10 Of The Unhealthiest Store-Bought Beef Stocks & Broths You Can Buy

Beef stock and broth are staples of home cooking. They're used as a backbone for soups and stews, a fundamental part of gravy, and can even be transformed into a demi-glace. While delicious beef stock and broth can be made at home with only water, beef bones, aromatics, and some patience, the vast majority of Americans opt to buy store-bought beef stocks and broths to save time. However, no two products are the same, with flavor, quality, and nutritional value all varying greatly from brand to brand. In this article, we focus on the latter, revealing 10 of the unhealthiest store-bought beef stocks and broths so you can make an informed choice when shopping.

We have chosen to predominantly focus on each product's sodium content as a measure of how unhealthy it is. We decided to do so for two reasons. Firstly, it seemed like the logical choice given that many stocks and broths contain astronomical levels of sodium. Secondly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight that the vast majority of Americans consume around 1,000 milligrams more sodium than the recommended daily intake. As such, nearly every American stands to benefit from identifying products that are high in sodium. Aside from sodium content, we also took into account whether the products contained sugars or harmful additives and if they presented an absence of micronutrients. Safe to say, many of these products are far unhealthier than they initially seem.

Emeril Lagasse is one of the United States' most beloved celebrity chefs. Having been on the TV circuit for years and with several much-missed Food Network shows to his name, it is no surprise that Lagasse also boasts lines of cookware and food products. Among these is Emeril's Organic Beef Stock, a product that has a less-than-stellar nutritional profile.

Emeril's Organic Beef Stock contains 790 milligrams of sodium per cup. This amounts to 34% of an adult's daily value, the total amount of a nutrient a person is recommended to consume each day. Aside from the high sodium content, this stock also contains some ingredients of concern, notably organic caramel color. When made in certain ways, caramel color has been found to contain 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, both of which have been linked with increased incidents of cancer in rodents in some scientific studies, including those published by the National Toxicology Program. The stock also contains 1 gram of added sugars due to the inclusion of organic cane sugar.

Emeril's Organic Beef Stock is one of only two stocks to make it into our article. This should not come as a surprise, as stock is generally healthier than broth, being significantly more packed with nutrients. Still, this stock stands out as a mediocre choice.

Some might still think of Swanson's frozen TV dinners when they hear the brand's name, but nowadays, it's more famous for selling several different types of broth, including chicken, vegetable, and beef. All of these products are popular, with customers often celebrating their rich flavors. Unfortunately, Swanson Beef Broth is not the healthiest product, thanks to the 830 milligrams of sodium it contains per cup. For perspective, this is 110 milligrams more sodium than is found in a McDonald's cheeseburger. With a sodium content that equates to 36% of an adult's daily value, this product has the dubious honor of containing the joint highest amount of sodium of any product mentioned in this article.

Aside from sodium, this broth does not hold much else in the way of nutrients. A cup serving contains less than 1 gram of sugar, 2 grams of protein and no vitamin D, iron, potassium, or calcium at all. As such, it stands as one of the unhealthiest beef broths or stocks out there.

As Emeril's Organic Beef Stock shows, organic beef stock is not necessarily healthy. Nature's Promise Organic Beef Flavored Culinary Stock reiterates this point due to each cup containing 600 milligrams of sodium. At just over a quarter of an adult's daily value, this sodium content is slightly lower than that of several other products listed in this article. However it definitely remains a cause for concern.

Nature's Promise Organic Beef Flavored Culinary Stock does slightly redeem itself by containing some micronutrients. A cup of this stock contains 30 milligrams of calcium and 10 milligrams of potassium. While comprising only 2% and under 1% of an adult's daily value, respectively, their presence in the stock distinguishes this product from many others examined in this article. This stock also contains 1 gram of added sugars, thanks to the inclusion of organic cane sugar, and just 1 gram of protein. All told, this stock is not the worst product on this list. It is, however, far from the healthiest beef stock out there.

Target's Good & Gather brand is known for selling staple products at affordable prices. The brand's beef broth is no different, with a 48-ounce carton coming in around $2.49. Not only is the broth affordable, it also tastes good. Customers celebrate Good & Gather Beef Broth's intense flavor, noting it makes a great base for recipes like shredded beef soup. Unfortunately, this flavor comes hand-in-hand with an extremely high sodium content. One cup of the broth contains 830 milligrams of sodium, equal to 36% of an adult's daily value.

Consuming the amount of sodium found in a cup of Good & Gather Beef Broth has an almost immediate impact on the body, causing dehydration and elevated blood pressure. If this product and other foods high in sodium are consumed regularly, the effects on an individual's body become very serious and ultimately lead to an increased risk of both stroke and heart disease.

To top it off, this beef broth contains no potassium, vitamin D, calcium, or iron. Given that it is scarce in micronutrients and packed with sodium, this broth has more than earned its place in this article.

Much like Good & Gather, Walmart's Great Value brand produces staple products at affordable prices. However, the brand's beef broth also stands as one of the unhealthiest products mentioned in this article. Per cup, this broth contains 810 milligrams of sodium. This is equal to 35% of an adult's daily value, an absurdly high amount when similar products from competing companies contain sodium levels half that amount.

To make matters even worse, there is very little else noted on the product's nutritional information. Great Value Beef Broth contains no vitamin D, potassium, iron, or calcium. It also lacks any carbohydrates. In fact, the only other nutrient that has a listed value outside of sodium is protein, with each cup of the broth containing 2 grams. Given this information, it is not hard to see why we decided to include Great Value Beef Broth in this article.

Progresso is known for its range of tasty but unhealthy soups. So it goes with its broths. The company's beef broth is quite popular with customers, granted, many of whom celebrate its deep flavor while noting that it is a bit salty. This is no surprise, seeing as a single cup of Progresso Classic Beef Broth contains 810 milligrams of sodium, 35% of an adult's daily value.

Aside from this very high sodium content, Progresso Classic Beef Broth also contains maltodextrin, an additive that's used to thicken food. An ultra-processed carbohydrate, there are many concerns over the effect that ingesting maltodextrin has on the body. Some studies, including one published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, show that eating the additive leads to intestinal inflammation, altering the balance of bacteria throughout a person's digestive system.

Progresso Classic Beef Broth also includes caramel coloring and no potassium, vitamin D, calcium, or iron. As a result of all these factors, it is safe to conclude that Progresso Classic Beef Broth is an extremely unhealthy broth.

As with all the other products in this article, the first thing that jumps out about Manischewitz Beef Broth's nutritional information is the sodium content. At 700 milligrams per cup, this total is somewhat less than several other broths and stocks mentioned in this article. However, it is important to remember that 700 milligrams remains a huge amount of sodium, equal to 30% of an adult's daily value. For reference, 700 milligrams of sodium is the same amount that a Burger King Rodeo Cheeseburger contains.

Aside from this high amount of sodium, Manischewitz Beef Broth also contains caramel color. Given that it may contain potentially harmful substances, many people see caramel color's inclusion in products as a pointless risk. However, Manischewitz Beef Broth does contain some micronutrients. Each cup contains 10 milligrams of calcium, 0.1 milligrams of iron, and 20 milligrams of potassium. This remains only a small comfort given the presence of both large amounts of sodium and caramel color, but it's not nothing.

Kroger's Fat Free Beef Broth is a steal at $1.49 for 32 ounces. However, those concerned about their health would do well to look past the product's price and instead focus on its nutritional profile. Predictably, this beef broth is packed with salt. One cup of Kroger Fat Free Beef Broth contains 770 milligrams of sodium. That's 33% of an adult's daily value.

This high sodium content is exacerbated by the rest of the product's decidedly underwhelming nutritional profile. Kroger Fat Free Beef Broth contains no iron or vitamin D. It also does not contain any carbohydrates or fiber. The broth does, however, contain 10 milligrams of calcium and 40 grams of potassium as well as 2 grams of protein. Despite the presence of some nutrients, Kroger's Fat Free Beef Broth is far from healthy due to its high sodium content and overall lack of nutrients, both micro and macro.

College Inn specializes in stocks and broths and boasts an extensive range that includes turkey broth, chicken bone broth, and garden vegetable broth. Unfortunately, this does not translate into a unique product; the company's beef broth has a nutritional profile that's similar to many other broths mentioned in this article. It is dominated by sodium. A single cup of College Inn Beef Broth contains 760 milligrams of sodium which is equal to 32% of an adult's daily value.

To make matters worse, College Inn Beef Broth also lacks micronutrients. A cup of the broth does not contain any calcium and only 10 milligrams of potassium. This serving also contains 2% of an adult's daily value for iron and 2 grams of protein. The presence of some macro and micronutrients means that this broth is one of the healthiest in this article. It remains, however, decidedly unhealthy when compared with other beef broths that are on the market.

Stop & Shop's Beef Flavored Broth is one of the unhealthiest broth products around. With 830 milligrams of sodium per cup, it has the joint highest sodium content of any broth or stock in this article. Equal to 36% of an adult's daily value, this amount is a huge proportion of your recommended sodium intake; the consumption of it may well lead individuals to ingest an unhealthy amount of sodium.

This broth's nutritional profile is also incredibly sparse. It does not contain any vitamin D, calcium, potassium, or iron. In fact, the product's only other listed nutrient is protein of which there are 2 grams per cup. Aside from this, Stop & Shop Beef Flavored Broth benefits from the absence of both caramel color and additives like maltodextrin. This, however, is far from enough to counterbalance the large amount of sodium and the almost total lack of other macro and micronutrients.