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Lose weight, rejuvenate and 5 more reasons to eat soup every day
Our mothers and grandmothers believed that eating “thin” for lunch is simply necessary for health. Today’s nutritionists disagree with them. And who is right?
It even goes so far that soup is called the most unhealthy food of all. On the other hand, chicken broth is a recognized remedy for helping to recover from colds, SARS and other health problems. We’ve collected all the pros and cons of soups in our diet and here are seven reasons to eat more soup.
1. It keeps you warm
Our harsh winters just call for hot food. What could be hotter than soup? Only tea, but you can’t eat it. The soup warms up very quickly, especially if you add pepper, ginger, even cinnamon and cloves to it. If you pour the soup into a mug, it will warm you not only from the inside, but also from the outside – the palms are usually the first to freeze.
2. It helps you lose weight
And all thanks to the fact that it satiates well. Several independent studies have shown that those who eat soup regularly have a healthier BMI. This is because soup for the first is a guarantee that you will eat less for the second. And you will not feel hunger at the same time. True, there is a nuance here: it should not be a cream or cheese-based soup. They contain so many calories that you definitely won’t be able to lose weight.
3. It is an excellent source of vitamins
Nutritionists advise eating at least five fruits or vegetables a day. But which of us observes this rule? And thanks to the soup, you can easily eat your portion of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, which are so rich in vegetables. After all, you can throw anything into the broth: from frozen broccoli and peas to peppers, celery and cabbage. This soup will cook very quickly, perfectly saturate, provide nutrients – and help you lose weight.
4. Soup inhibits the aging process
In winter, it becomes difficult to drink the amount of water the body needs. Hot tea – yes, please. Cold water? No, it doesn’t inspire. But in winter, the body still loses moisture. This is also why we age faster in winter. Soup is certainly not a panacea in this regard. It is not a substitute for drinking water. But as an additional source of fluid – the option is just excellent.
5. Soup is easy and quick to prepare
Any recipe can be optimized to make it easier and faster. In fact, it does not require any effort at all: peel the vegetables if you decide to add fresh carrots and onions, for example, chop them, throw them into the broth, which has already been cooked by that time, and wait until everything is ready. And if you have a multicooker, then you don’t have to keep an eye on the pan.
6. Soup is budget friendly
One pot is enough for the whole family for two or three days. And the costs – nothing at all. Soup sets, which are quite inexpensive, are quite suitable for broth. Seasonal vegetables are also not champions in terms of price. Moreover, many grow potatoes and carrots themselves. You can put anything in soup, from canned beans to cereals, and it won’t make it any worse. After all, this is our Russian analogue of Italian pizza. That in one case, that in another, everything goes into business, and the result is a delicious dish.
7. Soup improves well-being
It’s not just the wonderful properties of chicken broth. Soup is more than food, it is an act. It has the ability to warm and soothe both body and soul. And as a bonus, it invigorates the immune system, relieves inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and helps to cope with various infections.
There are nuances
Soup can actually be harmful. But for this you need to try, get confused and cook, for example, a hodgepodge – it was recognized as the most harmful soup of Russian cuisine. Excess fat, cholesterol, salt – all this does not have the best effect on digestion and the health of the cardiovascular system.
Nutritionists advise giving up fatty meat broths. Especially for those with high cholesterol levels. Mushroom soup is also a dish with which you need to be careful.
“It contains a lot of extractives that stimulate the digestive tract,” says gastroenterologist Vladimir Pilipenko. “And if it is in an inflamed state, overstimulation increases the damage caused by the intestinal infection.”
But vegetable soup – please, as much as you like. Experts at the Clinic for Nutritional Medicine at the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology say this food is the healthiest food.
“Vegetable soups are the basis of nutrition in all clinics,” says dietitian Elena Livantsova. It is more than half liquid. The energy value of the soup is relatively low, and the saturation is faster. “
If you give up soups, there will definitely be no harm to the body. Moreover, with gastritis and ulcers, soups are completely excluded from the diet, because they stimulate gastric secretion.
But if there are no stomach problems, and without the first one for you, and lunch is not lunch, then why deny yourself. Soups are no different from other ready-made meals, which can also be harmful to the body. It’s all about the preparation. If fat is floating in the broth, such a soup will not be useful. Therefore, do not fry. Choose lean meats. If you are making chicken soup, skin the poultry. Cook soups with secondary broth – it is less fatty.
As for mashed soups, they are often even more fatty and high-calorie than regular soups. After all, cream is usually added to them. In addition, due to the homogeneous structure of such soups, the stomach does not even need to strain to digest them. But during this process, calories are also wasted. In addition, we eat soft food faster, without even chewing, so we can eat more of it.