chicken broth/beef broth

[busymommy]

are the store bought versions ok.  the bullion cubes?  the broth you buy in liquid?  the powder kind you add water to?

[jent103]

It all depends on the ingredients. I've found compliant liquid chicken broth. I haven't found any compliant beef broth around me, even at Whole Foods - even the cleanest beef broth I've seen has honey. It's really easy to make your own if you roast a chicken or can get some beef soup bones. (If I have a recipe that calls for beef broth and don't have any compliant, I'll just use chicken broth. It's usually fine unless it's supposed to be a beef vegetable soup or something where the broth is the star.)

 

I'd be really surprised if you found compliant bouillon or powdered kinds.

[busymommy]

_{which brand chicken broth did you find?}

[jent103]

Well, now I can't remember for sure (I've been making my own for a few years and always have a stockpile) - I thought it was Kitchen Basics, but the list on their web site includes honey. I know for sure it wasn't Swanson's or a store brand. It may have been Trader Joe's, but I can't find an ingredient list online for that one.

[1Maryann]

_{which brand chicken broth did you find?}

Actually, it doesn't matter.  We have found that depending where you live, or what chains you shop at, many canned and boxed items may or may not be compliant.  You have to read every label every time.  We just did this with coconut milk a couple of weeks ago.  I mentioned a compliant brand that I use. In my version, it only has coconut milk and guar gum.  Someone else answered with the fact that that brand was not compliant and listed the ingredients he found in his.  Completely different.

 

So don't rely on brand names because someone else said it was compliant.  When they bought it, it might have been.  But you could have an entirely different version at your store.  Just read.

[busymommy]

Actually, it doesn't matter.  We have found that depending where you live, or what chains you shop at, many canned and boxed items may or may not be compliant.  You have to read every label every time.  We just did this with coconut milk a couple of weeks ago.  I mentioned a compliant brand that I use. In my version, it only has coconut milk and guar gum.  Someone else answered with the fact that that brand was not compliant and listed the ingredients he found in his.  Completely different.

 

So don't rely on brand names because someone else said it was compliant.  When they bought it, it might have been.  But you could have an entirely different version at your store.  Just read.

that is crazy that the same brand can change ingredients like that!  sure makes it challenging for the consumer   what exactly are we looking for on the ingredient list? no sugars and short ingredient labels I know....

[1Maryann]

that is crazy that the same brand can change ingredients like that!  sure makes it challenging for the consumer   what exactly are we looking for on the ingredient list? no sugars and short ingredient labels I know....

In broth?  or in general?  We are looking for products without unhealthy oils, fats, stabilizers, sulfites, etc.  There is a list here somewhere but I suck at navigation, so I can never remember where to find it so I can share it.  I usually wind up consulting my book.  Hopefully someone smarter than me will have the link.

[jent103]

I just looked at my store and the Imagine brand chicken stock is compliant as far as I can tell, although it has "natural chicken flavor" which is a little mysterious. That brand is in the organic section at my Publix and Kroger. But when I looked on their site earlier, the ingredient list had honey, so your mileage may vary.

[trezkholl0806]

I just bought some chicken and vegetable broth at my local health food store... now I don't remember the brand :/ but, I had to look at every single box - the ones that WERE compliant, were actually the low sodium kind. Just make sure to read carefully, they are sneaky with those ingredients!

[JJB]

_{which brand chicken broth did you find?}

 

I live in Oregon and have found 2 compliant brands of chicken broth...the Swanson low sodium version, and the Kirkland organic broth at Costco. Kitchen Basics beef broth is also compliant here. I found the Swanson and Kitchen Basics at Winco.

[WunderHase]

I know that this doesn't answer the original question, but I decided to stop using buillon cubes in cooking during the Whole30. Even though I didn't make any broth myself, just using salt and spices was pretty much the same as the buillon cubes.

...and as I was going to say that using vinegar could add to the flavor as well, I rechecked the book and my vinegars and son of a mother! Sulfites. Well, I'm not going to restart now as I'm already in reintro phase... Crap. Oh well.