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subject: How Healthy is your Soup? [print this page]

It is difficult to eat healthy when there are hundreds of things to do and no time. That is the reason most of us have resigned to eating unhealthy. But there is a food which marries nutrition with convenience. It is healthy, is easy to make and is yummy? So what are we talking about? Ladies and gentleman, give a hand for the good old soups!

Soups were what our moms prepared when we were hungry but it was too early for meals. Be it as an appetizer or a cold remedy, soups are considered as healthy in almost all cultures. Since it is prepared in a broth of chicken or meat or by boiling vegetables, it is healthier than the stirring or frying way of preparation. We get most of the nutrients with half the calories!

Here are some of the health benefits of soups:

Through soups we get the nutrients and vitamins present in vegetables and meat faster without having to digest much. Also nutrients that are usually lost during cooking are retained here.

Kids who are fussy about eating vegetables can get the nutrients in soups without eating them directly.

Those who are ill and elderly who aren't able to chew properly can benefit from drinking a soup.

Soups restore the water balance in our body which keeps your blood pressure in check.

By making a thick soup (you can even add with pasta or noodles) and eating it with salads or breads you can replace your meals with soups!

Soups can be prepared easily by anyone, all you have to do is put some vegetables in water or broth which is the remaining water while cooking meat or chicken can be used and boil and add spices. You can hardly over boil a soup!

You can avoid food wastage by using leftover vegetables and meat to prepare soups! Time and money saving, isn't it?

Soups are low in sodium and saturated fats especially the vegetarian ones are great for those who are dieting.

There are many ingredients in soups like ginger, garlic, onions, spices which are excellent for all kinds of ailments from asthma, cardiovascular diseases to diabetes.

Which soup is healthiest??

There are many soups vying for the healthiest category, here are our finalists!

is your soup healthy?

Cabbage soup- Cabbage is hailed as the weight loss food, low in glycemic index, cabbage has a role to play in controlling insulin, it also has many cancer fighting agents. Thus it is good for diabetics and those looking for weight loss.

Chicken soup- Chicken soups are known to treat colds since long and research shows that chicken soup in fact has anti inflammatory properties which help fight colds. Most of the ingredients in a chicken soup have proprieties which help your body recuperate faster and relieve cold symptoms.

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 anemia, skin disorders and those with bowel disorders.

Mushroom soup- Mushrooms are rich in anti oxidants and are rich in vitamin B complex. Mushrooms soups are good for those with diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease; it even helps those with cancer.

Eh, Soup for your Soul?

Even with so many benefits, there is another side of soups too. Here are some drawbacks of soups:

Loses nutrients: There is a loss of vitamin B and C during the simmering process which makes it less nutritious than salads and fruits by themselves. Also the nutrient density of soups is poor compared to raw vegetables and fruits since they contain large proportion of water.

High in calories: Certain soups which contain creams and milk are higher in calories.

Thickening agents ruin: We have a habit of adding thickening agents like corn flour or maida which prevents the decongestantproperties which helps reliev nasal congestion of soups.

Packaged soups: Aura of Health but Health risks inside!

Knorr Kajol Soup

Packaged soups like Maggi, Knorr have been welcomed in today's homes where convenience beats all other needs. Even though touted as health foods, packaged soups don't deliver all the goodness of fresh soups. Packaged soups lose antioxidants in storage and preparation. The ingredients used, raise questions about their health benefits.

Here are some of the ingredients found on the packetof 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), Flavors, Sugar, Chicken Fat, Yeast Extract, Beverage Whitener [(contains soy & milk), Mineral Salts (340, 451), Emulsifiers (471, 481), Anti-caking Agent (551)], Flavor Enhancer (635), Garlic Powder, Spice, Color (100).

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 colors and flavors.

What really makes packaged soups unhealthy is the content of sodium or salt in them. In many packaged soups, the content of sodium is almost 10 times more than the approved amount, not only that many contain MSG or Mono sodium glutamate (though most soups companies have stopped using it due to public outcry) which is known to cause brain death, stroke, asthma attacks etc.

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By: Niyatijs

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