ready for Bone Broth?
Bone broth isn’t bad—it’s just better suited to later stages of healing, once your gut is stronger and your histamine bucket isn’t overflowing.
You might be ready for bone broth if:
You’re no longer bloated or gassy all the time
Your histamine symptoms are minimal
You tolerate fermented foods or leftovers well
You’re sleeping deeply and recovering easily
You have steady energy without crashes
Recipe for Meat Stock
Making meat stock is simple, nourishing, and doesn’t take a full day to create. This is my go-to recipe to always have healing support ready in the fridge or freezer.
Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken (or 6–8 chicken drumsticks or wings)
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks (optional)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
2–3 bay leaves
Enough filtered water to cover everything
Method:
Place all ingredients into a large pot or slow cooker.
Cover with filtered water until everything is just submerged.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Skim off any scum that rises in the first 30 minutes.
Simmer for 1.5–3 hours.
Remove the chicken, strain the liquid, and store in glass jars in the fridge or freezer.
Tips:
Cook 2 chickens depending on family size and use the meat from the chicken for meals throughout the week.
Freeze in small jars or cubes to grab as needed.
Optional: Add fresh herbs like turmeric, garlic, parsley or thyme in the last 20 minutes for extra nutrients and healing.
How to Incorporate This Into Your Weekly Rhythm
Healing doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Let your broth-making become part of your home rhythm, a ritual of nourishment that supports your whole family.
Here’s how I like to weave it in:
🜂 Sunday: Cook a whole organic chicken in the stock for your Sunday roast dinner. After removing the meat, simmer the carcass down into stock for the week.
🜁 Weekday Mornings: Sip a warm mug of meat stock like tea to support digestion, energy and mood before the chaos of the day begins.
🜃 Lunches: Use your stock as a base for veggie soups, purees for toddlers, or to cook grains like rice and quinoa with extra flavour and minerals.
🜄 Dinners: Add stock to pasta sauces, slow cooker meals, or creamy casseroles to boost their nutrition without extra work.
🜁 Immune Support: Freeze some in small portions to warm up when anyone starts feeling under the weather.
When broth becomes part of the rhythm, it moves from ‘one more thing to do’ into something that holds your whole family.
Need Support to Reduce Your Symptoms Further?
Meat stocks are an incredible foundation, but sometimes we need deeper guidance to unravel the root causes.
If you’re still dealing with:
Chronic fatigue
Hormonal chaos
Mood struggles
Gut symptoms
Overwhelm with where to start...
I’d love to support you.
✨ Book an Initial Naturopathic Consultation here
We’ll build a plan based on your body, your symptoms, and your season of life.
