A Comparison Of Two Organic Vegetable Broths

Melissa King Popular Processed Foods Exposed

Just because you buy something that says organic from Whole Foods, does not mean it is the best choice.  Let’s compare these two brands.

Here is the back.

The first questionable ingredient I see is cane sugar.  Why does sugar need to be in vegetable broth?  There is also oil in here.  When I make my broth at home, I don’t add oil at all.  Lastly, I see that scary term “natural flavor”.  I tend to stay away from products with that on the ingredient list.

So let’s look at another broth.  This one is a much better choice.

Now let’s look at the back.

This is a perfect example of a product to buy.  You can identify all the ingredients and there is also no sugar or oil in it.  This comparison just reiterates how important it is to read ALL labels, even organic labels.  I love Pacific Foods and would highly recommend this product if you are in need of a store bought soup broth.

UPDATE: I now make my own broth.  Super easy! See the recipe here.

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65 thoughts to “A Comparison Of Two Organic Vegetable Broths”

  1. We make our own veggie broth by adding a box of mushrooms and sliced leeks (we only use the greens so its about 2 or 3 leeks) to a stockpot of water. I then add in 8 black peppercorns, some thyme (with stems), and parsley stems. We don't salt it at all because I like to salt when I cook. I bring it to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer for an hour, then strain everything out. It makes a lot of broth that I then freeze in 2 cup amounts. Anytime I need some I just dump the frozen block into a pan and let it heat up on the stove before adding it to what I'm cooking. Tastes better than store bought and definitely cheaper!!
    Reply
  3. Thanks so much for this!! I don't know why it never occurred to me to look at the ingredients in vegetable broth other than the calories. When I see it's organic, yup, it fooled me into thinking it was the best choice. Now I'm going down to my pantry to look at the ingredients!!
    Reply
    1. You are welcome. I used to just trust the "organic" label too. At least there is a better option for those who cannot make their own broth at home.
      Reply
  4. Sadly one my favorite no chicken chicken bouillon cubes has sunflower oil in it....it just adds a much nicer flavor than veggie broth. I consider it my 20%, you know, 80% good 20% bad ;)
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    1. I found some information that cold pressed sunflower oil is not so bad. It is not processed and not gmo. Just FYI. The main problem with it is it is high in Omega 6. Also if sold in clear bottles it has probably degraded some. The key is finding a quality source. Of course it usually best to avoid all oils but with this one I am cutting myself some slack ;) http://coventgardenfarmersmarket.com/tag/cold-pressed-sunflower-oil/ http://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-it-primal-sunflower-oil-wheat-germ-skyr-and-other-foods-scrutinized/#axzz2EIKWVEHD
      Reply
      1. Yes and it is so good! I use Pacific veg broth with my "red soups" but for my "white" soups I will use the cubes. Celifibr Vegetarian ChickenBoullon cubes. Ing: Vegetarian Chicken - Vegetable and spice blend (broccoli, onion, garlic, carrot, beet, spinach, tomato, parsley, tumeric, clove, bay, celery), sea salt, yellow corn flour, molasses, torula yeast, cold pressed sunflower oil. No msg, non sulphited veggies, no hydrogenated oils, gluten free and Non GMO, They only use non irradiated spices.
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      1. I also forgot to add coconut oil. Probably, because we keep it in the fridge. :) I LOVE it and it has so many great uses! We use it to clear up my daughter's eczema. Works great!
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  7. If I may add my own two pennies... ;) I prepare instant broth myself as well: 200g/8oz dried vegetable mix (you may buy them organic as well), 5 tablespoons of thick grained sea salt (I use the one from Croatia, the Pag Island), 1 big tablespoon of turmeric, 1 big tables spoon of Italian herbs mix (also organic). I grind this in a food processor to a powder and have instant broth whenever I need it. :)
    Reply
  8. So, are sunflower seeds in general OK, or just the processed oil? I grind sunflower seeds and make my own Sunflower Seed butter to eat with my celery and Jicama......I thought sunflower seeds were good for you....I have soooo much to learn, LOL!
    Reply
    1. Sunflower seeds are just fine. I love them and make my own sun flower butter as well. I like it much better than peanut butter! It is the process of making the oil I believe.
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  10. One of the things on my New Years Resolutions' list was to drink more bone broth. (I know you are comparing Veggie broths here). I made some from chicken a few times and it is a little more time consuming than I wanted, and doesn't really last long in the fridge so I have to freeze it, etc. Too complicated for my busy life. Anyway, I just got an Amazon Prime membership and so have been ordering things... I just placed an order for some chicken broth on Saturday and I went to check the brand after reading your article. THANKFULLY it is the Pacific Natural Foods brand! Phew!!! I found it at a good price, and free shipping, too. So yay for me!!!
    Reply
  11. Thanks for the reminder that not all organic foods are created equal! We make our own veggie broth! I save our veggie 'scraps' (onion remnants, random stems, stuff that I can't use before it goes bad, etc.) and put them in the freezer until I have a good amount (about a gallon baggie full). Then I throw it in the crock pot and fill to the top with water. I add spices and whatever else I think of and just let it simmer overnight. It works really well and the flavor is great! And it is virtually free since all of the stuff I used was going to be thrown out anyway. :)
    Reply
    1. We do the same thing now too. I never realized how easy it was to make my own broth until I tried it. You are right about it being free too.
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      1. what kind of seasonings do you put in homemade vegetable broth? I'm really bad at cooking with seasonings unless I have a specific recipe
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  13. I keep Pacific Foods stock on hand (all varieties) for when I don't have the time to make stock or when I just need a smaller amount. Also, if my kids cook (because they are old enough to cook now--and I've been teaching them how to cook homemade things) they like to invent soups and while they know how to make stock, they aren't yet going to do it on their own. So, Pacific Foods is where I turn. Good label. Great clean taste. And, I get it at Costco by the case so it's very economical.
    Reply
    1. Lately, I have been making my own stock and it is basically free because I use scraps that I would normally throw away. It tastes really good too.
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  14. Grrrr ... After seeing this post I went to the pantry to read the label of the low sodium chicken broth I got at Whole Foods yesterday. I use it to make a quick chicken noodle soup for my little guy's school lunch sometimes. Sure enough, the WF organic that I bought contains cane sugar and yeast extract! Won't be making that mistake again! I make my own too, but sometimes I need a backup plan - guess I'll be checking out other brands now...
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  15. Swanson "certified organic" vegetable broth has the same ingredients as the 365 brand shown above. Swanson is owned by Campbell's. (dextrose, pear juice, cane juice, yeast extract, canola oil, etc) just a heads up.
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  16. Here in Germany in every store they bundle something called suppegrunen (soup greens). It's a chunk of celeriac, a large leek, a carrot and, a bunch of curly parsley....take it home, clean and peel and boil for broth.....it is fabulous.....I use it as a soup base every time I make a pot of beans or soup....I rarely ever buy broth anymore
    Reply
    1. I rarely buy it myself. I have a bag of veggie scraps in the freezer. Once they add up, I make a broth. It's almost like making it for free, because those a re the parts of the vegetables people normally trash.
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  17. I don't think I have ever bought broth because I think homemade is much better. I started reading label a few years ago and was incredibly surprised about what is in our food. If you put the frozen broth in a microwave bowl and mic it a few minutes it cuts down on thawing time. That's what I do if I am in a hurry. I have never thought about using veggies for stock and I have decided to try it...so I am starting a bag for the freezer. I do not season mine except salt and pepper to taste.
    Reply
    1. I love that because it's almost like you are making it for free. I usually pull my broth out the night before so it will thaw on the counter overnight.
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  19. I have a friend that is allergic and sensitive to so many foods, I would love to teach him how to make home made broth, but need a simple easy way of doing it, any one have a recipe?? It can't contain meat of any sort, nor eggs, dairy and soy..Thanks..
    Reply
    1. Yes I do. It's super easy and you can make it from scraps you would normally throw away. I make a big batch of broth every few months. https://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/21/homemade-vegetable-broth/
      Reply
      1. Thank you, sorry it took me so long to say thank you, but I got busy with life and had not had a chance to get back here till now, this looks great, I can now teach him to make his own broth :-)
        Reply

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