There
is a health aura around soup. Often, when foods have a health aura, people are
under the impression that there is no such thing as too much. Here are a few points
to keep in mind to help you understand how soup can fit into your eating
habits.
- Canned soups tend to be very high in sodium
- Homemade soups are often high in sodium—especially when powdered soup bases or soup bouillon cubes are used
- Flavoring your soup with herbs and spices and going light on the salt will yield a lower sodium soup
- Potato soup, butternut squash soup, bean/legume soup, and other soups with a starchy vegetable as the base will be higher in carbohydrates and have more calories than a soup made from only non-starchy vegetables
- A soup with beans, chickpeas, or other legumes will often be more filling, as it has a lot of fiber and some protein
- A soup that is only a broth will have close to zero calories, but it will not keep you satiated for long
- Cream soups can be high in calories because of the fat content of the butter and cream in them
- Adding croutons adds calories from carbohydrates and fat
- A soup that contains protein, vegetables, and a carbohydrate can be a full meal
In the
comments section, let me know what questions you have about nutrition for
soups.