5 Ways to Get More Collagen in Your Diet

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In this article I'll share my favorite 5 ways to get more collagen in your diet. These simple recipes are so good, even kids will happily eat them. There are many ways to get more collagen in your diet including specific foods and supplements. Increasing your collagen intake can help your skin, joints, and gut health. Collagen is the most abundant structural protein within the body. It forms connective fibers, which give structure and support to numerous tissues and organs within the body, including:

skin
blood vessels
bones and teeth
ligaments and cartilage
internal organs

There are many different types of collagen, but the most common types in the body are:

Type I: This forms the connective tissues of the skin, bones, teeth, tendons, and ligaments.
Type II: Cartilage mainly contains this type of collagen.
Type III: This gives strength and shape to organs, skin, muscles, and blood vessels.
Type IV: This a major component of the membranes that separate a person’s body tissues.

Benefits of Eating Collagen Rich Foods

Eating collagen rich foods can help improve your overall health. Specifically for the skin, joints, gut, hair and nails.

Skin Health – collagen gives strength and elasticity to your skin and my improve hydration.
Joint Health – eating collagen rich foods may help joint function and reduce pain in joints.
Gut Health – repairs the gut lining and can help with digestion and improve water absorption in the intestines
Hair and Nails – Collagen is a building block for keratin, the protein that makes up hair and nails

In addition to foods with collagen there are also many collagen supplements available. The difference between most supplements and foods is the bioavailability. Food sources of collagen tend to be easier for your body to use. Unless you choose a high quality collagen powder like Perfect Collagen that has 90% bioavailability. Your body breaks down the collagen proteins you eat into amino acids so you can receive the benefits.

Food Sources of Collagen

Beef Bone Broth
Chicken Skin
Eggs
Organ meats
Sardines

Certain vitamins and minerals also help with collagen synthesis such as Vitamin C, zinc, manganese, and copper. Increasing your intake of these nutrients can also help.

Recipes to Add More Collagen to Your Diet

Bone Broth

This my favorite and probably the best way to get more collagen and minerals into your diet. Bone Broth is easy to make and contains many proteins, amino acids, and collagen. It's a nutrient dense broth that provides many health benefits. Read this post to learn how to make bone broth. You can make bone broth with chicken, beef, or even fish bones.

Collagen Hot Chocolate

Make a fast and easy hot chocolate that is also packed with collagen and protein. Gently warm up 1 cup of milk over the stove top. Any kind of milk will work. You can try this homemade cashew milk or grass-fed cows milk (I have made this with both options). Once the milk is warm add 1 scoop of Perfect Collagen Chocolate to the milk. Whisk vigorously or use a milk frother to get the powder fully combined. You can also add a couple of drops of Vanilla Stevia if you want it a little sweeter.

Kefir Collagen Shake

I drink this every morning. Mix a 1/2 cup of kefir with one cup of water and 1 scoop of collagen powder. Mix it in a shaker bottle or blender. I use the Perfect Collagen Chocolate or the Happy Mammoth Gut repair. I like the taste as is but if I'm making it for kids I add a tablespoon of maple syrup.

Paleo Vanilla Custard

Egg white are a good source of collagen and this recipe uses a lot of eggs! It's also delicious. It can be a dessert, a breakfast, or a snack. If you want, you can even add a scoop of collagen powder to the recipe to add even more collagen. Click here for the full recipe instructions.

Chicken Soup

If you make homemade chicken soup and you boil the chicken bones, skin, and connective tissue into the soup, it will have a lot of collagen. A broth or soup made this way is highly nutritious. Plus you can add vegetables like carrots and celery for more added vitamins.

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