GAPS is a wonderfully nourishing protocol that addresses a myriad of disorders which all stem from the same root: Gut Dysbiosis. At first glance the protocol can seem extremely limiting and often times quite intimidating, but in fact it is chock full of nutritionally dense foods designed to not only heal and seal the gut itself, but to also overcome the nutritional deficiencies caused by a leaky gut.
In this series I’m going to trouble shoot some of the common concerns/questions/difficulties faced by those, including my family, who choose to undertake the challenge of this protocol.
Today I’d like to start with what I think of as the backbone of the dietary component of the protocol: Meat Stock
Part one: Finding the Flavor
Learning to drink warm meat stock with meals and in between is probably one of the hardest changes for anyone undertaking the GAPS protocol, especially if you’re used to cold, carbonated, and sugary beverages. Switching out to something that is not only warm, but also savory can be extremely challenging. After all, drinking bone & meat water doesn’t exactly sound appealing, does it? However, there is no reason that this extremely nourishing tonic cannot also be delicious.
With a few tweaks I have come to love drinking my quart plus of daily meat stock and you and your kids can too.
1. Use a variety of meats and bones
Don’t limit yourself only to chicken stock. Yes it can be easy to toss a whole chicken in and call it a day, but you and your family will get bored. Bored taste buds make it less likely that you’ll be able to continue drinking the large quantities of stock that prove so beneficial for your gut. Not only can you add variety by switching out between chicken stock, turkey stock, fish stock, pork stock, lamb stock, and beef stock, you can also make stock with a combination of meats and bones. For example, we personally love combining turkey and pork, chicken and turkey, beef and lamb, pork and beef, and once I can find a trusted source for duck and goose I intend to throw those into the rotation as well.
2. Flavor your stock from the start
On Intro there is a whole host of aromatic vegetables that you can take advantage of when making stock, you can even use those that are too fibrous for Intro: Onion, celery, carrot, garlic, leeks, shallots, and peppers, if there is no sensitivity to nightshades, will add both flavor and additional nutrients to your stock (remember GAPS is all about overcoming nutritional deficiencies). This will go a long way to making it more palatable, especially in stage one. Once you reach stage two you can add aromatic herbs (but not spices) to the mix. Worried about having to spend additional money on vegetables just for flavoring? Use the scraps left over from making soups. All of those peels, ends, and skins leftover from making soup flavor broth beautifully. Toss them in a bag in the freezer and when it’s full add it to your next batch of stock. Just be sure the scraps come from organic vegetables and herbs and be sure to avoid the brassicas as they will make your broth bitter and unpleasant.
3. Utilize your vegetable ferment
Each of your ferments will have a unique flavor based on the vegetable(s) and whatever flavoring agents you chose (garlic, ginger, turmeric, mustard seed, dill seed, etc.). Take advantage. It can be tempting to simply use the brine from one ferment exclusively until it is used up, but don’t! By rotating through your brines you not only leave monotony behind; you also introduce a greater variety of bacterial species to your gut as each individual vegetable carries its own strains of lactobacilli. Just be sure the stock is cooled enough as heat can kill off your probiotics.
4. Dairy ferments for a smooth finish
Depending on your level of dairy sensitivity you may be able to take advantage of whey right from the beginning or you may have to hold off until you go through the dairy introduction. Either way, once you can have dairy this is an excellent way to take your meat stock from palatable to scrumptious. I personally love adding the thick milky white whey I get from straining our soured cream. (Note, we use raw milk and cream from a local farm so I do not know if fermenting pasteurized cream and then straining it will create the same type of whey.) As you progress through the stages you can add not only the whey, but the soured cream, yogurt, and kefir itself. Just be sure the stock is cooled enough as heat can kill off your probiotics.
5. Fats add flavor
Fattier cuts of meat in the stock itself will add tons of flavor right from the start, but don’t hesitate to add additional fats into each cup. Remember, the more healthy fats you take in the more healing that takes place. If you’re on stage one feel free to add a scoop of lard, tallow, suet, or other animal fat (duck, goose, etc.). If you’ve reached stage two you can add ghee, and once you reach stage four you can add olive, flax, primrose, avocado, and nut oils once they’ve been introduced. Just be sure the stock has cooled enough as too much heat can damage these oils.
6. Bring on the salt and pepper!
Finally, be sure to add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. It always amazes me how these two simple ingredients can take a dish from blah to ahhh. As long as you’re using a mineral salt such as Himalayan or Celtic sea salt you shouldn’t have to worry about salt intake.
And there you have it, six ways to take your daily ration of meat stock from blah to ahhh. Once you implement these you may just find yourself looking forward to that morning cup of broth as much as your previous cuppa Joe.
Have additional ideas for flavoring your meat stock? Don’t hesitate to share them in the comments. Want to show off your new tasty creations? Use #meatstockblahtoahhh I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!