Is Soup Good for You?
It often packs ingredients that can help your health
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You’ve probably heard for years that chicken soup helps you feel better when you have a cold. Making the right soup a regular part of your diet is a great way to get some of the nutrients you may be short on, says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, nutrition professor at Boston University. And the soup doesn’t have to be homemade: You can find plenty of store-bought ones with veggies, beans, or whole grains, which provide important nutrients like heart-healthy potassium and fiber. (Just be mindful of sodium: Most adults should have less than 2,300 mg per day.) Here’s how to pick the best soups for what ails you, along with examples of ones to try.
All soups can help you feel full. When people have soup before a meal, they eat about 20 percent fewer calories, according to research from Penn State. And choosing one that’s high in protein, like the pea soup here, will make you feel fuller, too. Steer clear of high-calorie cream-based soups, though, if weight loss is your goal.
- Calories: 120
- Fiber: 5 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Protein: 7 g
Only 5 percent of men and 9 percent of women get the recommended daily amount of fiber. For many, this can lead to constipation. If your diet runs low on fiber, try a bean-based soup. “A nice mug of bean soup might get things moving,” says Salge Blake.
- Calories: 140
- Fiber: 10 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Protein: 8 g
Chicken soup may temporarily help reduce stuffiness, control inflammation, and hydrate you when you have a cold, according to a lab study published in the journal Chest. Says Salge Blake: “It’s like a warm blanket in a bowl.”
- Calories: 90
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sodium: 470 mg
- Protein: 6 g
Produce is the body’s best source of vitamins A and C—germ fighters that bolster immunity. Choose a soup with a variety of veggies and you’ll get more immune-boosting nutrients in one bowlful. Trader Joe’s Garden Vegetable includes carrots, celery, sweet potato, swiss chard, and bell pepper. (Because sodium in this soup is high, eat lower-sodium foods the rest of the day.)
- Calories: 100
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sodium: 790 mg
- Protein: 2 g
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the November 2022 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Great Tools for Homemade Soup
Making your own soup takes more time than opening a can, but it gives you more control over the ingredients. Try our step-by-step advice for creating your own soup recipe and try a blender like one of these to make the process easier. (CR Digital and All Access members can access our complete blender ratings.)
