Bone Broth Hot Chocolate for Kids: Is It Safe and How Much?

For most healthy kids, a mug of caffeine-free bone broth hot chocolate is a lower-sugar hot chocolate with some food-based protein in it. Pick Classic Chocolate, Mocha or Chai (never Caffeinated Chocolate), check for a coconut allergy, and ask your pediatrician how much makes sense, especially if your child is under 2 or has a medical condition.

I'm a nurse and a mom of three boys, so I get this question from both directions. Below is what I'd tell a friend, with the label numbers so you can decide for yourself.

Is bone broth protein safe for kids?

Bone broth protein is food. It isn't a drug, and it isn't a supplement. Our chocolate flavors are made from grass-fed beef bone broth, organic cocoa, organic coconut milk, organic oat milk, organic monk fruit and Redmond's pink salt. For a typical healthy child, a warm mug sits in the same category as regular hot chocolate, just with more protein and 0g sugar.

Still, "safe for kids" always depends on the kid. A food that's fine for one child can be the wrong pick for another who has an allergy, a kidney condition or a special diet. So the most any company can responsibly give you is general guidance plus "ask your pediatrician." That's the answer you'll get from me too.

How much protein do kids need?

Kids need less protein than adults, and the amount climbs as they grow. These are the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances listed in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans:

Now compare that to the label. One scoop of our Mix has 14g of protein. For a preschooler, that's most of a day's target in one mug, and most kids already get enough protein from meals and milk. Kids don't need a protein drink to "hit their numbers," and more isn't better. I'd treat it as a better hot chocolate for a cold afternoon, not a daily supplement, and let your pediatrician weigh in on amounts.

Which flavors are OK for kids?

Classic Chocolate, Mocha and Chai all have 0mg of caffeine. Mocha gets its coffee taste from organic coffee flavor, and it has no caffeine. Chai has no tea in it.

Caffeinated Chocolate is for adults. It has 60mg of natural caffeine from green coffee beans per scoop, roughly two-thirds of a typical cup of coffee. The FDA says pediatric experts discourage caffeine and stimulants for children and teens, and that too much caffeine in kids can cause a faster heart rate, anxiety and sleep problems. The Dietary Guidelines say children under 2 should avoid caffeinated drinks altogether.

The easiest way to avoid a mix-up at home: keep the caffeinated bag on a different shelf from the kids' flavors. If you want the full caffeine comparison, see how much caffeine is in hot chocolate, mocha and coffee.

How much can a child have?

Our label lists one serving as one scoop. We don't publish separate directions for children, and I'd rather say that plainly than make up a number. The right amount depends on your child's age, size, what they already eat and their health history. Your pediatrician is the right person to set it.

A few questions worth bringing to that visit:

• How much protein does my child already get from meals and milk?
• Is a sweetened drink (ours uses monk fruit, not sugar) fine at this age?
• Does anything in my child's health history change the answer, like kidney problems, a metabolic condition or a restricted diet?
• How often is reasonable as a treat?

For some kids the answer will be an occasional small mug. For others, like a child on a protein-restricted diet, it may be none at all. That's the kind of call your pediatrician can make quickly once they know what you're considering.

Bone broth hot chocolate vs regular hot cocoa for kids

This is where the swap makes sense. According to USDA data, a cup of homemade hot cocoa made with milk has about 24g of sugar and 9g of protein. A 6 oz cup of cocoa mix made with water has about 19g of sugar and 2g of protein. A scoop of our Mix has 0g sugar and 14g of protein. If you make it with milk, the only sugar in the mug is the milk's own.

The Dietary Guidelines steer families toward unsweetened drinks day to day, with water and plain milk as the main drinks for kids and teens. A monk-fruit-sweetened hot chocolate is still a treat, and it doesn't replace water and milk. It's just a lighter treat than a packet of cocoa.

How to make it kid-friendly

This is the method from our Protein Hot Chocolate recipe, plus two nurse tweaks for little ones:

1. Heat milk (or water) until it steams. Don't boil it.
2. Stir the scoop into 2 tablespoons of the hot liquid to make a paste, then add the rest while stirring.
3. Let it cool. Kids burn their mouths on hot drinks easily. Test it on your wrist like you would a bottle, or add a splash of cold milk.
4. Use a kid-size mug so it stays a treat and not a meal.

The recipe lists mini marshmallows as optional. They add sugar, so I'd save them for special occasions if you're keeping sugar low.

“My kids love the Classic Chocolate, and I usually make them a small mug when they want something warm and chocolatey, especially as an evening treat. Sometimes we even add marshmallows or whipped cream to make it extra fun.”

Skotie Rae, RN, founder

If your kids like cold treats better, our Frozen Fudge Pops are the family favorite in our house: three boys, one freezer, zero arguments. The Chai Overnight Oats are what I make on Sunday nights so school mornings are easier.

When to check with your pediatrician first

• Your child is under 2.
• Your child has kidney disease or has been told to limit protein.
• Your child has food allergies. Every flavor contains coconut milk and oat milk.
• Your child follows a special diet for a medical condition, or takes a daily medication.
• You're thinking about offering it every day instead of as an occasional treat.

For more on the drink itself, including taste and dairy-free swaps, our main guide to bone broth hot chocolate covers it, and high-protein hot chocolate has more ways to make it. Thinking about an evening mug for yourself? Read protein hot chocolate before bed.

If you want to try it, the easy first bag for a family is Classic Chocolate Bone Broth Protein Mix.

Quick answers

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Appendix 1 (protein RDAs by age) and Chapter 2 (caffeinated beverages under age 2).
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? (section on children and teens).
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Milk, chocolate beverage, hot cocoa, homemade (FDC ID 171277). Per cup: about 24g total sugars, 9g protein.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Beverages, cocoa mix, powder, prepared with water (FDC ID 174123). Per 6 fl oz: about 19g total sugars, 2g protein.