Souperb!

So, a soupçon of soup can help nourish you and help you lose weight? This idea is not so new but now another recent study gives more credence to it. Here is a brief excerpt. For the entire BBC article go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8068733.stm

“In the battle to lose weight, hunger is the dieter's worst enemy. But research has revealed a simple aid to taming the appetite: soup. It's dieting's best kept secret says one science writer.

Imagine a typical lunchtime meal - say, chicken and vegetables with a glass of water.

If you eat the food and drink the water, you will feel full for a couple of hours before hunger kicks in. But if you blend the food with the water - to make soup - you will stay hunger-free for much longer, and less likely to snack through the afternoon. “

Come September Progresso is bringing out a new line of High Fiber Soups: Chicken Tuscany, Creamy Tomato Basil, Hearty Vegetable and Noodles, and Homestyle Minestrone. Each will give you 7 grams of fiber per serving and each tastes like home-made and are a bit more filling than soups without the added fiber. The taste and texture of this line is very appealing and delicious.

So you will get extra fiber and very tasty soups, which should help anyone who is trying to not only watch what they eat but just eat healthier. Soup on your side. Just remember NOT to also eat a half a loaf of bread or half a box of crackers.

Home-Made Soup in No Time

The weather says it is time to make soup. No way, you say? Haven’t got the time ( or the inclination?) The heart of most soups is the broth—the liquid in which swims and percolates the other ingredients. One way to initiate all this is to start with a flavorful broth, such as Progresso’s 100% Natural Broth in chicken, reduced sodium chicken or beef.

All you have to do is open the box, pour and add whatever else strikes your fancy—those peeled baby carrots dumped in whole or halved, some pasta—pre-cooked a bit so too much starch doesn’t infiltrate the broth—some other chopped vegetables, seasonings and simmer and there it is. The taste of the broth as it comes out of the boxed packaging is good enough on its own so you know the final soup will taste perfect.

Home-made soup in less time than it takes to plan your next meal.

Satisfying Soups

The weather is unpredictable, even squirrelly—every couple of days it seems to go through a mini-seasonal shift. But it still is almost officially winter and one food that seems to be a natural in the colder months is soup. California- based Amy’s offers a winter dense variety called Indian Dal—Curried Lentil. Lentil soup is always fitting during these colder months but this particular one, with organic mung dal (Dal= lentils, beans or peas), green lentils and desi chickpeas is especially satisfying. There are no trans fats, no added MSG, No Preservatives, No GMOs, No Bioengineered ingredients and is gluten free. The taste is just piquant enough to be interesting.

But to get back a little taste of warmer climes, try Amy’s Summer Corn & Vegetable. While a lighter meal than the lentil, it is still hearty enough to offer real nourishment and even comfort. Like the Curried Lentil, the Summer Corn & Vegetable has no ingredients you wouldn’t want. This soup contains organic corn, organic potatoes and other tempting vegetables.

To complete the meal add some nutritious breads and cheese or hummus and a beverage.

From soup..... to broth

Progresso has a line of light but not light-tasting soups that are as satisfying as they are good for you. And as reported earlier, now no MSG. The soups are nutritious and savory with a hearty flavor. Endorsed by Weight Watchers, they have just 60 calories per serving and are endorsed by Weight Watchers. And the pull-top cans are so easy to open.

New flavors such as Light Chicken Vegetable Rotini• Light Reduced Sodium Vegetable• Light Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken & Vegetable join the ranks of Southwestern-Style Vegetable, Light Chicken Noodle, Light Beef Pot Roast, Light Santa Fe Style Chicken, Vegetable and Noodle, and Savory Vegetable Barley to list a few.

And if you prefer to make your own, try their new ready-made broths—chicken, reduced-sodium chicken or beef, in 32 oz re-sealable packages. Just add you own ingredients and while you’re at it, get creative. Sometimes ingredients you might think will never meld or work together can surprise you. Ready-made broth is a respectable short cut to making home-made soup.

Super Special Soups

Isn’t there something so inviting and comforting about a steaming bowl of hearty soup now that the weather is turning cooler? If you plan on making the soup an important part of the meal you might want t choose a hearty and filling variety; just try to be sure it doesn’t seem heartier because it is thickened with an ingredient like corm starch.

Try some Autumnal varieties like Curried Lentil or Organic Pasta, Organic Thai Coconut Soup (doesn’t that sound wonderful?!) , Organic Tuscan Bean and Rice, or Three Bean Soup from Amy’s Kitchen. For lighter sodium there is Organic Butternut Squash, Organic Cream of Tomato, to name just a few. All are hearty and filling because they are filled with heart-felt and honestly healthy ingredients.

Add a few pieces of robust bread and maybe some cheese or hummus, and you have a well-rounded meal that is satisfying and good for you.