Short answer: for most people, one to two cups of bone broth a day is a sensible, sustainable amount. That is enough to make it a genuine part of your diet without crowding out other foods or pushing your sodium intake too high. There is no official daily target for bone broth, so the right number depends on why you drink it, what else you eat, and whether the habit actually sticks.
This guide works through the question properly: what one cup actually contains, how it fits around protein and sodium guidelines, when to drink it, and when more is not better.
Is there a recommended daily amount of bone broth?
No. Bone broth is a food, not a supplement with a dose, and neither the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) nor Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) sets a daily intake for it. Any article that gives you a precise “clinical” number of cups is giving you an opinion, not a guideline.
What we can do is look at what is in a cup and see how it fits into the guidelines that do exist, for protein and sodium in particular. That gives you a far better basis for deciding than a number pulled from a wellness forum.
What is actually in one cup?
Using the nutrition panel for our Organic Chicken Bone Broth Powder, one serve (7g of powder made up with 200ml of hot water) contains:
| Per serve | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 100kJ (24 Cal) |
| Protein | 4.3g |
| Fat | Less than 0.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.6g |
| Sodium | 245mg |
At 4.3g of protein per serve, a cup adds to your day’s protein rather than carrying it. Broth is not a meal.
The ingredient list is short and readable: bones from certified organic, pasture-raised animals, organic tomatoes, organic brown onions, Himalayan salt, black peppercorns and tapioca. Nothing in it needs a dictionary.
How does bone broth fit into your protein needs?
The NHMRC’s recommended dietary intake for protein is 0.84g per kilogram of body weight a day for men aged 19 to 70 and 0.75g per kilogram for women, rising to 1.07g and 0.94g after 70. For a 70kg woman under 70, that works out to roughly 53g a day.
Two cups of broth provide about 8.6g, around a sixth of that figure. Some people like that it is an easy addition at breakfast or when their appetite is low, which we cover in our article on protein after 40. But broth works best alongside protein-rich meals, not instead of them.
What about sodium?
This is the figure most daily-broth advice ignores. One serve of our chicken broth contains 245mg of sodium. The NHMRC’s suggested dietary target for adults is 2,000mg a day.
- One cup a day uses about 12% of that target.
- Two cups use about 25%.
- Four cups use about half, before you have eaten a single slice of bread or cheese.
This is why we land on one to two cups for most people. It leaves room for everything else you eat. If your diet is already high in packaged or restaurant food, or if you have been advised to watch your salt, keep to one cup, or use broth in cooking in place of salt and stock cubes rather than adding it on top.
So how much should you drink?
A practical way to decide is to start from why you are drinking it.
For a daily ritual. One cup, at the same time each day. Consistency beats volume. A habit you keep for a year is worth more than a burst of four cups a day that fades after a fortnight.
Alongside lighter meals. One to two cups, timed around the meals where your protein is lightest, which for most Australians is breakfast and the mid-afternoon gap.
For cooking. Use broth in place of stock cubes or some of the salt in a recipe, and taste before adding any extra salt. The total sodium depends on how much broth you use and what it replaces.
When you are unwell or off your food. Many people lean on warm broth when solid meals do not appeal. That is a traditional use, and the amount is whatever feels comfortable. If you are unwell for more than a few days, see your GP.
When is the best time to drink bone broth?
There is no proven “best” time, so the best time is the one you will repeat. Our customers tend to settle into one of three patterns.
Morning. A warm cup before or with breakfast, often in place of a second coffee. It is savoury, so it suits people who do not like a sweet start to the day.
Mid-afternoon. The 3pm slump is when many people reach for sugar or caffeine. A cup of broth is a savoury, caffeine-free alternative. We write more about that habit in The Daily Ritual.
Evening. A warm mug after dinner is part of many people’s wind-down. It is light, low in energy and contains no caffeine.
Can you drink too much bone broth?
For a healthy adult, the practical limit is sodium rather than anything unique to broth. If you are drinking several cups a day on top of a normal diet, your sodium intake can add up quickly.
Some people also follow online “broth-only” programs for several days. We do not recommend replacing meals with broth for extended periods. It is not nutritionally complete, and at 24 Calories a cup it cannot supply the energy an adult needs.
If you have kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, or you have been told to limit sodium or protein, talk to your doctor or dietitian before making broth a daily habit.
How to make it a habit that sticks
The most useful advice is also the least exciting: tie your cup to something you already do every day. Put the pouch next to the kettle. Make it while the coffee brews. Have it at the same desk, at the same time.
A 100g bag makes 14 cups, which is a fortnight at one cup a day. That is a natural unit to build the habit around and a useful check on whether it is working.
The bottom line
One to two cups a day is a practical place to start for most adults. That provides about 4 to 9g of protein, with sodium to account for alongside the rest of your diet. Beyond that, use broth in your cooking, where it replaces something rather than simply adding to the total. The best daily amount is the one you keep doing.
One cup, every day. Byron Bay Bone Broth Powder makes 14 cups a bag, certified organic and simmered 18+ hours in Byron Bay.
Frequently asked questions
How much bone broth should I drink a day?
For most adults, one to two cups a day. That adds roughly 4 to 9g of protein and keeps sodium to around 12 to 25% of the NHMRC’s suggested daily target.
Is it OK to drink bone broth every day?
Yes, for most healthy adults. It is a whole food with a short ingredient list. The main thing to watch is total sodium across your day.
How much protein is in a cup of bone broth?
One serve of Byron Bay Organic Chicken Bone Broth Powder contains 4.3g of protein for 100kJ (24 Calories).
What is the best time of day to drink bone broth?
There is no proven best time. Morning, mid-afternoon and evening all work. Choose the time you can repeat every day.
Can bone broth replace a meal?
Not on a regular basis. A cup of broth is around 24 Calories and is not nutritionally complete. Use it alongside meals or as a light snack.
References
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Protein. eatforhealth.gov.au. Accessed October 2026.
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Sodium (Suggested Dietary Target). eatforhealth.gov.au. Accessed October 2026.
- Byron Bay Bone Broth. Organic Chicken Bone Broth Powder nutrition information panel. byronbaybonebroth.com. Accessed October 2026.
