Many have started taking collagen powder daily (and the number is constantly growing) and have experienced its extraordinary benefits . But sometimes you run out. What to do?
For those who have just started supplementing with collagen powder, running out of supplies can be a difficult time (and for some, even a tragedy 😅), so we decided to write a PRACTICAL GUIDE to learn how to supplement collagen even when you run out of powder.
By the end of this guide, it will be clear to you why running out of collagen powder is a drama for some people 😭
Preview: Finding collagen in today's foods isn't as easy as supplementing with powder, but it's definitely worth the effort.
IMPORTANT: Carnivore Company is keen to remind you that eating “whole” foods is always better, but supplementation remains necessary for many of us because humanity's lifestyle has suffered great damage in recent decades: processed foods, seed oils, hormone-disrupting artificial lights, indoor living, 9-5 jobs, tight shoes, sunscreen... and when it comes to nutrition, most of us have serious deficiencies, including collagen.
Here we will give some possible solutions to the collagen problem.
You have a collagen deficiency if:
- You have skin problems : lack of elasticity, dryness, wrinkles, slow healing of wounds, dermatitis, psoriasis…
- you often feel joint pain : aches, stiffness and lack of flexibility
- you have reduced and weak muscle mass
- fragile bones
- brittle nails and thin hair
- Weak teeth and bleeding gums
- tiredness and fatigue
If you don't have any of the symptoms listed above, congratulations: you're on the right track!
Why do so many people supplement with collagen?
Simply put: collagen is the world's #1 superfood.
In particular:
- Improves skin health : reduces wrinkles and fine lines, increases skin hydration and elasticity.
- Strong Joints : Improves joint health, reducing pain and improving mobility.
- Strong nails and hair: promotes stronger nails and healthier hair.
- Bone health : contributes to the maintenance of bone density and reduces the risk of bone loss.
- Immune system at its best : Collagen contains glycine , an amino acid we need because we don't get enough of it in our modern diet. Glycine is a precursor to glutathione, which has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Top Body Functions : Supports overall body health, including organs like the heart and lungs.
- For athletes: provides support for joints, the musculoskeletal system, and bones. Perfect for weightlifters, floor exercisers, cyclists, runners, and endurance athletes.
You can find it simply in hydrolyzed powder form (for example , in our shop ) and supplementing with it will be like drinking a glass of water (literally: you can dissolve it in water, although we recommend adding it to coffee or a smoothie). But if you happen to run out while waiting for your bag to arrive, you can find it in various foods, which coincidentally fall into the category of "ancestral foods" (...no coincidence, we're talking about ancestral foods here ).
What are the real foods in which you can find collagen?
Let's get straight to the point.
Collagen-rich foods are simple and more common than many people think. Here's a quick list of the most popular ones (more on that below):
- Bone broth (chicken, beef, fish)
- Oxtail
- Minced beef (with cartilage and connective tissue)
- Bovine nerves
- Crow's feet
- Beef head
- Boiled beef
IMPORTANT : There is no collagen in plants , so tell your vegan friends that the “vegetable collagen” powder they take is a scam 🤡
How much collagen do we need per day?
This question alone would require an entire article, but here we'll limit ourselves to providing a general answer.
The label for our collagen says 14g per day (1.5 heaped tablespoons), which, when taken regularly, provides significant benefits for everyone.
This amount can be increased on days when you're making a more sustained effort or if you simply feel that increasing the dose makes you feel better. So you can increase your intake to 2 heaped tablespoons ( about 20 g ) or even 3 ( about 30 g ) on days when you exercise or if you need an extra boost for your immune system.
When we have hydrolyzed collagen powder it is very easy to integrate it: as we have written, you can simply dissolve it in coffee ( see the video recipe here ) or for purists, in water, lightly in a smoothie with seasonal fruit ( see the video recipe here ) or beat it in eggs and make a delicious Kaisershmarren ...
How much collagen is in “whole” foods?
When it comes to supplementing collagen with whole foods, it will be more difficult to be precise about the amount you consume, but it will be fine anyway 😘
The beauty of the ancestral lifestyle is that it is not necessary to count calories or macronutrients (unless you have competitive goals or particular pathologies that require it) because when you start eating Real Food your body begins to give you intuitive signals about satiety and what it needs… in fact, counting quantities can be useful at the beginning, especially if you come from years of “intoxication” from processed foods and bad habits.
But at some point you will feel it: you will gain an intuitive ability to sense what food is good for you, how much of it you need, and when to eat it.
You may not be eating the purest collagen from Brazilian pasture-raised cows (which is what we have in our bags ), but you're still eating very nutrient-dense foods. Maybe you're in a rural area and find high-quality sources of collagen (from Piedmontese Fassona cattle or Italian pasture-raised buffalo).
Sure, it won't be that convenient, but it's definitely worth it: ideally, all foods should be eaten whole, but as we've already said (and we want to reiterate), with today's lifestyle, without supplementation we struggle a lot (at least most of us do, and there's also a part of us that doesn't even know about the existence of ancestral foods, but maybe there's nothing we can do about it...).
A complete list of real foods with collagen (and how much of it there is)
(the ones with the star ⭐ are our favorites)
1. Nervetti (bovine cartilage), 5-6 g per 100 g ⭐
2. Pork rinds (cotiche), 5-10 g per 100 g
3. Pork trotters, 6-8 g of collagen per 100 g
4. Fish skin and bones (salmon, cod), 1-2 d of collagen per 100g
5. Bone broth (chicken, beef, fish), up to 10 grams per cup (250-300 ml) ⭐ ⭐
6. Chicken skin, 1.5-2 g of collagen per 100 g
8. Crow's feet, 8-10 g of collagen per 100 g ⭐
9. Calf's head, 5-7 g of collagen per 100 g ⭐
10. Boiled beef (cuts with cartilage), 3-5 g per 100 g
11. Ossobuco (marrow bone), 5-6 g per 100 g
12. Oxtail, 8-10 g per 100 g ⭐ ⭐
13. *Tripe (beef stomach), 2-3 g per 100g ⭐
14. Whole cooked chicken with skin and bones, 1.5-2 g collagen per 100 g
15. Ground beef, 4-6 g of collagen per 100 g ⭐
To optimize collagen content:
- Ask the butcher to include parts rich in connective tissue and cartilage in the ground meat.
- Consider using the ground beef in soups or stews, as the slow cooking helps release more collagen from the connective tissues.
BONUS 💸
Have you noticed how cheap all these foods are? Let's combine business with pleasure : for many, these foods have become "second-rate cuts," like offal, bones (which the butcher throws away because no one buys them anymore), oxtail... have you ever eaten oxtail? This is the perfect opportunity to start. You'll be happy.
Conclusion
As you can see, the amount of collagen in whole foods never reaches the concentration it has in hydrolyzed collagen powder (obviously), but in whole foods it is also accompanied by other nutrients that are good for us (quality proteins and fats, bioavailable vitamins and minerals).
Our advice is to eat both real foods and collagen powder, so that we have a continuous source of collagen to thrive in our diet and in our lives.
(PS. Our collagen powder is real food, just hydrolyzed, with no other stuff in it: just 100% grass-fed bovine collagen.)
Whole foods need to be prepared, which means they take time and need to be sourced. You can't always be sure of their quality, but you can always find one on the list (at least here in Italy) quite easily.
We've learned that collagen powder is a practical, quality-assured, and highly potent solution. You can find it here: GRASS-FED COLLAGEN , and if it's out of stock, you can pre-order it for free (if you're interested, we strongly recommend doing so to ensure you have a supply).
See you soon tribe…Ancestral greetings.
Stefano from Carnivore Company 🐮
