It is warming, delicious and a no-brainer for a great go-to winter meal, but what is it that makes soup just so damn good? There is a raft of answers to that question, but we’ve narrowed it down to our top three reasons why we think everyone should eat more of this humble but brilliant food.
1. IT CAN HELP INCREASE YOUR VEGGIE INTAKE
One of the easiest ways to pump up your veggie intake and get closer to your 2 & 5 is by eating soup! It’s the hot (and often more filling) equivalent of a smoothie, where you tend to get more goodness than you realise and it’s all neatly wrapped up in a bowl.
Depending on the soup you choose, you might find 2 or 3 serves of veggies in one serve of soup, and that doesn’t even take into account the grains, legumes or protein that often make an appearance as well.
It’s important all year round to ensure you’re getting a colourful array of fruit and veg, but winter brings its own challenges of more time spent inside in close quarters with others, and warmer environments with less fresh air aren’t the best for managing the spread of nasties like the common cold or the flu. Eating a variety of veggies will mean that you’re getting a range of different nutrients all of which play a role in keeping your body running well.
2. IT CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE
Yes, really! This point is two-fold.
Firstly, soups came from the desire to make the most of veggies, grains and meat that were available, and they are still brilliant for that reason today. They are a great way to use up remaining vegetables and extra meat, so they get a second lease on life and reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill. Think about things like bone broths that extract goodness that would have otherwise gone in the bin, and how you can then add any leftover veggies, grains and herbs to build big flavour.
Secondly, meal planning helps with buying only the amount of ingredients that you need for the week ahead, so you don’t buy up big on the weekend & throw half of it out by Friday because you didn’t use it – saving you money & saving food from being unnecessarily thrown out.
3. IT’S SOUP-ER CONVENIENT
Packed with veggies and often protein as well, soups are an easy way to pack more goodness into your diet without having to spend an hour cooking every night.
Whether you make a big batch at home and put it in the freezer, or you skip the work & buy a good quality pre-prepared option, soups are an easy option to take to work, or prepare (heat) at home, thanks to how quickly they can be warmed up to piping hot goodness.
The other great thing is that you can heat it in a range of different ways – the microwave is a fave and is fast and convenient for on the go or at work, which heading on the stovetop is a great option when you have a little extra time.
There you have it – a winter warmer & nutritionally brilliant meal option in one, soup should be the go-to option at this time of year for anyone wanting a health boost or comfort food.
Now go find some sourdough and get to toasting & tell us in the comments what your go-to soup is.
