Stock or Broth? Here's the Difference

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posted on

October 13, 2025

If you’ve ever boiled up a pot of bones for soup, you’ve probably heard people call it bone broth. But not all broth is the same, and there’s a big difference between meat stock and bone broth.

We first learned about meat stock from Kate Pope (@wildnutritionist on Instagram), and we highly recommend checking out her work!

Here’s what we’ve learned from Kate and in our own kitchen, using meaty and collagen-rich bones from our farm.

Meat Stock: Shorter Cook Time, Easier to Digest

Meat stock is made by simmering bones with meat still on them for about 4 to 8 hours (depending on the types of bones used). It’s ready when the meat is falling off the bone and the stock has a nice, elevated flavour.

Bone broth, on the other hand, is made primarily with bare bones and is cooked for a significantly longer period – anywhere from 12 to 48 hours or more. That longer cooking time pulls out more minerals, but it can also make it harder for some folks to digest.

Why Some Prefer Meat Stock

While bone broth has become popular lately, meat stock can be better for healing, especially if your digestion is off or you’re recovering from illness.

Here’s why we love meat stock:

It’s gentler on the gut
Has more natural gelatin and collagen
Contains glycine, hyaluronic acid, and other amino acids that help with inflammation and gut repair
Feels more filling than broth
It’s great for babies, new parents, and anyone on a health journey

If someone’s dealing with sensitivities, low energy, or trying to recover from burnout, meat stock is a great place to start.

The Glutamic Acid Factor

Long-cooked bone broth contains higher levels of glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is a naturally occurring amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein. It’s found in many whole foods, especially those high in protein, and the body also makes it. It plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism.

For most people, glutamic acid isn’t a problem as it’s a normal part of the diet. But for some people, especially those dealing with gut issues, anxiety, or chronic inflammation, too much free glutamate (which forms during long cooking times) can be irritating or overstimulating.

For this reason, it's often recommended to start with meat stock as it's gentler and easier to digest, especially for those just beginning a healing journey. Bone broth can still be a great option once your system is more stable or if you're looking for a longer-term, mineral-rich broth.

If you're interested in bone broth specifically and don't have time to make it yourself, we offer shelf-stable and frozen options. Check them out here.

What Bones to Use

You’ll get the best stock when you use bones with meat, joints, and skin, as that’s where all the good stuff is.

For chicken:

Feet
Necks
Heads
Carcass
Thighs or drumsticks with skin

For beef, lamb, or other ruminants:

Knuckle bones
Meaty soup bones
Shanks
Oxtail
Neck bones

If the stock jiggles like Jell-O once it’s cold, you’ve done it right.

Ready to make your own? Browse our Nutrient-Dense Organs & Bones Collection here.

Wild Meadows Farm

Blog: On The Farm

Grey County

Durham, Ontario

The Difference Between Stock and Broth

From Pasture to Price Tag: Understanding the Rising Cost of Meat

I consider myself very fortunate that I rarely go to the grocery store (we have one in our backyard, and for the things we don’t have here, Rebecca is usually the one who goes). When I do find myself there, though, I usually linger in the meat aisle to take a look at the prices. For the record, when we set prices for our products, we do not consider prices in stores or those of competitors. We determine prices based on our costs, plus a markup that we know will keep our doors open and the business sustainable. I do, however, find observing grocery store prices interesting and telling of what the commodity meat system produces and how it is priced. Just a few years ago, I often thought to myself how amazingly inexpensive meat was at the grocery store. Products like ground beef, chicken, and many pork cuts were so cheap. More recently, prices in stores are definitely up across the board. While our prices are still higher (and justifiably so, due to the quality of life our animals experience and the quality of meat our customers receive), the difference isn’t as great as it used to be. So why have grocery store prices increased so much? 1) Inflation is affecting everyone.Inflation is affecting everyone, including farmers, butchers, transport companies, and even grocery stores. Out-of-control money printing, higher energy costs, higher taxes, and wages that don’t keep up are a recipe for higher food prices—and for the general public to feel the strain financially. 2) Supply and demand are out of whack.Several factors, such as drought in the West, an aging farmer population, and higher beef prices (which discourage farmers from maintaining breeding stock), are leading to a lower cattle “inventory” in North America. That means fewer calves and a lower overall population, reducing supply. No one really knows when beef prices will come down, but the best-case scenario appears to be early 2028, based on what I’ve heard. Traditionally, chicken and other less expensive proteins have helped replace beef as prices rise. While it’s true that more people are choosing chicken as an alternative, beef demand has remained strong despite higher prices. Additionally, increased demand for chicken, combined with population growth and Canada’s restrictive production system (supply management), is projected to raise chicken prices by 25% in 2026. 3) Demand for meat isn’t slowing down.Experts often claim that more people will turn to “alternative” proteins as prices rise, and perhaps this is true for some. But you can’t beat the real thing, and I believe most people understand this. The public outcry over news that cloned meat could enter the supply chain without labelling is a good indicator that people do not want their food tampered with. So while I believe our products exist on a different playing field than their commodity and mass-produced counterparts, it’s interesting to observe how markets are changing and to track how these shifts may impact our customers and our business. Thanks for following along, and I hope you find my insights into our food system useful.

Stock or Broth? Here's the Difference

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From Pasture to Price Tag: Understanding the Rising Cost of Meat

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Cloned Meat? Never on Our Farm!

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