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Clear liquids only — that’s the rule the day before a colonoscopy, and plain water gets old fast. The good news is that a warm, savory broth counts as a clear liquid, so you can sip something that actually tastes like food while you wait. What matters most is that your broth is see-through, easy on your stomach, and simple to prepare when you’re tired and hungry. This guide covers five broths that fit the bill, from sipping cups you microwave in seconds to powder packets you stir into hot water.
This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
On prep day, you need clear liquids you can actually sip all day without getting bored. The broth for colonoscopy prep on this list gives you real sipping options, and the right pick depends on format, flavor, and how much sodium you want to control.
Top Picks
How To Choose The Best Broth for Colonoscopy Prep
Colonoscopy prep means sticking to clear liquids for a full day, and broth is one of the few things on the approved list that feels like real food. Before you buy, know three things: what counts as clear, how much sodium you’re comfortable with, and how easy it is to make when you’re running on empty.
What Counts as a Clear Liquid
A broth is clear when you can see through it — no cream, no pureed vegetables, no bits of meat or noodles floating in the cup. All five picks here are see-through liquids you sip or stir into hot water. If you add anything to them, keep it clear too, like a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt.
Sodium and Your Prep Day
Bone broth and sipping broths tend to be salty because salt is what makes them taste savory. That matters if your doctor has told you to watch sodium, or if you’re drinking several cups in one day. Savory Choice makes a reduced-sodium line for exactly this reason, and it’s note when you compare labels side by side.
Format: Cup, Bag, or Packet
Single-serve microwavable cups are the fastest option — heat and sip straight from the container, no measuring. Steepable bags work like tea: drop one in hot water, wait, and drink. Powder and concentrate packets need a stir, usually in 8 ounces of hot water, and they’re the lightest to store if you don’t want a shelf full of cartons.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Model | Best For | Format | Protein | Sodium Note | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millie’s Sipping Broth Pho★ Best Overall | Light sipping between meals | Steepable bags | — | Salty carrot flavor | Amazon |
| Country Farms Skinny BrothMost Filling | Feeling full on a 7-day plan | Instant packets | 10g | Low carb, 4g carbs | Amazon |
| Swanson Sipping Beef Bone Broth | Heat-and-sip convenience | Microwavable cups | 10g | Single-serve portions | Amazon |
| Keto Chicken Bone Broth Powder | Portable keto sipping | Stick packs | 8g | Not loaded with salt | Amazon |
| Savory Choice Reduced Sodium Concentrate | Cooking and sipping variety | Concentrate packets | — | Reduced sodium, 3 flavors | Amazon |
Detailed Reviews
1. Millie’s Sipping Broth Vegetable 12 Count 2 Pack
Our pick — 4.5★ from 1,500+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
Drop a bag in hot water and you have a savory cup of broth in minutes.
For prep day, the hardest part is staying interested in what you’re drinking. This one solves that with a steepable bag — you control how strong the cup tastes by how long you leave it in. It’s the crowd favorite on this list, holding the highest score at 4.5 stars while carrying the most feedback of any pick here.
Buyers talk about the flavor more than anything else, and the savory carrot-juice taste is the clear favorite. The steepable bag format (a tea-like bag you steep in hot water) comes in second for what owners mention. One reviewer put it simply: “These broth are an excellent afternoon pick me up. Very tasty and an alternative to tea for sipping. I’m hooked.” Buyers also report the warm cup soothes the stomach on a day of clear liquids only.
The catch is the flavor profile — several reviewers expected pho and got something closer to a salty vegetable sipper. One put it plainly: “Nice salty broth in teabag form, which is convenient. I didn’t really taste any pho flavor.” The other mixed note is value, so it pays to buy the 2-pack rather than singles. Compare the size: at 0.18 ounces this is dramatically lighter to store than a grab-and-go cup like the Swanson at 5.38 pounds.
What works in its favor
- Steepable bag lets you dial cup strength up or down
- Vegan, gluten-free, and kosher, made and packaged in the USA
- Doubles as a warm sipper for tea drinkers who want something savory
- Rated 4.5 out of 5, the top score on this list
- 12-count box, sold as a 2-pack
Where it asks patience
- Reviewers split on value — singles add up
- Tastes like a salty vegetable broth rather than true pho
- No protein listed on the label, so it won’t replace a meal
Bring this home if: you want full control over how strong each cup tastes and you’ll sip several through the day.
Keep looking when: you need a cup that keeps you full — this one lists no protein at all.
2. Country Farms Skinny Broth Instant Chicken Bone Broth
Ten grams of protein per packet, and only water required to make it.
If hunger is the part of prep day that wears you down, this is the pick to reach for. Each packet carries 10 grams of protein with just 4 grams of carbs, which is why it shows up in keto and low-carb plans. Buyers report it works as a light meal replacement — one wrote that it’s “Low carb (4g carbs, 10g protein), suitable for keto.”
The convenience is real: one packet, 8 ounces of hot water, done. Owners mention the 10 grams of protein curb hunger between cups, and it’s rated 4.1 out of 5. Mix it with truly hot water and stir hard — a fork or frother helps it dissolve completely. Too much water is what makes it taste thin, so aim for 7 to 8 ounces rather than filling a big mug.
Here’s the honest part: the taste divides people. Some call it rich and chicken-forward, others find it weak or off. It also carries a distinct smell that not everyone enjoys, and the dissolvability takes a little effort. If you know bone broth isn’t your thing, this is the one to think twice about — otherwise the protein payoff is worth the extra stir.
Best described as: a protein-first packet for the person who wants their clear liquid to actually hold them over until the next cup.
A note on taste: the flavor gets mixed reactions, so it’s a good fit for anyone who already likes chicken bone broth and a risk for anyone who doesn’t.
Suits you best if: staying full matters more to you than a subtle sipping flavor.
Consider another pick if: strong smells put you off — several buyers mention the aroma.
3. Swanson Sipping Bone Broth, Beef Bone Broth, 10.75 OZ Cup
Microwave the cup, sip straight from it, and skip the measuring entirely.
When you’re exhausted and the kitchen feels far away, the least effort wins. This comes as eight 10.75-ounce microwavable cups — heat one and drink it straight from the container, no pot, no spoon, no cleanup. It’s rated 4.4 out of 5, and it’s made by simmering beef stock with real bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices for a roasted flavor.
Owners describe the roasted beef flavor as rich and savory, and the microwavable cup is why it keeps coming up as a go-to. It also does double duty as a soup base — customers note that one cup matches up perfectly with a cup of rice, and another adds onion and garlic powder to make it her morning starter. Each cup lists 10 grams of protein.
One honest note from the label: the protein comes from collagen, which the packaging itself flags as having a 0% digestibility factor and notes is not a significant source of protein. So don’t count on this cup to hold you over the way the Country Farms packet does. Value is the other split point — some find it good for the money, others feel you don’t get enough per cup. Compared with the steepable Millie’s bags, this is a heavier, bulkier pantry item at 5.38 pounds for the pack, so it takes real shelf space.
Why people keep re-buying
- Heat-and-sip cup needs no pot, spoon, or cleanup
- Savory roasted beef flavor from real bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices
- Doubles as a soup or rice base, so nothing goes to waste
- Eight single-serve 10.75-ounce cups per pack
The fine print worth knowing
- Collagen protein carries a 0% digestibility factor per the label
- Value opinions split between good and thin
- Bulky storage at 5.38 pounds for the pack
Made for this: anyone who wants the fastest possible cup with zero prep work.
Not the one for: you, if you’re chasing a broth that actually keeps hunger away.
4. Keto Chicken Bone Broth Powder 10 Stick Packs
Pocket-sized stick packs that turn hot water into a savory cup anywhere.
If prep day has you away from home, this is the format that travels. Each of the 10 stick packs holds 8 grams of collagen-rich protein, and you only need 8 ounces of hot water to make a cup. It’s rated 4.5 out of 5 and made without artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, or flavors.
Buyers praise the chicken flavor most, with how easily the powder dissolves a close second. People describe a rich, savory chicken broth that mixes easily into hot water. One detail that comes up again and again: this keto version skips chicory root (a plant fiber that can add a licorice or fennel edge), unlike other varieties from the same maker. A truck driver put the appeal simply: “Packets are very convenient. Just add 8 ounces of water.”
Two things to weigh. The first is cost — value lands on the negative side in buyer feedback, so this is the pricier way to drink broth cup for cup. The second is size: at 5.3 ounces for the pack, this is far lighter to store than the Swanson cups. Note the dimensions work out to a smaller shelf footprint too — 5.25 by 2.25 by 6 inches versus the Swanson’s 11.25 by 5.47 by 4.79 inches.
Where it earns its keep: portability plus a clean ingredient list make it the easiest pick to toss in a bag and forget about until you need it.
Budget check: the cost per serving is the highest here, so buy it for the convenience and flavor, not as the value pick.
Grab this if: you need a broth that lives in a bag or glovebox and works with nothing but hot water.
Think twice if: you’re drinking cup after cup — the per-serving cost adds up fast.
5. SAVORY CHOICE Reduced Sodium Broth Concentrate 30 Packets
Thirty packets, three flavors, and a reduced-sodium label for the careful sipper.
This is the one to buy if you want options and you care about sodium. You get 10 packets each of beef, chicken, and vegetable concentrate — 30 in total — and every flavor is reduced sodium, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Each 9.6-gram packet dissolves instantly in hot water for a cup, or you can stir it into soup or rice.
Buyers praise the flavor and quality most, and the 30-packet box has earned a 4.5 out of 5. The packets are the same style that show up in meal-kit boxes, and several buyers mention using them to recreate those recipes at home. One described it exactly: “These are the same packets that come in hellofresh meals.”
Be ready to taste as you go. It’s a concentrate (a strong liquid you dilute), so it runs salty unless you adjust — one reviewer noted “Yes, salty, but that happens in a concentrate and you adjust your seasonings.” Sodium reduction is the selling point, but the flavor balance still takes a little dialing in. It’s also the heaviest option here at 10.16 ounces for the box, though the packets themselves are flat and easy to store. Compared with the Country Farms packet at 3.7 ounces, this is a bulkier box built for cooking more than single-cup sipping.
Who this fits: the home cook who wants a reduced-sodium base for soups and a warm cup when prep day rolls around.
One thing to know: the beef flavor divides people — plenty prefer the veggie and chicken and skip the beef entirely.
Pick this when: reduced sodium and three flavors matter more to you than a single-flavor sipper.
Pass if: you only want a plain cup to sip — this one shines most when you’re cooking.
Know the Specs
Protein Per Serving
Protein is what turns a clear liquid from a sip into something that holds you over. Country Farms lists 10 grams per packet, as does each Swanson cup, while the Keto stick packs list 8 grams. The Swanson label adds an honest caveat: its protein comes from collagen, which it flags as having a 0% digestibility factor. So read the number, but also read what kind of protein it is.
Sodium and Reduced-Sodium Labels
Sipping broths lean salty because salt carries the savory flavor. A reduced-sodium concentrate like Savory Choice gives you a lighter base to build on, but it’s still a concentrate — you’ll want to taste as you go. If your prep instructions include a sodium limit, this is the spec to check before you buy.
Format and Prep Time
Format decides how much effort each cup costs you. Microwavable cups are ready in one step. Steepable bags and stick packs need hot water and a short wait. Concentrate packets dissolve instantly but ask you to taste and adjust. On a day when you’re tired, the format with the fewest steps is the one you’ll actually use.
Flavor Variety
Drinking the same flavor all day wears thin. A three-flavor box keeps the rotation interesting, while a single-flavor sipper is simpler to store. If you already know you like chicken, beef, or veggie, buy that single flavor instead of the variety pack.
Common Questions
Is broth considered a clear liquid for colonoscopy prep?
How many cups of broth can I drink on prep day?
Which of these broths tastes the least salty?
Can I drink bone broth instead of eating on a clear liquid diet?
Do these broths need refrigeration after opening?
How long does it take to prepare each broth?
Is Swanson Sipping Bone Broth a good source of protein?
Can I use a cooking concentrate as a sipping broth?
Which broth is easiest to carry if I’m not home during prep?
Do any of these broths fit a keto or low-carb prep plan?
The Bottom Line
For most people facing a clear-liquid day, the broth for colonoscopy prep winner is Millie’s Sipping Broth, because the steepable bag lets you control exactly how strong every cup tastes — which matters when you’re sipping all day. If you’d rather have a fast, no-prep cup, grab the Swanson Sipping Beef Bone Broth. And when you want a reduced-sodium base you can sip or cook with, Savory Choice is the one to reach for. Whichever you choose, buy more than you think you’ll need — a second box on hand beats running out mid-day.
How we choose
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of October 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
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