The information provided in this post may not be suitable for all babies.
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Traditionally made bone broth is a wonderful food to offer your baby! It is incredibly rich in nutrients, is restorative, strengthening, healing, and deeply nourishing to the digestive tract. It is indeed one of my favourite first foods for babies!
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Babies are born with a completely open and permeable intestinal system (GI) which allows the nutrients and antibodies from mama’s milk (or formula) to enter the bloodstream with very little digestive activity. This is nature’s perfect design, and is impressively efficient.
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Over the next six months, a thin but extraordinary cellular barrier slowly develops separating the GI tract from the bloodstream. This layer becomes the medium that will ultimately govern the nutrients baby absorbs from solid food, since let’s face it, we (sadly) can’t breastfeed forever.
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Food introductions are ideal around 6-months of age since this is typically when that important barrier has formed and baby’s digestive system is mature enough to handle solids. If this lining has not fully developed, large and often undigested food particles enter the baby’s body which can put the immune system on high alert.
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In such cases we may begin to see the early presentation of a food sensitivity, digestive distress or unwelcome irritation. The body is very protective and incredibly wise when it comes to digestion – in a perfect world all nutrients would be effectively broken down before entering the bloodstream.
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But baby’s digestive system is brand-new, and just warming up! There is a tremendous adjustment to be had with the introduction of solid food revealing the importance of introducing gentle, nutrient-dense foods that are age-appropriate and kind to baby’s impressionable gut.
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Bone broth (also known as stock) is considered a ‘traditional food’, with our ancestors offering it to babies as young as 4-months old. Though I prefer to wait until closer to 6-months as a benchmark, it is always interesting and useful to look at nutrition from the past, for wisdom and guidance when we piece together modern solutions for nutrition.
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Broth contains some superb and influential nutrients which not only nourish baby on a deep, cellular level due to it’s rich (!!!) mineral content, but also because of it’s ability to strengthen that gut-lining which ultimately reduces the potential for food sensitivities or food allergies to occur. Making broth from scratch requires very little time or effort, for maximum gain.
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Need broth in a pinch? Check out my most beloved broth suppliers in YYC + Alberta!
High-Vibe Health / The Gut Lab / Bo and Marrow
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Bone Broth Baby
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 lbs chicken bones, or carcass from whole chicken
- 3+ carrots
- 3+ celery
- 1 onion or leek
- 2 TBSP Vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 TBSP quality, unrefined salt (sea salt or Himalayan sea salt)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 fresh springs of thyme (can use dried also)
Optional
- 1″ strip kombu seaweed
- Garlic cloves
- Portobello mushroom
- Peppercorns
Directions
- Place ingredients in pot or slow cooker
- Cover with water, add vinegar.
- If using pot slowly bring to a boil
- Reduce heat then simmer on low for 24 hours
- If using slow cooker set on low for 24 – 36 hours
- Once cooked, strain + season as desired with preferred herbs.
- For baby, mix into purees, as a soup base, or offer straight up!
Quality Matters
Source high-quality bones for stock – ideally pasture-raised from a farm with organic practices. Many health food stores sell bones from quality, local farms. If available, these will be found in the freezer section.
Recipe inspired by Weston A Price Foundation.
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My baby is 5 months old and I am loving all your posts about baby nutrition. I’d love to make bone broth for my baby as first food, but curious if ok to add vegetables to the broth if she hasn’t yet tried those vegetables before and checked for any reactions? Or is it different in broth because we drain and remove it out before drinking?
Hi Kate! Thanks for reaching out! Yes, it is totally OK to include those vegetables — I typically recommend being quite liberal in the early months of solids and rather than introducing one food every four days, which was an older approach (about 15 years ago), I recommend ONLY following this for the top allergenic foods (citrus, soy, egg whites, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, gluten, shellfish). With these big allergens we want to isolate the response, however for the other foods we can introduce them more liberally. I go into this more in my eBooks for starting solids (found on Programs and Packages page). Thanks for reaching out!
Thanks for this info! I had no idea bone broth could be a first “food” for babies. My husband has Crohns, and while it’s not genetic, G.I sensitivities can be. Our daughter is 4months old and exclusively BF. I hope to nurse her until at least a year. I’m not sure if I’ll introduce solids at 6m or wait longer. If I start bone broth first, how much do I offer and how often? Like 4oz per day for a month or what? I’m seriously considering doing this before she tries solids to help give her gut the best chance. Also, if I buy premade bone broth, will it help her gut the same as if I made it myself?
Thanks!
-Kim
Hi Kim! Thank you for reaching out! Sounds like your daughter is off to a wonderful start being EBF! A year is a wonderful goal, and don’t be afraid to go longer if it feels right! Breastmilk is the second and third year offer incredible benefits to their immune system and for filling all nutritional gaps. I nursed my boys until two and three years old. As for broth, it is so potent that even a couple ounces (or even an ounce!) daily would be wonderful. I love offering it straight up in a bottle like shown on the picture. I also love it prior to starting solids as it is the ultimate sealer for the gut which is the most important when mitigating and preventing food sensitivities and gut issues. If you join me on Instagram (@healthybrightbeginnings), I can tag you in a specific post about why it’s incredible to start prior to solids 🙂
My 10 month baby has severe eczema on his face. I had to stop breastfeeding at 4 months. I believe he has a severe allergy to dairy, but do not know what to substitute for formula, as I do not want to use soy. Can this bone broth eventually be a complete substitute for the dairy formula?
Hi Christina! It depends on the age — now that your baby is over one (I’m only just seeing this now), broth is an amazing compliment to any child’s diet. It’s such a fortitude of beautiful, easy-to-absorb minerals and tissue builders. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner.
Hi there, I’m new to making bone broth. I have a 4 month old who I’d like to start in beef broth this week. I’ve bought my organic beef bones, but am wondering about the seasonings you mentioned. Garlic, thyme, onion, peppercorns … I thought some of these were not suitable for babies? Or small amounts in a broth is okay? Thanks in advance! Would love to try this recipe!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for being here! I love diving right in with all the seasonings, so long as they are the highest quality. I love broth prior to starting solids, however do recommend waiting to begin broth until baby is 5+ months. If you’d like more information specifically on this, I would love you to join me on Instagram at @healthybrightbeginnings and just let me know who you are, and I’ll tag you in a couple of posts that may feel relevant. Thanks again for being here! And have so much fun on the first foods journey!