Are soups necessary in a healthy diet?

Author: Valeria Meleshina - personal trainer and nutritionist.
2017-04-18

How often do you ask about soup in proper nutrition (PP)? "What about chicken broth?" / "I can't live without soup!" / "Soup is good for the stomach!" and other endless questions you have.

What is soup? Soup is vegetables cooked in water or meat broth. Let’s pause to talk specifically about meat broth.

Meat is a source of protein and fats. Saturated fats, which are needed in small amounts by humans. Even if you make broth from lean cuts of meat, you will still get a broth with fat. Meat inherently contains fat.

When boiling, both fat and substances that the animal was "fed" during its life or after it was slaughtered enter the broth. Can you guarantee to yourself (not to me, but to yourself and your family) that the animal ate grass and did not consume dry feed, and that after slaughter, the meat was not injected with anything to increase moisture content, for example? I cannot. I cannot guarantee that to myself. That’s why I don’t cook soups for my children on the first broth, but I do on the second.

When boiling in water, the meat releases fat (the very fat we don't eat, by the way) and all its "best" nutrients. Therefore, as soon as the water boils for the first time, boil it for 5 minutes and then drain. Pour in new cold water and only then cook the broth.

I cook soup on such broth. But I personally eat it very rarely.

Besides the fact that I see nothing healthy in the broth from the soup, I don't eat it because I don't understand why I should eat a bowl of soup and not feel full. You can fill yourself with protein or fill your stomach with fiber. Neither of these is practically present in soup.

Yes, undoubtedly, you do get stomach filling from hot liquid food. By the way, broth stays in the stomach longer than water. This gives you a feeling of fullness. But essentially, this is a deception. You filled your stomach with broth (which is essentially water that carries almost no nutrients or calories).

Also, you cannot calculate the protein, fats, and carbohydrates (BJU) in a bowl of soup. You can calculate an entire pot, yes. But not a bowl. You cannot accurately determine the amount of meat/fish/chicken, carrots, potatoes/rice/pasta, and other vegetables that you put in the bowl. You can estimate the quantity, but you will not achieve precision. Imagine how many bowls of soup you'd need to consume to get 20 grams of protein? It would be at least 5 bowls, if not more.

The second question is about satiety. By eating a second course along with a salad, we get full and can walk around comfortably for 2-3 hours without hunger. But after consuming just a bowl of soup without anything else, will you feel full for long? This is why we have become accustomed to eating a couple of pieces of bread with a bowl of soup. And then having a second course. Because that is how we feel satiated.

Do you know the history of the soup's origin?

In medieval times, the issue of food was pressing. Thus, people had to come up with ways to feed themselves and their families affordably. That's how they discovered boiling bones in water and adding vegetables. This allowed them to serve a large volume (a sizable bowl) and not have to provide everyone with meat (meat was too expensive, while bones were cheap). So consider the history of this food product as an example of food economy.

And regarding the benefits for the stomach. Soups are classified as food that significantly stimulates stomach function. If we talk about dietary nutrition in the medical sense of the word "diet," then soups are excluded from the regimen. For people with gastrointestinal issues, lean meats and fish, cereals, occasionally dairy products, boiled vegetables, and baked fruits are introduced into the diet, along with omelets. They exclude or minimize:

• dishes containing extractives (meat, fish, and mushroom broths; strong infusions from vegetables);
• spices (mustard, cinnamon, horseradish, etc.);
• fried dishes;
• canned foods;
• tomato sauces;
• meats and fish stewed in their own juice;
• salted and smoked meat and fish products;
• pickled and fermented vegetables and fruits;
• hard-boiled eggs, especially yolks;
• rye bread and pastries;
• stale or overheated fats;
• fermented dairy products with high acidity, fat-free milk, and whey;
• strong tea, coffee;
• alcoholic beverages;
• carbonated drinks;
• acidic and under-ripe fruits and berries, raw vegetables.

All these products stimulate our gastrointestinal tract, and during stomach illness, we strive to avoid burdening the stomach.

I hope now you understand that the question "Can you have soups in proper nutrition?" is not entirely clear or correct. I cannot think for you. My task is to inform you, and you will draw your own conclusions. So, should soups be on your table?