Fall in Love with Soup

Fall is the best, it brings pumpkin patches, camp fires, and flannel pajamas! But for many families fall is a fast paced season. A piping-hot bowl of soup or stew can be a solution for getting delicious, healthy meals on the table. As the leaves change, keep your family well fed and serve or select warm aromas and nourishment by the spoonful.

Serve at Home  

Soups and stews make it possible to preserve family mealtime and maintain a hectic schedule. There are ample recipes available but as a registered dietitian, I am partial to chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, or a hearty stew, for good nutrition. You can cut back on the sodium and fat found in canned varieties when it’s homemade.

Chicken noodle soup may not cure a cold, but research suggests it might be an anti-inflammatory. Enjoy the ultimate comfort soup after a workout to ease muscles and keep you hydrated. Love chowder? Prepare white bean chowder with milk for nine essential nutrients that help create a healthy immune system. Pumpkin patch finds  are perfect for autumn pumpkin soup.

Select at Restaurant

While we tend to make soup at home, don’t forget to order it when you dine out. Local eateries have the advantage of skilled cooks using quality ingredients and tested recipes. In short, their soups and stews tend to be superb!

Filling up on fiber and water rich foods first can help prevent you from overdoing high-calorie fare later. Research suggests that people who start a meal with clear soup eat less than those who did not. Skip the bread or appetizer and order a cup (never a bowl) of soup before dinner.

Redefine your family’s definition of fast food; soup is a quick and delicious one-pot wonder. Whether at home or dinning out, nourish yourself with a bowl of comfort.

Rebecca A. Turner, MS, RD, LD 

Survive the Holidays with Soup

Winter brings feast, festivities and families indoors. But when the holidays arrive, a packed schedule follows.  A piping-hot bowl of soup or stew can be a solution for getting delicious, healthy meals on the table. Soup is considered one of the first fast foods and can be quick and easy or sophisticated and elegant. In the midst of the holiday rush, keep your family well fed and serve or select warm aromas and nourishment by the spoonful.

Serve at Home  

Providing quick and healthy meals is the ultimate challenge. One pot dinners make it possible to preserve family mealtime and maintain a hectic schedule. As a registered dietitian, I am partial to vegetable soup or a hearty stew, for good nutrition. You can cut back on the sodium and fat found in canned varieties when it’s homemade.

Need a recipe? Try Slow Cooker Creamy Vegetable Barley Soup. Beans are  a great source of fiber and protein and low-fat milk supplies this soup with nine essential vitamins and minerals.

Select at Restaurant

While we tend to make soup at home, don’t forget to order it when dining out. Local eateries have the advantage of skilled cooks and quality ingredients. In short, their recipes tend to be superb!

Forget a biggie sized lunch. Order a tasty soup combo instead to stay full and satisfied till dinner. Invited to a holiday dinner? Research suggests that people who start a meal with soup eat less than those who do not. Skip the bread or appetizer and order a cup of soup before dinner.

While the definition of fast food has changed over the centuries, soup is still a quick and delicious one-pot wonder. Whether at home or dinning out, nourish yourself and family with a bowl of comfort.

Rebecca A. Turner, MS, RD, LD

Soup for the Soul

When it’s cold outside nothing warms the body and soul like a bowl of hot and nourishing soup.

Soup combinations are endless! With so many varieties there is a soup recipe for everyone.

Soup reminds us of our grandmother, love, safety, comfort, warmth and health.  Even in hospitals when patients are recovering from surgery, their first food is clear liquid soup. Soup is the original comfort food and a great way to get a good supply of nutrients.  Originally, soup was called gruel. It was made by grinding roasted cereal into a paste which was later added to water and made into a soup.  According to history: “The word ‘soup’ probably derives from the bread over which gruel was poured, called a ‘sop’ or ‘sup.’ We can trace soup (sop) back to ancient times. Before the word [soup] came along, the concoction was called broth or pottage.”  In the 19^th century dehydrated and canned soups were invented but real homemade soups are simple to make and can include anything and everything you can throw into a pot. Soups can be tailored for any occasion or even to please the pickiest of eaters.

Here are a few healthy, nutrient-rich soup recipes that I personally enjoy. Stay warm and enjoy!

• Cheesy Broccoli Soup
• Creamy Pea Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup
• Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
• Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Spicy Hot Potato Soup
• Slow-Cooker Creamy Vegetable Barley Soup
• Spicy-Tomato-Soup

Arlene Murrell, MS, RD, LD, CLE