Soup…Healthy Soup

I’m humming the tune to “Food, Glorious Food”...When you make your own soup from scratch, you are in the driver’s seat. You can avoid choosing ingredients with artificial flavors, preservatives, and all those other unhealthy things that you probably can’t even pronounce.

Here’s a little more about the healthy benefits of soup…
Vegetables and nutrients
The American Heart Association recommends adults consume eight or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. That's 4 ½ cups. Soups can contribute to that total. Almost any vegetable lends itself to use in soup. Fresh or frozen vegetables added to canned soups increase the servings of essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh or freeze-dried herbs and spices add flavor. Beans and lean meats such as fish provide protein. Beans give you fiber, and tomatoes are a source of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.

Low-fat yet filling
Fat-free broths and lean meats in soups reduce fat content. For creamy soups, skim milk, or pureed white beans can be used to thicken soup. Because of the water content of soup, soup fills you up, but with fewer calories.

Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (11.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail 1 cup water
1 large potato, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 fresh diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste

Directions
In a large stock pot, combine broth, tomato juice, water, potatoes, carrots, celery, undrained chopped tomatoes, green beans, and corn. Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.