Dr. Kellyann's 21-Day Bone Broth Diet Review - Your Questions Answered
/I just did Dr. Kellyann’s 21-Day Bone Broth Diet and want to share everything I learned! I may be a minimalist, but when I think about starting a diet or making a big lifestyle change I DO MY RESEARCH and I love to share what I’ve learned.
In this review of Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet book, you will learn how bone broth helps with weight loss, what foods to eat and what to avoid, the pros and cons of this diet, and my personal results and best tips. I highly recommend the bone broth diet for healthy, quick weight loss.
Heat up a mug of bone broth and enjoy the read. I’ve included a Table of Contents below so you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
Table of Contents:
What exactly do you eat on the Bone Broth Diet? (The basics.)
There are two mini fasting days per week for accelerated weight loss.
Do the recipes taste good on the Bone Broth Diet (and what recipes I ate)
Can I eat at restaurants or order takeout on the Bone Broth Diet?
Is there a maintenance plan after the 21 Day Bone Broth Diet?
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
What is Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet?
The Bone Broth Diet is 21 days of low-carb paleo eating, combined with lots of nourishing, delicious bone broth. Most of the meals on the bone broth diet consist of good quality proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats. A small amount of fruit is also allowed on this diet.
You do two mini-fast days per week.
Twice a week you do a Mini-Fast which, according to Dr. Kellyann, is one of the quickest ways to drop weight quickly and easily. For the mini-fast days, you either sip on bone broth all day or enjoy bone broth until 7 pm and have a bone broth diet-approved snack at that time.
On non-fasting days you enjoy 3 meals of bone broth diet-approved foods, plus 2 bone broth snacks.
To learn the exact amounts of foods to enjoy at each meal, for the recipes, and a complete explanation of WHY eat these foods, why not to eat other foods, and the science behind the Bone Broth Diet, you need guidance from one of Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet books.
Pick a bone broth diet book.
Dr. Kellyann has two books that explain the bone broth diet:
Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches--and Your Wrinkles!--in Just 21 Days (which is the original book from 2015) -OR-
Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Cookbook: 125 Recipes to Help You Lose Pounds, Inches, and Wrinkles
I own both books and the diet information and basic bone broth recipes are exactly the same. When I did the bone broth diet I used recipes from both books.
The main difference is that each book contains different recipes. The Cookbook has beautiful color photos of some of the recipes and it is a prettier design. The original Bone Broth Diet book is all black and white and laid out in a no-nonsense way.
If you choose just one book, I recommend going with the Bone Broth Cookbook. Click the buttons below to see the current prices on Amazon.
Who is Dr. Kellyann?
Dr. Kellyann Petrucci is a celebrity naturopathic physician and certified nutrition consultant who is one of the pioneers of the bone broth movement.
She has a PBS special about weight loss, has regularly appeared on Dr. Oz and The Doctors, and other national news programs, sharing her love of bone broth.
She has authored several books, including Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches--and Your Wrinkles!--in Just 21 Days and Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Cookbook: 125 Recipes to Help You Lose Pounds, Inches, and Wrinkles, which I’ll be discussing today.
Dr. Kellyann is also the author of the 5 Day Cleanse and Reset which I have done several times, and wrote a very detailed review of my experience: I did Dr. Kellyann's Cleanse and Reset - My Review and Results
I ate the Mushroom and Scallion Egg Roll-Ups for breakfast often (page 171 of the Cookbook). I drizzled it with my homemade Sichuan Chinese Chili oil! (Click for the recipe.)
What exactly do you eat on the Bone Broth Diet?
Do you only drink bone broth?
No! While you do drink two servings of bone broth every day on the bone broth diet, your meals are made with real foods like good-quality proteins, low-carb veggies, nuts, seeds, fruit, and healthy fats.
In the book, Dr. Kellyann explains WHY she chooses these foods for good health and weight loss and gives you a detailed list of all the “yes” foods.
The bone broth diet is essentially a paleo, clean-eating diet.
You will eat what Dr. Kellyann calls YES foods:
bone broth
meat, fish, eggs, poultry
nitrite- and gluten-free deli meats, bacon, and sausages,
vegetables
fruits
healthy fats, like avocados, coconut milk, nuts, olives, ghee
healthy meal replacement shakes (See p. 68 of the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook for Dr. Kellyann's specifics. Not all meal replacement shakes are alike.)
fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles
bone broth diet-approved condiments, and thickeners (like fish sauce, spices, and almond flour)
coffee, water, tea
RELATED: Dr. Kellyann has a new probiotic AND ant-aging skin supplement. Read my review and learn how it’s helping women calm digestive issues and get great looking skin.
This was one of my favorite meals! Vietnamese Beef Salad from the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook!
Foods to avoid on the Bone Broth Diet.
There is a pretty extensive list of foods NOT to eat on the Bone Broth Diet. These foods are all fat-promoting, inflammatory-inducing, insulin-spiking, gut-harming foods.
Check out page 50 in the Bone Broth Diet book, or page 48 in the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook, for the entire list and why it’s important to eliminate these foods.
grains and grain-containing foods
corn-based products
refined processed fats
artificial sweeteners
soy
dairy products
commercial condiments with sugars or artificial ingredients
sugar, in all forms
packaged processed foods,
commercial sauces, soups, and stews
canned foods with sugar, soy, or additives
sodas, fruit juices, sweetened coffee or tea, alcohol
processed meats, bacon, and sausage containing gluten, nitrites, soy, or sweeteners
white potatoes
beans and legumes
The Bone Broth Diet has 2 mini fasting days per week for quick weight loss.
One of the keys to the Bone Broth Diet is the twice-weekly mini fast days.
There are two mini fasting options:
Enjoy 5 or 6 meals of bone broth
Drink bone broth up until 7pm and then have a small Bone Broth Diet-approved snack
Be sure not to skim over sections in the book with Dr. Kellyann’s reasons why to fast, and how to make your fasting days easier.
I didn’t love the fasting days.
In all honesty, I struggled a bit with the mini fasting days. I was surprised because I intermittent fast almost every day, so I didn’t think it was a big deal to extend my fast from 12pm to 7pm. Especially because I could drink bone broth throughout the day.
Though fasting is highly encouraged and will give you faster weight loss, Dr. Kellyann does say in the books that it is optional. I stopped fasting in week two.
From the many positive reviews of her books on Amazon, it seemed like lots of people loved the fasting days and got great results, so my experience may be unique.
My tips for mini-fast days:
One of Dr. Kellyann’s tips to help combat the carb flu is to eat fat (like avocado, coconut chips, olives). On my fasting days, I drizzled some flavored olive oil over my bone broth for an extra hint of fat.
Use one of the bone broth recipes (like the Asian Chicken Bone Broth, Thanksgiving Turkey Bone Broth, Italian Beef Bone Broth, Eastern European Beef Bone Broth, French Onion Bone Broth) that have pieces of veggies. Sit at a table and eat it from a bowl, with a spoon. These bone broth soups feel more like a meal.
Spice up your bone broth. See suggestions on p. 118 in the cookbook
Do your fasting days (especially week 1!) when you have the least amount of things going on.
Take a nap, or rest, or skip exercise if you don't feel up to it.
Practice exquisite self-care! Meditate, color, take a bath, .... whatever you need to pamper yourself.
My fasting alternative.
While I struggled a bit with the mini fasting days, I do like the idea of a weekly "cleanse" day. A year or so ago I did Dr. Kellyann's 5 Day Cleanse and Reset and have done the 5 day cleanse several times since.
You can read more in my (very detailed and non-minimalist) blog post: I Did Dr. Kellyann’s Cleanse and Reset - My Review and Results
Basically, for 5 days you drink collagen-rich shakes and eat creamy vegetable soups (usually veggies, bone broth, plus coconut milk). Instead of 5 days at a time, I love the idea of doing a cleanse day once a week, drinking a green smoothie for breakfast, and sipping on nourishing veggie soup the rest of the day. I feel this is a good strategy if the bone-broth-only fasting days are unpleasant.
What is so magical about bone broth?
No doubt you have heard about the many healing properties of bone broth.
Dr. Kellyann says that bone broth:
Fills you up, without adding lots of calories.
Is packed with the building blocks of collagen (that can reduce wrinkles!)
Detoxifies your body.
Heals your gut.
Heals your joints.
Is anti-inflammatory
Bottom line, bone broth tastes good, is healthy, and will help you lose weight.
Do I have to make my own bone broth?
There are many recipes for homemade beef, poultry, and fish bone broth in both the Bone Broth Diet book and the Cookbook.
Making homemade bone broth is simple, but it does take time and, contrary to what you might have been led to believe, it is not always inexpensive to make. If you don't cook whole chickens, turkeys, or have beef bones on hand, you have to purchase them. You also purchase celery, onions, garlic, and other aromatics to flavor the broth.
For many busy people, purchasing bone broth is a great option. (I made one batch of homemade each week and supplemented with purchased bone broth.
What brand of purchased bone broth is best for the Bone Broth Diet?
What to look for in purchased bone broth:
be sure the words “bone broth” are on the package
organic ingredients, if possible
mineralized salt or sea salt
at least 9 grams protein per serving
no added sugars, coloring, artificial ingredients
bones from animals that haven’t been fed hormones or antibiotics
These are bone broth brands I have tried and recommend:
Dr. Kellyann’s Organic Chicken Bone Broth. You can find it on Amazon but I purchase directly from her website where she often has coupon codes. Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth comes in liquid and powdered form and is made from organic free-range chicken bones, spring water, and organic herbs and vegetables.
Kettle and Fire Organic Chicken Bone Broth. I love that this bone broth is made from organic free-range chicken bones, organic veggies, and organic herbs.
Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone Broth. Pacific Foods makes a good quality chicken bone broth. The link is to Amazon, but you can probably find this brand at your local grocery store.
How much weight can you lose on the bone broth diet?
According to Dr. Kellyann, most of her patients lose between 10 and 15 pounds on the 21-day bone broth diet.
I lost 9 pounds in three weeks which was thrilling. I was very satisfied with my results especially since I stopped the mini fasting after week one.
Common results by participants in Dr. Kellyann's weight loss independent trials.
Study participants:
Lost up to 15 pounds and up to 4 inches in body measurements
Saw diminished fine lines and double chins
Noticed more even skin tone
Said they felt healthier
Slept better
Felt better emotionally
Is the Bone Broth Diet keto?
As written, the bone broth diet is a paleo diet, with two days of intermittent fasting, and is not a keto diet plan.
There is no nutritional information provided for the recipes in the book, so it's hard to determine the exact macros of the plan. Overall the bone broth diet is low-carb, moderate protein, moderate fat.
A keto diet typically has rations of 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs and is considered high fat, moderate protein, and very low carb.
How to make the Bone Broth Diet keto.
To make the bone broth diet keto, simply add more fat to the meals on the non-fasting days.
Eat starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, winter squash, and pumpkin sparingly.
Since fruit is allowed on the bone broth diet, choose blackberries or blueberries instead of high-sugar fruits like bananas and pineapple.
Avoid recipes from Chapter 10: A Little Something Sweet in the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook!
Shrimp scampi over zucchini noodles. Yum!
How much time do you spend cooking on the Bone Broth Diet?
Since you don’t eat processed foods on the Bone Broth diet, you will have to spend some time cooking., chopping veggies and herbs, and measuring and assembling ingredients.
I always allow an hour for dinner prep every day. That includes pulling veggies and meats from the fridge, slicing and measuring ingredients, and cook time. I never went over an hour with any of the bone broth recipes. Most were complete in 30-45 minutes, start to finish.
I relied on very simple breakfast recipes and usually ate leftovers for lunch, so dinnertime was the bulk of my cooking for the day. For me, I didn’t spend more time than I normally do in the kitchen.
Best of all, the recipes on the Bone Broth Diet were ALL restaurant-quality meals. My picky husband enjoyed everything I made while on the bone broth diet. And many of these recipes I will continue to add to my weekly meal plan. They were THAT good.
How to spend less time in the kitchen on the Bone Broth Diet.
Both bone broth diet books gave tips to streamline meal prep, and here are my personal “save time in the kitchen” tips:
Either do a meal prep day where you chop and measure ingredients for your upcoming meals, or prep-as-you-go.
Salads with bone broth diet-approved dressings, veggies, fats, and proteins are a quick meal. Make a mini salad bar in your fridge by chopping ingredients and storing them in glass containers for easy assembly.
Purchase bone broth if you don't want to make your own.
Rely on dinner leftovers for lunches (or even breakfast).
Choose 1 or 2 breakfast and lunch recipes and repeat them throughout the week.
If you don't like spending tons of time in the kitchen, check out the "Hate to Cook? No Problem!" section on page 102 of the Bone Broth Diet book.
Do the recipes taste good on the Bone Broth Diet?
I freaking loved all the recipes I tried on the Bone Broth Diet, both from the original book and the Bone Broth Cookbook.
The recipes are absolutely the best part of the diet. You will not feel deprived AT ALL. Dr. Kellyann provided healthy recipes from a variety of different cuisines - Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, American - so you never get bored.
Even if you decide not to do the bone broth diet, both books provide excellent healthy, clean recipes you will enjoy.
The bone broth diet recipes are extremely flavorful.
You know how many diet cookbooks have very basic recipes? Dr. Kellyann's recipes had an incredible depth of flavor. She uses a wide variety of fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices to coax flavor from the dishes.
The recipes in Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet are definitely chef-worthy.
Plus, using lots of herbs, spices, and aromatics makes your meals even healthier!
If you plan to start the Bone Broth Diet, be sure to read "What to Do Before You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet" for helpful tips.
Chicken Francese over cauliflower rice, page 189 of the Bone Broth Cookbook. Tastes just like chicken piccata!
Do I have to use the recipes in the Bone Broth Diet book?
You don't have to follow the 21-day meal plan or the recipes in the Bone Broth Diet book. Dr. Kellyann gives you a formula to create your own meals from the foods on the YES list so you can create meals using your favorite YES foods.
Both bone broth diet books provide a 21 Day meal plan.
If you don’t want to create your own meals or mix-and-match recipes, you can follow Dr. Kellyann’s 21 Day Meal Plan. A meal plan is contained in each of the books.
Baked Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Cocktail Sauce, page 256 of the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook
Can I eat at restaurants or order takeout while on the Bone Broth Diet?
You CAN dine at restaurants or order takeout on the Bone Broth Diet but, as Dr. Kellyann cautions, you need to be assertive when placing your order.
How to order a bone broth diet-approved meal at a restaurant:
Order plain grilled or roasted meat, chicken, or fish.
Ask your waiter to skip the bread, rice, potatoes, or pasta.
Order a double serving of vegetables.
Add a tossed salad (without croutons or other "no" foods.
Related: You will eat sooooo many nutritious and delicious vegetables on the bone broth diet. I try to eat the “low-carb rainbow” every single day - it’s a fun way to get more veggies in your diet. Learn more and download a free printable tracker!
Easy Beef Burgers with Creamy Avocado Sauce and Roasted Sweet Onions, original Bone Broth Diet book.
What do I eat AFTER I finish the 21-Day Bone Broth Diet?
If you have more weight to lose after doing 21 days of the diet, you can stay on the bone broth diet as long as needed until you reach your desired weight.
Once you reach your goal weight, you can transition to the 80/20 Maintenance Plan. This plan is just as it sounds... stick to the Bone Broth Diet for 80% of your meals, and 20% of the time you can choose treat foods like a Starbucks Chai Latte, pizza, or ice cream.
For me, after I finished 21 days of the Bone Broth diet I jumped back to my normal keto eating, but including bone broth most days and using many of the recipes from the bone broth diet. Rather than concentrating on 20% “cheats” I incorporated what I love about the Bone Broth diet into my regular eating plan.
Like Starbucks Chai Lattes? Learn how to order a keto version: Is Chai Tea Keto? How to Order a Keto Starbucks Chai Latte
My results after 21 days of the Bone Broth Diet.
My 21-day of the Bone Broth DietAfter 21 days of following the Bone Broth diet I lost 9 pounds, and an inch off my waist measurement. I had no cravings and felt light, energetic, and healthy.
Even though I feel like my diet is pretty healthy, I definitely was eating more fresh vegetables, and herbs, and higher quality proteins than normal.
I didn’t miss the dairy which had become a big part of my normal diet.
I have a lot of issues with joint pain, and I felt like the pain was less than normal while doing the Bone Broth Diet. This may be due to the lack of dairy, which can cause inflammation, and the addition of soothing, healing bone broth every day.
I definitely felt that my meals were restaurant quality (aka fancier than normal!), and that made both myself and my husband happy.
Like your pizza without the crust (as many low carbers do)? Check out this post: What Pizza Chains Have Crustless Pizza for Low-Carb or Keto Diets?
Not the most beautiful picture in the world, but this Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup was amazing! It’s in the original Bone Broth Diet book, page 159.
Pros of Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet
Here are some of the things I really liked about the bone broth diet:
I loved eating a lot of veggies. On keto, I eat lots of veggies too but often they are drizzled with butter, sprinkled with cheese and bacon, or otherwise “disguised.” The recipes on the bone broth diet are very veggie-forward and the actual vegetables are the star of the dish.
I liked eating a serving of fruit a day. When you follow a keto diet (as I usually do), one banana might knock you out of ketosis so I rarely eat sweet fruits. I rarely eat berries too, which are super nutritious. It was nice looking forward to a piece of fruit per day without guilt.
I liked including bone broth in my diet. It became a soothing, nourishing, tasty afternoon ritual.
I loved the recipes! The Vietnamese Beef Salad (page 215 in the Cookbook) was my favorite recipe and I’ve made it every week since I did the bone broth diet! I will continue to use many of the bone broth diet recipes in my weekly meal planning.
Though you can follow a keto diet in an exceptionally healthy and "clean manner", I felt I was eating healthier while following the bone broth diet.
I had no cravings while on the bone broth diet. I thought reduced cravings were just a result of eating low carb, but apparently following a paleo diet like this curbs my sweet tooth as well, likely due to reduced sweets, grains, and processed foods.
I felt energetic, light, and healthy. My keto diet had gotten a little “dirty” and stale if I’m honest. The bone broth diet helped me hit the reset button.
I lost weight! Nine pounds in three weeks.
Slow Cooker Low-Carb White Chicken Chili, so good!!!
Cons of Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet.
I personally did not like the mini-fast days. The fasting days are highly encouraged but actually optional. I decided to forgo the fasting days in week 2.
It’s hard to order takeout on the bone broth diet. In my house, we generally dine out or get takeout three nights per week. So for 21 days, I cooked dinner almost every night.
I probably felt more hunger on the bone broth diet than I do on keto. It was not unpleasant but I also don't enjoy feeling empty.
If you “cheat” or “fall off the wagon” on the diet, you are supposed to start all over again. I personally am not a person that does life (or diets) perfectly so there were times I wanted to just grab 2 fries off my husband’s plate. I didn’t like feeling guilty, though technically I did not follow the plan as written. I get that this is a personal mindset issue and not really a con of the diet.
Do I recommend the Bone Broth diet?
I absolutely recommend the bone broth diet if you want to lose weight, gain energy, and feel healthy!
As I’ve said multiple times already, I LOVED the recipes. I felt light and healthy and lost weight. I had plenty of energy, and I enjoyed drinking the bone broth snacks.
I loved eating whole, real foods, herbs, and spices. I enjoyed flavorful foods every single day without relying heavily on dairy, which is my norm. I like that I was pushed to try new recipes and flavors, to get out of my culinary comfort zone.
If you plan to start the Bone Broth Diet, be sure to read "What to Do Before You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet" for helpful tips.
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