Bone broth is not high in calories. A standard cup of beef bone broth contains roughly 39 calories, with 9 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and zero carbohydrates. That makes it one of the lowest-calorie ways to get a meaningful amount of protein into your diet.
Calories in a Cup of Bone Broth
Most commercial beef bone broths land between 35 and 50 calories per 8-ounce cup. Kettle & Fire’s beef bone broth, one of the more popular brands, lists 40 calories per serving. Bare Bones’ powdered beef bone broth mix comes in slightly higher at 50 calories. Chicken bone broth tends to fall in a similar range, typically around 38 calories per cup.
Nearly all of those calories come from protein, specifically collagen that dissolves out of the bones during the long simmering process. Because bone broth contains zero carbohydrates and minimal fat (about 1 gram per cup when the fat has been skimmed), there’s very little caloric density compared to the volume you’re consuming. For context, a cup of whole milk has about 150 calories, and a cup of orange juice has around 110.
Why Homemade Broth Can Vary
The calorie count in homemade bone broth depends on two main factors: which bones you use and whether you skim the fat. Bones with more marrow release more fat into the liquid during cooking, and fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient at 9 calories per gram. A homemade batch where the fat layer hasn’t been removed could easily climb to 70 or 80 calories per cup, sometimes higher.
Skimming is straightforward. After your broth cools in the refrigerator, the fat solidifies into a visible layer on top. Remove it, and you’re back in that 35 to 50 calorie range. Leave it in, and you’ll add calories but also more flavor. Neither choice is wrong; it just depends on your goals.
Bone Broth vs. Regular Stock and Broth
There’s an important distinction between bone broth, regular broth, and stock. Regular chicken broth (the kind in a carton for making soup) contains about 38 calories per cup with 5 grams of protein. Chicken stock, which simmers longer with more bones, jumps to around 86 calories per cup with 6 grams of protein. Bone broth sits closer to regular broth in calories but delivers more protein, closer to 9 grams per cup, because of the extended cooking time that pulls collagen from the bones.
Stock’s higher calorie count comes from its slightly greater amounts of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. If you’re tracking calories closely, the labels on these products matter more than the names, since “bone broth” and “stock” are sometimes used interchangeably by manufacturers.
How Bone Broth Fits Into Weight Loss
Bone broth’s low calorie count is part of why it shows up so often in weight loss plans. A clinical trial published in 2025 tested a structured bone broth diet that combined bone broth consumption with intermittent fasting (eating normally five days per week and fasting two days) along with low-carb, high-protein meals. After two three-week cycles, participants lost an average of 4.8 kg (about 10.5 pounds) in the first round and 2.6 kg in the second. They also reported decreases in hunger and cravings without feeling less satisfied after meals.
The protein content plays a role here. At 9 grams of protein for only 39 calories, bone broth has an unusually high protein-to-calorie ratio. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it helps you feel full longer per calorie consumed. The dominant amino acid in bone broth’s collagen is glycine, which has shown some interesting effects in animal research. In one study, mice given glycine during calorie restriction lost 14% more body fat and retained 27% more lean mass compared to mice that didn’t receive it.
None of this means bone broth is a magic weight loss food. But if you’re looking for something warm, filling, and flavorful that won’t meaningfully dent your daily calorie budget, it’s a practical choice. A cup between meals or as a base for soup gives you protein and volume with very few calories to account for.
What Adds Calories to Bone Broth
Plain bone broth stays low-calorie on its own, but what you add to it changes the math quickly. Common additions and their approximate calorie impact per cup of broth:
- Noodles: A half cup of cooked egg noodles adds about 110 calories
- Rice: A half cup of cooked white rice adds about 100 calories
- Coconut milk or cream: A couple tablespoons can add 50 to 80 calories
- Unskimmed fat: Each tablespoon of fat left in the broth adds roughly 120 calories
Vegetables like celery, onion, and garlic add negligible calories. Herbs and spices add essentially zero. If you’re drinking bone broth specifically because it’s low-calorie, keeping it simple is the way to go.