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Hearty
soups can help control weight
November 4, 04
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Goodbye backyard tomatoes and summer salads. Time to make
the seasonal transition to other diet-friendly staples.
We talked about oatmeal last week. This week: Soup.
What’s so great about soup? It fits a menu niche for
anyone watching his or her weight. Soup is nutritious, filling
and often low in calories.
The caveat, of course, is that we’re generally talking
about broth-based soups rather than soups made with a cream
base. Cream soups are typically high in saturated fat, although
healthier versions of cream-style soups can be made using
blenderized potatoes, beans or lentils, or soymilk instead
of whole milk or cream.
Other reasons to love soup:
* It makes a perfect entrée. Serve it for dinner at
least once a week. Bean, lentil, and split pea soups are great
choices because they’re rich in fiber and protein. Serve
it with some crusty bread and a tossed green salad.
* Soup is easy to make. You can make it in a slow cooker overnight
or while you’re away at work, or simmer it on the stove
while you do other things. Experiment with ingredients. I
often start with a basic vegetable or bean soup recipe and
toss in odds and ends from the pantry or refrigerator –
a handful of elbow macaroni, small amounts of leftover cooked
vegetables, or unused pasta sauce.
* It travels well. Take it to the office or school for lunch,
but be sure to use a container with a top that seals well,
such as a Thermos. Take broth-type soups in the car in a travel
mug, but be careful about too-hot soups that could burn if
spilled.
One drawback to soup is the high sodium content, especially
in commercial brands. If you make your own soup at home, you
can leave out added salt entirely. If you do that, or if you
buy low-sodium prepared products from the store, consider
these tips I got from Robert Pritikin, son of the late diet
guru Nathan Pritikin, some years back when I interviewed him
for a book I wrote about supermarket shopping:
“I always add a little Thai hot sauce – particularly
if I’m eating a low-sodium soup – or a squeeze
of fresh lemon,” he said. “It brings out the flavor
without adding sodium.”
He also had something to say about my favorite soup in Chinese
restaurants. If you find yourself with a stuffy nose this
winter, this soup is a surefire cure. According to Pritikin:
“Vinegar works well in place of salt in foods. Acids
such as vinegar give you some salt punch. Have you ever tried
hot-and-sour soup at a Chinese restaurant? It’s the
vinegar that gives it its kick.”
He’s not kidding. Try it.
If you haven’t the time or inclination to make soup
from scratch at home, there are some good canned and packaged
products available in stores. My favorites are the just-add-hot-water,
instant single-serving cups made by Fantastic Foods and Nile
Spice. I find the biggest variety in natural foods stores,
where the prices are often more competitive than in mainstream
supermarkets. I take soup cups to work for lunch. Whichever
brand you buy, compare nutrition fact labels for sodium content
and choose those with the least amount.
A final note: An On The Table reader wrote me to complain
that monosodium glutamate (MSG) – a source of sodium
and an ingredient to which some people may be sensitive –
had suddenly begun appearing in Progresso canned soups. Company
representatives were unavailable for comment despite my repeated
calls. My own check of Progressive soup labels – including,
to my surprise, my favorite lentil soup – found this
to be true. It pays to read food labels from time to time,
since ingredients and nutritional content sometimes change.
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