Bone Broth for Babies: 8 Ways into a GAPS Child’s Diet

Bone Broth for Babies

This question has come up a lot in conversations with parents who have, or are trying, the GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) Diet, or GAPS Protocol: How do I get more bone broth into my child’s diet?

Bone broth for babies is a critical ingredient in the gut healing process, but it can be tough to get kids who prefer cereal and chips to buy into broth.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of the seminal book on GAPS and its treatments, suggests rewarding your child with the foods she prefers to eat, in exchange for her consuming the foods you want her to eat. She calls it Applied Behavior Analysis and you can find a description of it it in part two of her book, chapter 4.

We’re no psychologists, so we’ll leave the behavior training to Dr. Campbell-McBride, but what we do know is how to make good food. And we’re all about finding creative ways to incorporate healthier ingredients into any diet. With no further ado, here are eight easy ways to get your child to eat more broth.

NOTE: This isn’t just bone broth for babies; these methods work for GAPS adults, too, who are bored with drinking their broth straight up (how can that ever get boring?!).

1. Add other flavors to it that they might enjoy and have them drink it as a tea

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can use lemon, curry or all kinds of other herbs, then have them sip the bone broth for babies as they would hot chocolate or tea. Just make sure that whatever you’re adding is also in line with the GAPS protocol.

2. Glaze or boil their veggies with it

Whenever you’re making vegetables for your child, make sure to start with bone broth for babies in the pan. With a small amount, you can glaze veggies with it, giving them more flavor and minerals. With a larger amount, you can boil the veggies and infuse them with the calcium, collagen and other amino acids your child’s body needs to heal its gut and repair itself.

3. Make soup

Most GAPS parents are already familiar with this one. Find any and every excuse to make soup, because bone broth for babies can be your base. It’s fall now, so it’s the perfect time to serve pumpkin soup, beef stew, butternut squash soup, split pea soup and dozens of other combinations. And of course you can never go wrong with the classic chicken and vegetable soup. Turns out grandma was onto something when she prescribed it for everything from the common cold to a broken heart.

4. Make sauces

Bone broth for babies is the fundamental ingredient in three of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine. These five sauces can be transformed into virtually any sauce or glaze you could imagine. If you haven’t learned to make them yet, now is a good time. Bonus: You’re stepping up your culinary game. And did you know bone broth for babies can be the base ingredient for kid-friendly condiments like ketchup?

5. Blend it into smoothies and juices

The GAPS protocol recommends certain fresh juices to help cleanse and detoxify the body. Turns out they’re a great place to sneak more bone broth for babies into your kid’s system. They won’t ever be the wiser, especially if you use broth that hasn’t had any salt added to it like what we make at Bare Bones.

6. Substitute it for water in recipes

Making a casserole that calls for water? Use bone broth for babies. Making a soup? Ditch the water, add in bone broth for babies. Baking a GAPS-friendly treat of some sort? Bone broth for babies.

7. Mix it into their salads

If you’re so lucky as to have a kid that will eat salads, the dressings are a perfect place to incorporate bone broth for babies. It’ll help add a little extra flavor and good-for-you fat, too.

8. Use it for reheating leftovers

There’s no rule that says you have to use a nutrient-zapping microwave to heat and reheat your foods. If you, like us, prefer to warm your leftovers in a pan, you’ll usually need something to moisten the food and revive it. As you expected, enter bone broth for babies.