Thinking About Adding Collagen to Your Diet? Here’s a Delicious Way to Do It

If you’re setting resolutions and want to up your health and wellness game in 2017, we have a suggestion. This year, commit to incorporating new ingredients into your diet. First up: collagen! From the Greek word kolla, meaning glue, collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, acting as a binder between connective tissues.

There are at least 16 types of collagen, but nearly 90 percent of what’s found in our bodies is Type 1, and stored in our muscles, bones, digestive tracts, and tendons. Collagen production naturally declines as you age, but that’s not the only reason to consider adding more of it to your diet. Collagen’s most abundant amino acid, glycine, may affect neurotransmitters in a way that promotes better-quality sleep. Glycine may also improve digestion by increasing stomach acid and coating the digestive tract, and is often recommended for autoimmune diets like GAPS and SCD.

When you’re ready to take the leap and embrace collagen in the new year, there are a few options. You can eat gelatinous meats (meat next to the joints or bones), drink bone broth, or try one of our favorite new ways to enjoy it: Primal Kitchen’s Chocolate Hazelnut Collagen Bars.

Primal Kitchen sources its collagen from grass-fed cows in Germany and Brazil, which is broken down into individual amino acids and easier to absorb and digest. The ingredients also include organic, fair trade cocoa alongside pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, and coconut flakes. Each bar provides a whopping 15 grams of protein and 8,300 milligrams of collagen, so you can satisfy your hunger while reaping the rewards of collagen at the same time.

We’re not the only ones who love Primal Kitchen’s collagen bars! Check out what some of our members had to say:

I need protein bars to actually taste good so I eat them, and I’m very picky. These are DELICIOUS and the health benefits are SO impressive. I’m blown away by these. I’m not one for leaving reviews very often, but these are seriously good and if my review influences even one person to buy these and support this brand (so these stay around so I can buy more) I will! —Molly

You need some serious self-control to not just keep eating these bars. Mark and the team have outdone themselves again with a legit and super clean product. —Luke

Photo credit: Alicia Cho