Can’t Stomach Organ Meats? 10 Ways to Microdose This Superfood To Minimize Taste + Maximize Results

There’s a reason organ meats are making a comeback. For generations, traditional cultures prized liver, heart, kidney, and other organ meats as important foods for vitality, energy, fertility, and resilience. Long before synthetic supplements and wellness trends, these foods were nature’s multivitamin.

Yet, for many people, the idea of eating organ meats still feels intimidating. Maybe you had a bad experience with liver as a kid. Maybe the flavor feels too intense. Or maybe you simply don’t know where to start. But the good news is that you don’t have to eat a plate of liver and onions everyday to reap the benefits! 

In my telehealth functional medicine clinic, I always remind patients that healing foods should work for you and your lifestyle, not against you. If you hate the taste of something, chances are you’re not going to stick with it consistently. The goal is finding approachable, delicious ways to incorporate these incredibly nutrient-rich foods into your life without overwhelm. So if you want to take advantage of the nutritional value of organ meats without sacrificing taste, here are a few of my favorite ways to sneak organ meats into your daily diet.

1. Go half and half

You don’t have to go all in with organ meats, especially when it comes to recipes that call for ground meat as these are the easiest meals to sneak in beneficial organ meats. Next time you are making hamburgers or meatballs, try using a blend of 50% ground beef and 50% ground organ meats (liver, heart, kidneys, etc). Not only does this addition help enhance juiciness and flavor, the taste is surprisingly balanced.

2. Incorporate into chili or other soups

Chili is another dish that is typically made with ground beef and one of the easiest to camouflage ground organ meat. Whether you do 50% ground organ meats or 100%, between the richness of tomatoes, the smokey spices, and the textured beans, you likely won’t even notice you’re eating anything other than conventional ground meat. Slow simmering your chili will also help tenderize whatever organ meats you add in.

3. Add frozen liver cubes to smoothies

Taste is often the biggest barrier to eating organ meats, but texture is another big one for people. By adding frozen liver cubes to smoothies instead of plain ice cubes (or a mixture of both), you can eliminate having to deal with the taste and texture of organ meats. Try a combo of blueberries, peanut butter, your milk of choice, frozen liver cubes, and a handful of spinach, and you’ll forget what’s hidden inside this delicious beverage.  To make frozen liver cubes simply puree your liver in a blender and pop them into an ice cube tray. You can do this with a variety of organ meats as well, not just liver.

READ MORE: Organ Meats, Bone Marrow, and More Rare High-Protein Animal Foods You Aren’t Eating Enough Of (For Tissue Regeneration, Gut, and Liver Health)

4. Snack on liver chips

It seems like anything can be turned into chips these days, and liver is no exception. To make these nutrient-dense chips, slice your liver as thin as possible for the crispiest chips. A mandolin slicer is a great tool for this. Season them with your favorite spices and pop them in an air fryer, dehydrator, or bake them until they reach your preferred crispiness. Experiment with fun flavor combos like sea salt and rosemary, chili lime, or Thai curry that further mask the flavor of the organ meats.

5. Blend into bone broth

Bone broth is already a nutritional powerhouse, but adding in organ meats takes it to the next level. Start with a small amount of already cooked organ meats and blend using a high-quality blender or immersion blender for the best consistency. While it won’t be as liquidy as traditional bone broth, you’ll be left with a super creamy broth that can be sipped by itself as a snack or light meal replacement or used as a base for heartier soups and stews like beef stew. You can mix and match but I personally recommend adding in chicken organs to chicken bone broth and beef organs to beef bone broth for the best flavor profile.

6. Indulge in a creamy hot chocolate

Hot chocolate and organ meats aren’t exactly the most appetizing combination, I know. But there is a way to enjoy this delicious beverage while still getting in all the nutritional benefits of organ meats without having to sacrifice taste. I specifically formulated my StemCell Protein with Longevity RX with bone marrow proteins and organ peptides from regenerative heart, liver, and kidney to make it even easier to get your daily dose of organ meats without the taste, texture, and cook time. 

This supercharged protein powder comes in an indulgent chocolate flavor, making it the perfect addition to warm water or milk. It combines easily, has a rich texture, and just the right amount of sweetness to make you forget you’re drinking a functional beverage rather than a dessert! This protein powder also makes a wonderful swap in smoothies for your current protein powder. 

7. Micro-grate into your meals

If you really want to trick yourself into eating more organ meats, try this stealth health technique. Freeze raw liver, heart, or other organ meat of your choice to grate a little bit into whatever you are cooking throughout the day. A little goes a long way and when you do this for each meal it adds up. And since the liver is so finely dispersed, the organ meat incorporates easily into your meal without huge chunks or much change to the flavor of the dish. I’ve found this to work particularly well in soups, pasta sauces, and scrambled eggs and is the perfect solution for families with kids (especially kids that are picky eaters)!

8. Try organ meat seasoning

As the awareness around the benefits of organ meats grows, so does the demand for innovative products. Brands understand that it’s not always easy to regularly consume these organ meats and are continuing to come out with products that help people get this superfood into their diets. For example, Pluck has a line of seasonings like Zesty Garlic and Southwest that can be added to your meals during or after cooking to level-up the nutritional value. You can also experiment with making your own by taking freeze dried organ meats, blending them up into a fine powder, and creating your own blend with your favorite spices and seasonings.

LISTEN: Robby Sansom: Vegan Myths, Organ Meats & Which Diet Is Best For The Planet & Your Body

9. Make organ meat jerky

The tough texture of jerky takes away from the different texture you notice when you cook organ meats like a traditional cut of meat. You can season your jerky however you like to further mask the taste and the shelf-stability makes it a wonderful grab-and-go snack for extra protein and nutrients outside of regular meal times.

10. Elevate your spreads and dips

Liver pate is already a popular way to enjoy organ meats but it can still turn a lot of people off due to texture and taste. Instead of just eating pate by itself, mix it into one of your favorite dips like hummus so it’s not as noticeable. You can also spread your mixture on bread and crackers and add fun toppings like chopped fresh herbs and veggies to further mask the taste!

The takeaway

You don’t have to eat organ meats in the traditional way to reap the benefits. From organ meat jerky to delicious hot chocolate, there are so many options to microdose this superfood throughout your day. Remember, health is less about perfection and more about consistency which is easier when you actually enjoy what you are eating.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

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