Why having soup is a healthy idea!

Soup is a quick, hot meal that offers plenty of health benefits. It is not too time-consuming to make nor does it require an expertise in culinary skills. All you have to do is add vegetables in a pressure cooker and enjoy a hot, delicious soup in minutes. Although soups are healthy, the ones which have too much cream, butter or preservatives should be avoided.

Healthiest form of soup

Dietician Neha Chandna says that the healthiest soups are clear soups with lots of veggies, chicken, fish or eggs. They add to the fibre and protein content which makes them very filling and satisfying.

You can add your favourite vegetables to make the soup more appealing to your palate as most vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients. A healthy vegetable soup contains root vegetables such as carrots, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans and spinach.

Nutrient content in soups

Vitamins: Due to the variety of vegetables added in soup, it can provide a significant amount of vitamins. But the overall nutrient content of the soup depends on the amount of vegetables you add. The most common vitamins in vegetables include vitamin E, vitamin B6 and vitamin A. Veggies like carrots, broccoli, asparagus and spinach are rich sources of these vitamins.

Antioxidants: The best way to get a healthy range of antioxidants is to eat vegetables of all colours. Each colour contains different antioxidants. They help to protect the body from free radicals that damage the body tissues. Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cancer. So have more tomato soup.

Lean protein: Soups when made with lean meat are low in fat, making them a good choice for anyone who is concerned about fat in his diet. Soups made with beans and lean meat like fish provide lean protein. Chicken, fish, eggs and quinoa all add to the protein content.

Fibre: Dietary fibre adds bulk to your food without contributing to the calorie content of your meal. It helps eliminate bad cholesterol from your body. Carrots, cabbage and beans are good sources of fibre.

Health benefits

• Because soup contains so much water, it fills you up with fewer calories. Clear soups are filling so you consume less food which helps in weight loss.
• Vegetable soup in particular is good because it helps restore the necessary water balance which in turn helps to keep the blood sugar under control.
• Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties which can help lessen the symptoms of cold.
• The high potassium content in soups keeps the blood pressure level under check.

According to dietician Neha Chandna you can have soups 2-3 times a day just make sure they are made in a healthy manner.

Image source: Getty Images

You may also read:

• Healthy soup recipe Mixed vegetable soup
• 5 healthy soup recipes to beat the winter chills
• Tomato soup recipe slurp its healthy goodness!

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