There may be nothing more satisfying in this world than a bowl of hot soup. Especially on a cold winter day, there really is no better way to keep warm. Whether it’s a thick, creamy bisque or a broth-based chicken noodle, soup can always provide cozy comfort for winter blues. But what happens if this becomes your favorite meal often and you end up choosing to eat soup every day?
So for all soup lovers out there, we wanted to find out how healthy, or not, this hot food can be. We talked to some nutritionists to clarify what happens when you eat soup regularly and find yourself choosing to have soup every day. And if you really want to step up your healthy cooking game, here are the 100 easiest recipes you can make.
If you’ve ever been curious as to why people usually eat soup or salad before the main meal, you’re not alone. Depending on the type of soup you are eating, having a bowl or cup before the main course can help you feel more satisfied.
According to Laura Burak MS, RD, CDN, foods with a higher water content can fill you up faster. “Starting a meal with a soup or salad, either with a high volume of water or with low-calorie foods, will fill you up and avoid overeating at meals,” she says.
This may mean that if you like a good side of soup with dinner, you may end up consuming fewer calories, although you still feel totally satisfied.
With that said, it is important to note that sometimes eating certain types of soup as a main dish can really make you hungry later. This is all about what ingredients you choose and how many nutrients you are consuming in your meal.
Lauren Hoover, RD believes that eating soup with a variety of balanced nutrients is the key to feeling full and satisfied.
“Some soups are not very satisfying if a major macronutrient is missing (eg protein, complex carbohydrates, etc.),” she says. “Then, [as a] As a result, eating soup can lead to a lack of fuel and excessive snacks later. “
Burak also suggests packing your soups with nutrient-rich foods to avoid feeling hungry and overeating.
“Opt for low-sodium broth-based soups that contain nutritious ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, spices and grains rich in fiber, beans, peas and lentils,” says Burak.
The good news is that if you are intentional about what to put in the soup, you can guarantee that you are getting tons of nutrients with fewer calories than most other meals. Studies have shown that soup is actually a contributing factor to losing weight, maintaining weight goals and reducing the risk of obesity.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND award winning nutrition expert, and Wall Street Journal author of the best-selling cookbook, believes that soup has the potential to be a great source of nutrition.
“If it’s a soup based on broth with lots of vegetables and beans, it’s a fabulous way to eat fiber, antioxidant vitamins A and C and get potassium,” she says.
Burak agrees.
“Broth-based soups are a great option for your nutritional investment,” she says. When we skip the creamy soups and opt for a broth that contains foods like vegetables, beans or lentils, “we fill our tank with tons of nutrients and fiber, but without a lot of calories”.
And Hoover adds that even the way we prepare soup can help us get our nutrients with fewer calories throughout the week.
“Soups are easy to prepare, especially if you use a slow cooker or pressure cooker, and can be made in large batches,” says Hoover. “Preparing a large, nutrient-rich soup on the weekends is a great way to ensure that you have a healthy, nutrient-rich lunch during the week.”
Want more? Check out the easy way to prepare healthier foods for comfort.
There’s nothing like a bowl of broccoli cheddar cheese soup or a creamy clam chowder. Unfortunately, this type of soup can be very good when it comes to calories and saturated fat. All of our nutritionists agree that when choosing your soup, it’s important to know that any cream-based soup will have a lot more fat.
Burak suggests consuming broth-based soups instead of cream, if you want to reduce fat consumption.
“Soups made with sour cream instead of broth can be calorie bombs and tend to contain a lot of saturated fat (not the heart-healthy type),” she says.
Amidor agrees that butter and other high-fat ingredients in cream-based soups can lead to an increase in consumption of saturated fat. It also reminds us that this increase in consumption of saturated fat “has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease – especially if you eat often.” Therefore, you will want to make sure that you are not choosing to eat soup every day that happens to be based on cream!
Along with a high saturated fat content, the soup can also come with an overload of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends that an average person consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but an ordinary can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup already has 890 milligrams of sodium per serving.
“While soups can be a healthy choice, they tend to contain high levels of sodium, especially when you buy them at a restaurant instead of making them yourself,” explains Burak. To combat these higher levels, she suggests “making homemade batches of soups that are easy to control sodium”. And if you’re in the mood to eat soup made at a restaurant for the night, “just drizzle with plenty of water, especially if you’re sensitive to salt,” says Burak.
Whether you’re craving the creaminess of a bisque or soup, or looking for chicken noodles based on broth, our nutritionists agree that making soup at home instead of ordering from a restaurant or going for the canned version is always the best option for Your health.
Hoover suggests choosing “a lean protein source, a complex carbohydrate, vegetables and a stock base” for a perfect homemade healthy soup. And Amidor adds that, if you want a creamier soup base, try using some “starchy vegetables, like Yukon Gold potatoes or pumpkin”. When looking for the perfect, healthy homemade soup, “don’t forget to decorate the soup with a few tablespoons of chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, sauce or Greek yogurt,” says Amidor.