Meat stock didn’t sound very appetising to me, let alone to my son when we first started the GAPS Nutritional Protocol. I knew that introducing it to him would possibly be the biggest hurdle out of everything. I also knew that there was no avoiding it if his gut was going to have any chance of healing.

Meat stock is a key ingredient for the body to begin the process of healing and sealing the gut lining. It’s rich in many important tools the body can use in the renewal of cells, because boiling the meat means that you can benefit from many parts of the animal you wouldn’t normally eat. Once you get over it not being a part of the normal Western diet and start sipping on it daily, you’ll miss it if it’s not a prepared staple.

The process of change was gradual for my son. Going from needing rewards with every teaspoon and taking hours to finish three times a day, to drinking it from a cup as if it was water in a few seconds. And it didn’t take too long either. I was surprised that within a month, he had no problems drinking it, and his desire for the types of food he wanted to eat had completely changed.

Meat stock is a great place to start if you are changing the food you eat, whether it’s to move into GAPS or to simply cook more traditionally. It will provide the body with some much-needed nourishment.

It’s also simple to make.

How to make meat stock

All you need is some filtered or bottled water, natural salt, and peppercorns to taste, and a whole organic chicken with giblets as a great starting point – even if it’s frozen. Put it all in one pot and let it come to a boil. Then, turn the temperature down to a simmer and let it cook for a few hours.

It’s really that easy, so give it a try!