What Makes Soup Healthy? 3 Reasons Soup Is Good For You

Making soup at home is an excellent way to eat healthfully on a small budget. It’s also a great way to mix together whatever vegetables and ingredients you have on hand and turn them into a filling and satisfying meal.

But not all soups are healthy.

Calorie-dense thickeners can quickly turn a healthy soup into an unhealthy one. Milk, heavy cream, cheese, and butter are some of the most common culprits. These ingredients make the soup richer and more flavorful, but they also add a lot of saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.

Also, store-bought soups are often high in sodium, unhealthy fats, and excess calories. That’s why making your own soup at home is usually better.

Nutritious, Filling, and Hydrating

Soup is a great way to get in your daily recommended intake of vegetables, and all the proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that come with them.

It always depends on what ingredients you use, but soup is generally nutrient-dense. This means it’s packed with a lot of nutrients and vitamins but relatively few calories.

Soup is also very filling and satisfying. The liquid, plus the high fiber and protein content, means it takes up a lot of space in your stomach without adding a lot of calories. It also tends to reduce your hunger, give you the satisfying feeling of fullness, and slow gastric emptying (the rate at which food leaves your stomach).

These effects may help you avoid overea