Whether it’s to eat better or to warm up, soup (and especially “homemade” soup) is popular in our kitchens in winter. But instead of preparing them regularly, Carolyn Malcoun, editorial director of the site EatingWelladmits to a very personal habit: she cooks a generous pot of soup every Sunday, to enhance her meals during the week. And if there is any left, she freezes portions. Healthy or boring habit? We asked Julie Boët, dietitian nutritionist, the question.
Soup in winter, lots of benefits!
For Julie Boët, at first glance, regularly putting soup on your menu ticks many boxes nutritionally, as long as it is well thought out. “Prepared from fresh or frozen vegetables, it is an excellent gateway to a diet richer in plants, which is often insufficient on a daily basis. she says.
So that’s a good point.
Digestively, the soup is generally well tolerated. “Cooked vegetables are easier to digest than raw vegetables, especially for people with bloating, sensitive gut or slow digestion.” she continues. The heat of the dish also provides a comforting, almost soothing effect, particularly appreciated in winter.
Blending vegetables reduces the mechanical work of digestion. “This can be beneficial in cases of fatigue, convalescence, reduced appetite or after periods of heavy meals, such as the end-of-year holidays!” agrees the expert. The soup also provides water, contributing to better hydration, often neglected in winter.
Finally, nutritionally, a well-composed homemade soup provides vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, without the additives or excess salt frequently found in industrial versions. “By varying vegetables, herbs and spices, you naturally enrich your nutritional profile while avoiding monotony.” Soup for the week would be a good idea.
Why soup is not enough every day, or every evening
However, Julie Boët qualifies: soup, every evening for example, is not a habit to get into. “No matter how healthy soup is, it cannot always be a complete meal on its own.” A mistake that the nutritionist observes very frequently in consultation: many people settle for a bowl of soup in the evening, thinking they are “light” or “balanced”. This is false.
“A soup composed only of vegetables generally lacks protein, which is essential for satiety, the maintenance of muscle mass and the proper functioning of the body. It can also be low in starchy foods, especially if it does not contain potatoes, legumes or grains.”
“Drinking” a meal can also disrupt satiety signals, because chewing plays an important role in the perception of hunger and satiation. Behaviorally, soup as the only food to control weight can promote frustration, cravings and, ultimately, nutritional imbalances.
The weekly soup, yes, but in addition to a meal
Conversely, when integrated intelligently into varied meals, soup becomes a real health ally. It then becomes very simple to complete your contributions.
- Protein can be provided by eggs (fried, soft-boiled or hard-boiled), ham, cheese, natural yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, chickpeas, lentils or even leftover meat or fish;
- If the soup is low in starchy foods, you can add bread, croutons, toast, rice, pasta, barley or vermicelli, directly to the plate or as an accompaniment;
- A drizzle of quality vegetable oil, such as olive or rapeseed oil, finally provides essential fatty acids.
Conclusion: the good idea is one pan per week
Homemade soup is neither a miracle cure nor a universal meal. But prepared in large quantities once a week, it can indeed become a wonderful everyday tool: practical, economical, anti-waste. “Having a pot of soup ready makes it easy to add a portion of vegetables to your meals, to warm up after a cold day and to save time without sacrificing nutritional quality. The main thing is not to consume it alone systematically, but to integrate it into a balanced diet” concludes Julie Boët.