The Low Down on Veggie Broth in the Hood

OK, it's time to take stock of (veggie) stock in the hood. I am not sure what the difference is between veggie stock and veggie broth. Wikipedia quotes James Beard as saying:

...that stock, broth, and bouillon "are all the same thing"

and it goes on to say that the distinction, if any, tends to be fluid. Swanson does seem to know the difference, but they don't explain it either: Organic Vegetable Broth, v.s. 100% natural vegetable cooking stock, and Vegetable Broth. I use them interchangeably.

One of the insidious features of any packaged foods is that you really need to read the label, for too often too much salt, sugar, or oil sneaks in, not to mention some other nefarious chemicals you may not like. However, if you do get into the habit, you will be rewarded and soon you will find your way to better solutions.

Remember always to check for what they say about serving size, for those can often be wildly unrealistic. A bag of potato chips may contain many "servings" but I don't know anybody who would not eat the whole bag. With veggie broth it seems to be easier - a serving is an 8 Oz cup. That much is straigtforward. The % of RDA means nothing for the RDA is completely different in plant-based nutrition. You want 10% of calories from fat (no added fat), 10% from protein, and 80% from Complex Carbohydrates. For sodium, the recommended level in the plant-based community tends to be 1,500 mg daily, whereas generally, anything below 2,000 mg daily is regarded as low sodium.

This time I want to research Vegetable Broth/Stock in our area. I am listing ingredients and prices and a recommendation. I will keep adding to the list. Besides Chiang-Li and Key Food, I will also visit ShopRite on the Bruckner.
I make note of the color because for some situations the dark color might be too much, e.g. if you want to create a light-colored sauce.

As to the salt content, clearly, there are several reasonable ones and a couple of very good ones. If the goal is not to exceed 1,500 mg a day, you can see how it adds up. Again, in general, anything below 2,000 mg/day is looked at as low salt.

Broth Alternatives

In our cooking classes, we have discussed both Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Yondu as easy alternatives to veggie broth.

For example, when caramelizing onions, you really only need a little bit of water to keep them good and liquid and prevent them from sticking to the pan or getting burned.
I typically use about 1/2 cup of water with a teaspoon of Yondu or Braggs if I do not have veggie broth handy.

Both are alternatives that are reasonably low in sodium.

At the other extreme, I periodically am brave enough to make my own veggie broth from roast veggies. Sometimes, when I do this, I also freeze a couple of trays of ice-cubes of veggie broth. 2-3 icecubes of broth may be all you need to liquify stir-fried onions.

Chiang-Li Supermarket

•  College Inn, 32 Oz 100% Natural Garden Vegetable Broth - $3.39
• 20 Calories
• 0 g of Fat (0% of RDA)
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 700 mg Sodium (30% of RDA)
• 4 g Total Carbohydrates (1% RDA)
• 3g added sugars
• 0g protein
• NB.: High in Sodium! This is a light colored broth.
• College Inn, 32 Oz, 100% Natural Garden Vegetable Broth (40% less sodium) - $3.39
• 0g Fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 420 mg Sodium (sic!)
• 4 g Carbohydrates
• 3g added sugar
• 0g protein
• NB: This is a light colored broth.
• Recommended!
•  Swanson, 32 Oz, Organic Vegetable Broth - $3.79
• 10 Calories
• 0g Fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 530 mg Sodium
• 2 g Total Carbohydrates
• 1 g added sugars
• 0 g Protein
• Recommended!
•  Kitchen Basics, 32 Oz, Unsalted Vegetable Stock.
• 0 g Fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 210 mg Sodium
• 100 mg Potassium
• 6g Total Carbohydrates
• sugars 4g
• 0 g Protein
• Recommended! 
• N.B. Color dark. 

 Key Foods, Metropolitan

•  Swanson, 32 Oz. Vegetable Broth,  on sale 2 for $6.
• 10 Calories
• 0 g Fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 800 mg Sodium
• 2 g Carbohydrates
• 2 g sugars
• 0 g Protein
• NB: High Sodium - avoid, color light.
• Swanson, 32 Oz. Vegetable Cooking Stock, on sale 2 for $6
• 15 Caloreies
• 0.5 g fat
• 0 g Cholesterol
• 550 mg Sodium
• 2 g Total Carbohydrates
•  2 g Sugars
• 0 g Protein
• N.B. Light color
• Recommended!
• Pacific Foods, 32 Oz. Organic Vegetable Broth - $3.99 (on sale)
• 15 Calories
• 0 g Fat
• 0 g Cholesterol
• 500 mg Sodium
• 3 g Carbohydrates
• 1 g Sugars
• 1 g Dietary Fiber
• 1 g Protein
• N. B. Light color
• Recommended! 

Options galore. I will keep adding to this as I take inventory at Shoprite.

ShopRite Bruckner Commons

Ok, I finally made my veggie broth run to ShopRite. Here's the harvest (I am reporting list prices, though some were on sale):

•  Wholesome Pantry, 32 Oz Vegetable Cooking Stock, $2.21
• 10 Calories
• 0 g Fat
• 0 g Cholesterol
• 570 mg Sodium
• 3g carbohydrates
• includes 2g added sugars
• 0 g Protein
• N.B. Light color
•  Swanson, 32 Oz Vegetable Broth, $2.79
•  Otherwise as above
• Swanson, 32 Oz Organic Vegetable Broth, $3.49
• Otherwise as above
•  College Inn, 32 Oz, 100% Natural Garden Vegetable Broth, $2.99
• Otherwise as above
• Progresso, 32 Oz, Vegetable Broth, $2.19
• 5 Cal
• 0 g Fat
• 0 g Cholesterol
• 400 mg Sodium
• 0g carbohydrates
• 0 g Protein
• N.B. relatively low sodium
• Emeril's 32 Oz Organic Vegetable Stock, $2.19
• 10 Calories
• 0 g fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 570 mg Sodium
• 2 g Carbohydrates
• 2g sugars
• 0 g Protein
• N.B. dark color. Sodium in mid range.
• Rachael Rae, 32 Oz All Natural Veggie Stock $2.60
• 10 Calories
• 0 g Fat
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 480 mg Sodium
• 2 g Carbohydrates
• less than 1g sugar
•  0 g Protein
• N.B. Sodium about average. Darker color.
• Recommended

In all almost all the broths were on-sale, so I did considerably better than the list prices indicate.