Stock

Food · Pantry & Condiment · Food, Typed Supps

A stock cube is mostly salt, and the numbers only make sense once you dilute it.

Stage by stage

Intake (Dissolves entirely): The cube or powder dissolves in hot water — there is no structure to break down.
Digestion (Little to digest): Salt, free glutamate and small amounts of fat and starch pass through largely as they arrived.
Absorption (Sodium absorbed fully): Sodium and iodine are absorbed essentially completely and quickly.
Circulation (Fluid volume rises): Plasma sodium rises, thirst follows, and blood volume expands until the kidneys clear the excess.

Time to effect

Hours to days: A salty meal raises thirst within hours; healthy kidneys clear the sodium load over a day or two.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. May contain: Celery, Gluten, Fish. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.

Satiety

Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Sodium
Iodine

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 215
Protein: 11.3g
Carbohydrate: 22.5g
of which sugars: 4.3g
Fat: 8.9g
of which saturated: 4.4g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 18400mg

Food vs. supplement

Collagen and mineral claims made for broth are not supported by its composition; ingested collagen is broken into amino acids like any protein. Stock earns its place through flavour, not nutrition.

Kitchen tip

Use half the cube the packet suggests and adjust with salt at the table. Reduced-salt versions work well, but check the label for potassium chloride if that matters for you.

Common myth

“Stock is a nourishing base that adds goodness to a soup.” In reality: A commercial stock cube contributes salt and savoury flavour, and very little else. What makes a soup nourishing is the vegetables, pulses, grains or meat that go into it.