We live in an age of convenience and its difficult to eat healthy when there are hundreds of things to do and no time. That is the reason most homes eat unhealthy instant and packaged food. But there is a food which marries nutrition with convenience. It is super healthy, is easy to make and yummy?
Presenting the humble soup.
A bowl of soup is what our moms gave us when we weren’t feeling well. Soups don’t just feed us, they are comforting and give us a warm, homely feeling especially during the winter. Be it as an appetiser or a cold remedy or a filling whole meal, soups are considered as healthy in almost all cultures. Since it is prepared in by boiling vegetables, it is healthier than stir-fries or regular cooking.
Some benefits:
- As we eat soup, our basal metabolism goes up by 10-20%.This is due to an effect known as thermogenesis. If you eat something hot, the body compensates for this sudden increase in heat by taking the (warmed-up) blood to the skin to disperse it.
- As it is in a liquid form, it is easier for the body to process the various nutrients present in vegetables faster without giving much digestive load to the body.
- Children and the elderly can get the nutrients in soups without eating them directly.
- Soups help restore the water balance in our body which keeps your blood pressure in check.
- Being rich in water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin B, C, K as well as dietary fibre and a range of minerals, soups helps to regulate the digestive tract and ensure that we get the number of key nutrients we need every day.
- The healthiest soups include fresh veggies and a minimum of salt and extra fat making them nutritious and hydrating.We take in plenty of liquids when we eat soup, while at the same time getting the nutrients from a variety of vegetables, spices and herbs. Soup has the benefit of juices as we become hydrated and blend the nutrients, while still keeping the fiber in the foods.
- Ingredients such as ginger, garlic, turmeric,thyme,rosemary,holy basil, spices not only taste good in soup but are excellent for all kinds of ailments from normal cold,asthma, cardiovascular diseases to diabetes.
- You can use up leftovers and create new variations of favorite recipes, since soup lends itself to experimentation.
A simple meal addition or replacer, it is important to note that homemade soups are your best option. This way you can control the type and amounts of ingredients that you use to make your soup.
Say NO to Packaged Soup Pre-mixes
Packaged soups do not carry half as many health benefits of natural soup simply because nutrition cannot be stored for such a long time. Besides, all the preservatives used to improve the shelf life of these perishable goods destroys the antioxidant qualities of the vegetables. The vegetable content of any packaged soup is almost negligible beside containing depleted nutrients.
Pre-made soups and packet soup mixes also tend to be exceptionally high in sodium (salt) with the average packet soup containing a massive 800-1200mg of sodium or a third to half of your total daily sodium limit.
Here are some of the ingredients found on the packet of Sweet corn with chicken flavored soup mix:
Potato Starch, Wheat Flour, Corn (8%), Skim Milk Powder, Chicken (5%)[Chicken, Antioxidant (319), Food Acid (330)], Salt, Maltodextrin (from Corn), Food Acid (332), Flavours, Sugar, Chicken Fat, Yeast Extract, Beverage Whitener [(contains soy & milk), Mineral Salts (340, 451), Emulsifiers (471, 481), Anti-caking Agent (551)], Flavour Enhancer (635), Garlic Powder, Spice, Colour (100).
So not only does this Sweet corn and chicken soup contain only 5% of chicken and 8% of Corn, it contains plenty of thickening agents like potato starch, wheat flour, milk powder and artificial colours and flavours.
Same is true for above soup base. Not only it has chemicals but also vegetable extracts and not real vegetables.
The artificial components of packaged soups may cause hormonal issues and even cancer.
What are the best types of soups
A soup can be a filling afternoon snack or an entire lunch or a light evening meal.
Soups with rice, noodles, legumes and pasta do add considerable carbohydrates and protein to your soup and can be had as light evening meal.
On the other hand, broth-style, vegetable-based soups have can be consumed relatively freely as healthy snacks.
Almost any vegetable lends itself to use in soup, from pumpkin or tomato to bottle gourd or spinach soup. Soups made with beans, pulses and lean meats such as fish provide lean protein. Beans and pulses also give you fiber.
Some good-to-eat soups
Cabbage soup: Cabbage is hailed as the weight loss food with a low glycemic index and cancer fighting agents.
Chicken soup: Known to treat colds, most of the ingredients in a chicken soup have properties which help your body recuperate faster.
Tomato soup: The most popular choice for soups, tomato contains lycopene which has cancer fighting properties. Tomato is also known as a blood purifier.
Spinach Soup: Spinach contains iron, magnesium, folate, vitamin A, C and Vitamin K. Spinach soup is great for those who are suffering from anaemia, skin disorders and those with bowel disorders.
Mushroom soup: Mushrooms are rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin B complex. Great for diabetics and heart and cancer patients.
Pumpkin soup: Whip up this silky texture pumpkin and garlic soup full of fibre, potassium, and vitamin C to warm up over winter and keep away colds and flu bugs at bay.
Broccoli Soup: Broccoli is one of the top 10 foods that pack a wallop for health. Besides vitamin C, broccoli also contains vitamins E and B6, as well as the cancer-fighting agent known as sulphoraphane. It is also one of the best sources of calcium, rich in anti-oxidants and contains glutathione, which is known to enhance the immune system.Prepare the soup with some potato to beat the sharp broccoli flavour.
Some healthy tips :
- Don’t add thickening agents to your soups, they will reduce the benefits of your soup. Instead blend them well and avoid straining for that desired thickness. Also avoid adding cream and milk as it makes soup difficult to digest and also adds calories.
- Add herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, black pepper, lemon grass, coriander to your soup which will increase the flavour and give you plenty of benefits.
- You can treat soup as your meals if you add more vegetables and ingredients like tofu, lentils , millets like ragi,barley etc.
- Try combining different veggies together to prepare your soup. The more the merrier! Will not only enhance flavour and taste but also the nutrition.
Long dreamt plans of losing extra fat. Winters seem stubborn? Well folks, Soups are your catch.Include soup in your daily menu this winter.Eat your way through a slimmed body. Or should we call it a healthy slim body? Yes, that sounds more liking. We hope you had a better insight of how soups are beneficial in winters. Having Slimming, Happy Staying Healthy, HAPPY EATING!
We would love it, if you share some of your favourite soup recipes here.
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Uma Narula is an award winning practising Nutritionist since 10 years.If you have any queries you can email on uma@nutriguide.co.in or call on +91 99676 35556/+32 468 29 79 49.