There's nothing like a hearty bowl of delicious soup to help warm you up on a cold winter day. Thanks to nutrient packed ingredients, fiber and volumes of H20 -- soup can also help to fill you up for hours, curb your hunger and help you to drop pounds!
Some of the healthiest winter varieties include hearty vegetable, pumpkin, squash, black bean, three bean, mushroom barley, lentil, chicken noodle with vegetables, vegetarian and turkey chili. If you are buying canned or packaged brands, look for "low sodium" varieties - and steer clear of artery clogging ingredients such as cream, whole milk and high fat meats.
Super Soup Ingredients:
* Barley - high in complex carbohydrates and loaded with soluble fiber (soluble fiber has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol).
* Beans - provide complex carbohydrates and protein. Most beans varieties (black, pinto, kidney, white, navy and garbanzo) are also high in fiber, magnesium, and provide some calcium, iron, folate, and potassium.
* Chicken and Turkey - two of the leanest sources of protein and iron
* Pumpkin and winter squash - excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin C and antioxidants that help fight inflammation.
* Tomato based broth - rich source of vitamin C and lycopene (lycopene is an antioxidant which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer)
* Various Vegetables - provide a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
