Practical, quick and economical, stock cubes have become a must-have in our kitchens. A little magic square to spice up a soup, flavor a risotto or add flavor to meat. But behind their apparent simplicity sometimes hides a bomb of salt, fats and additives. In his Buying guide to eating wellnutritionist Jean-Michel Cohen is sounding the alarm: the majority of commercial broths are far from being as healthy as they appear.
A concentrate of salt and additives
“A stock cube is, above all, salt“, recalls Dr. Cohen. And the figures speak for themselves: in most products, salt appears first in the list of ingredients. In other words, it contains more than everything else. To this are often added flavor enhancers (such as glutamate), saturated fats from palm or copra oil, and glucose-fructose syrups intended to round out the taste. Enough to transform a simple seasoning into an industrial concentrate.
Even products proudly displaying the words organic, gluten free Or reduced in salt are not necessarily virtuous. “Some take advantage of their healthy image to hide a cocktail of additives.”warns the doctor.
The worst stock cubes on the shelves
Some products seduce with their reassuring packaging or their marketing promises, but do not deceive a trained eye. Here are the ones that Dr. Cohen advises against in his Buying guide to eating well :
- KNORR® Mediterranean Vegetable Broth: Under its “preservative-free” label is actually a product full of additives. Salt comes second on the list of ingredients, just after the flavor enhancer. Result: a broth that is much too salty and very far from a homemade broth;
- MAGGI® KUB Organic Poultry Broth: Certainly, it is organic and displays a Nutri-Score C. But its composition can still be improved and its price per kilo is 1.5 times higher than that of equivalent products. A disappointment for a product that claims to be “healthier”;
- KNORR® Herb and Olive Oil Broth: The packaging is a dream: herbs, olive oil, a Mediterranean image… However, these ingredients only represent a tiny part of the product: only 5% herbs and 2% olive oil. The rest is salt, palm fat and additives;
- KNORR® Chicken Broth Pot: Presented in paste form and perceived as more “high-end”, this product also contains sugar, saturated fats and artificial flavors. However, he avoids flavor enhancers, which limits the damage a little, but remains far from being exemplary.
Good surprises to prioritize
Fortunately, certain references are doing well, with simpler compositions, natural ingredients and more balanced nutritional values:
- MAGGI® 100% natural liquid poultry broth. With its Nutri-Score B, this broth is distinguished by a simple and effective recipe. No bad fats, no unnecessary additives: only a few natural flavors, which we could have avoided. It is a good choice for those who want to combine practicality and quality;
- Liquid market vegetable broth 100% natural MAGGI®. Another product from the same range, with Nutri-Score B, which is really close to “homemade”. Its clear and balanced composition makes it an excellent compromise between taste and health;
- KUB MAGGI® Mediterranean Vegetable Broth Less perfect, with a Nutri-Score C, but still better than average. Sugar and shea butter come at the end of the list, a sign that they are present in small quantities. The product remains rich in aromatics and less fatty than its competitors.
Cooking healthy with stock cubes, instructions for use
In general, choosing a good broth for your cooking, not too processed, meets several rules:
- Keep ingredient lists short and simple. A good broth doesn’t need twenty ingredients to be tasty. If you read a long list of additives and unpronounceable names, put the box down;
- Avoid bad fats and flavor enhancers. Avoid anything that contains palm oil, copra or shea. Monosodium glutamate, often hidden under the name “E621”, should also be avoided;
- Don’t double the dose of salt. A stock cube is already very salty. No need to add more to the preparation. This avoids overconsumption of sodium, which is particularly risky for hypertensive people;
- Don’t make it a habit. These products must remain a one-off aid, not a systematic ingredient. In excess, they create an addiction to salty tastes and are harmful to cardiovascular health;
- Beware of misleading labels. “Organic”, “no added salt” or “gluten-free” does not mean “healthy”. Some “organic” products may contain as many additives as their conventional equivalents.
As Jean-Michel Cohen summarizes: “A good broth is one that you could almost make at home.”