Boullien vs. stock/broth

mkeenan
mkeenan Posts: 14 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Which is better, chicken/beef boullien or chicken/beef stock/broth?? Also, how long can you keep an opened carton of broth in the fridge? I just saw a commerical that says Swanson doesn't have MSG in it so I guess that's a plus. I imagine boullien has MSG then...

Replies

  • kksam
    kksam Posts: 38
    Check both labels. I know he boullin is high in salt. As for the open container, not more that 5-7 days. You can freeze it as a solid piece or in an ice cube tray and it'll be handy to add to other things that you are cooking.
  • Boullion cubes are chock full of salt...you can usually find low sodium, low fat broth that's only about 15-20 calories per serving size. I imagine that bouillion cubes don't have a lot (if any) of calories, but the sodium alone is probably not the best.
  • jrbowers83
    jrbowers83 Posts: 282 Member
    Well, I have some time on my hands this morning while DD naps and I'm stuck on a heating pad hoping my back will stop hurting so I can work out a little, so let's do a little comparison. I have both on hand. Bouillon is cheap and sticks in the spice cabinet forever, so if I do run out of broth I use the bouillon.

    Chicken Bouillon
    Ingredients: salt, hydrogenated vegatable oil, MSG, corn starch, chicken fat, sugar, onion powder, chicken meat, turmeric, natural flavor, dried parsley, disodium inosinate, careml color, tbhq and citric acid(preservatives)
    Nutrition Info:
    serving 1/2 cube (in about 1c. water)
    15 cal
    2g fat
    1g sat fat
    1180 mg sodium
    carb 1 g
    protein 1g

    Chicken Broth: (Swanson 100% fat free, less sodium)
    Ingredients: chicken stock, flavoring (chicken broth, autolyzed yeast extract), salt, dextrose, celery juice concentrate, carrot juice concentrate, onion juice concentrate
    Nutrition Info:
    serving 1 c. broth
    15 cal
    0g fat
    570 mg sodium
    1g carb
    1g sugar
    3g protein

    Okay, I gotta say the broth for sure. Much less fake stuff, and all that chicken and vegetable fats sounds gross in the bouillon. Now that is of course a little healthier version of chicken broth or stock, but I am definitely going to make sure to keep it on hand and ditch the bouillon.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
    I JUST asked this question of a superchef friend of mine ;)
    Stock is richer, its what you get when you cook the chicken/beef bones in with the meat & veggies. broth is just the liqiud you get after cooking meat & veggies in water.
    boulion, even reduced sodium, is higher in salt, I prefer liquid stock/broth but keep the cubes on hand for emergencies.
    I keep an open carton in the fridge for a week tops, but they'll keep in the freezer indefinately :)

    good luck!
  • igmom
    igmom Posts: 90
    Another thing to consider is that stock and broth have similar calorie and fat counts, but stock has more protein.
  • Trina22
    Trina22 Posts: 22
    Please try Better Than Bouillion - it comes in a glass jar and keeps in the fridge for ages after you open it. It add a wonderful flavor to soups and sauces - without anything fake. I was really frustrated because I couldn't find a base or boullion that didn't contain msg and all those other nasty chemical things - and then I found this product - http://www.superiortouch.com/retail/products/better-than-bouillon . I love it! I have found them at Weis Markets and Wegmans in my area. Since I only eat fish (no beef, poultry or pork) I stick to the vegetarian bases - and vegetable broth for that matter - and they don't have the fat grams the other stocks do. Enjoy!
  • mdale2
    mdale2 Posts: 79
    Please try Better Than Bouillion - it comes in a glass jar and keeps in the fridge for ages after you open it. It add a wonderful flavor to soups and sauces - without anything fake. I was really frustrated because I couldn't find a base or boullion that didn't contain msg and all those other nasty chemical things - and then I found this product - http://www.superiortouch.com/retail/products/better-than-bouillon . I love it! I have found them at Weis Markets and Wegmans in my area. Since I only eat fish (no beef, poultry or pork) I stick to the vegetarian bases - and vegetable broth for that matter - and they don't have the fat grams the other stocks do. Enjoy!

    Huge second on this! This stuff is great when I'm out of homemade stock and keeps a long time.
  • mkeenan
    mkeenan Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks for the info....I'll try freezing the broth - it will be very handy!
  • Hi All,

    I know this was posted a long time ago, but I think it's important to add that just because something is labeled as "No MSG" actually does NOT mean it doesn't contain free glutamic acids (bad news for our bodies/brains). Manufacturers have gotten sneaky and stopped including MSG but still include "naturally" occuring MSG under titles such as "yeast extract", "Hydrolyzed soy protein", "Hydrolyzed yeast extract". The fact of the matter is that consuming foods that contain other types of glutimate are just as bad as consuming MSG, so be very careful when chosing broth (check labels carefully, and make your own if possible).
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