Recipes - All Things Carnivore

This post will show you how to make calcium supplements from eggshells which are usually discarded and end up in landfills. Instead of buying calcium supplements, make one yourself and you can reduce waste, save a bit of money and practice nose-to-tail eating, and honor the sacrifice of the animal. If you still have leftover eggshells, invest in a composter at home and compost them with other kitchen wastes. Crush the eggshells before putting them in the composter, they will take around a year at least to break down, but that is still better than sending them to landfills. Your calcium need Calcium is an essential mineral because it is needed for many bodily functions and is used as the main material for teeth and bone formation. It is recommended that adults aim for about 1000 mg of calcium per day, but this could be higher for pregnant and lactating mothers and older adults. [1] The older you get, the harder it is for your body to absorb calcium, and the more important it is for you to get enough calcium from your diet. On the carnivore diet, you can get calcium from a number of sources including dairy products, small fish with bones in, bones and bone meal, eggshells, meat, and bone broth. If for whatever reason you can't tolerate dairy products, which are especially rich in calcium, you will need to pay attention and make sure you get sufficient calcium from other sources. Calcium content in eggshells Calcium accounts for about 39% of the weight of an eggshell. Because the composition of eggshells is very similar to that of human teeth and bones, eggshells are a good source of non-dairy calcium. [2] Experimental and clinical studies on animals and humans have found positive effects of eggshell powder on bone health, cartilage growth, and the treatment of osteoporosis. [3] As mentioned above, using eggshells as a calcium source also helps to minimize waste. While calcium deficiency is prevalent even in developed countries, globally, about 110 billion tons of eggshells are produced and often used as a plant fertilizer or destined for landfills. How to make a calcium supplement from eggshells Ingredients 12 to 30 eggshells Equipment A coffee grinder or a food processor Directions Gather eggshells. Collect the shells as you use eggs until you have at least 12, preferably 30 to be worth the effort. If you don’t eat eggs regularly, collect the shells and store them in a bag in the freezer until you have enough. It’s best to get pasture-raised eggs to make eggshell powers. But if you can’t afford them, don’t let that stop you from making your very own calcium supplementSterilize the eggshells. Put the eggshells in a pot, cover with water and boil them for 10 minutesDry the eggshells. Drain the water completely. Spread the eggshells on a baking tray. Bake them at 200F for 25 minutesGrind the eggshells. Put the eggshells in a coffee grinder or a food processor and grind them into a very fine powder. Store in a glass jar for use. Usage One medium-sized eggshell makes about one teaspoon of powder, which yields about 750 to 800 mg of calcium. [4] You can use this eggshell powder in a number of ways: Have a teaspoon a day with water to wash it down quickly. It's tolerable, not terribly tasty but certainly not horribleAdd it to your protein shake if you use a protein supplementAdd it to your other dishes such as meat stew, ground beef or pate. This is the best way to use your eggshell powder, you won't even notice that it's there. Tips for better calcium absorption Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and the two best ways to get vitamin D are sun exposure and foods. Aim to get about 30 minutes of sun exposure a day to get enough calcium. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin D like oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring), liver, egg yolks, and red meat. Other carnivore diet recipes Please check out my other carnivore diet recipes here and learn how to cook beef liver, make a healthy carnivore snack, bone broth, or a calcium supplement from leftover bones, and many more. This recipe library is also regularly updated so please come back frequently. Disclaimer: The information in this post is for reference purposes only and not intended to constitute or replace professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified medical professional before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.