Sure, Bone Broth. But Which Bones Should You Actually Use?

Bone broth is about as close as any food could be to qualifying as a magical elixir. From healing the digestive tract and detoxifying organs to encouraging fat burning and warding off inflammation, there’s little this humble dish can’t do.

I’ve talked in previous posts about the amazing benefits of bone broth and how to prepare it. But I didn’t address an obvious question — one I’m asked all the time: “Where exactly do I get the bones, and what kind should I use?”

For starters, to create the healthiest broth, you have to begin with the healthiest ingredients. So you want to think about the same things you consider when purchasing meat. That involves terms like organic, pastured, and grass-fed.

Parts of the animal that you don’t normally eat can be excellent for bone broth — knucklebones, bones with marrow, and chicken feet, for example, are quite nourishing and health promoting. (Of course, you don’t need to work with anything that makes you squeamish!)

Now, obviously, if you roast a chicken or a turkey, you can simply save the bones and use them for your broth.

But when you need to get bones specifically for broth, you have several options. A local butcher will almost always have plenty to offer here and be very happy to sell them to you. The same is often true for local farmers, and you might connect with one by exploring your local farmers’ markets.

Alternatively, a great online resource for finding grass-fed or pasture-raised meat from a farm near you is eatWILD’s directory of farms and ranches.

A local health food store with a meat department or your nearest Whole Foods could also be a source if you just ask for soup bones. In addition, you can order a variety of healthy bones (and meats) online from U.S. Wellness Meats.