We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible.
With much of the country still deep in the bowl of soup season, you probably have had your own pot of comfort simmering on the stove this past week. More than 36 million Americans used 8 or more cans of soup in , according to Statista. Canned soup is super convenient, but it's also one of the most highly processed packaged foods you can eat.
Even though your canned soup may be loaded with carrots, celery, and lentils, many are also heavy with sodium, saturated fat and other stuff that's clearly not as healthy as a brothy, beany soup made at home. Here are some of the potential dangerous side effects of eating a lot of canned soup. While not dangerous, per se, bloating can be pretty uncomfortable, and it's a common side effect of eating salty foods. Canned soups, as a category, are some of the saltiest foods , with the average serving of canned soup can containing around to milligrams of sodium.
And that's only for half a can! While it's not clear just how sodium causes bloating, researchers believe that sodium's ability to cause water retention is the likely culprit. Anyone who has retained water after eating a salty meal knows that it can show up as extra pounds on the bathroom weight scale.
Aim to keep your sodium intake below 2, milligrams per day. Reduce that to no more than 1, milligrams per day if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, if you're African American or if you're 51 or older, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many canned soups are very high in sodium. Opt for reduced-sodium varieties to keep your salt intake under control. Many popular brands offer canned soups that have fewer than milligrams of sodium per serving.
Energy density refers to how many calories are in a gram of food. Foods with a high water content have a lower energy density, while fattier foods have a higher energy density. You can consume more of foods with a lower energy density than foods with a high energy density for the same amount of calories. Broth-based canned soups have a lower energy density than cream soups, because they have more water and less fat. Consuming a small portion of broth-based soup before a meal can help you lower you calorie intake and keep you feeling full.
A study conducted by researchers at Penn State University found that participants ate 20 percent less calories at a meal when they had a serving of low-calorie soup as a first course. Stop using packed or canned products and try to eat organic stuff. Live Long, Healthy and happy. Hi Gina, I was wondering how current your information is? I called the phone number on my Wolfgang Puck organic soup can after I read your article.
I certainly agree with your research that fresh is always best and I purchase very few canned products. Hi Traci, first I went back and rechecked the soups in my market — no so such labeling. I rechecked the website — no such info. I will be back with answer as soon as I get one, wand will update the article if indeed I get confirmation. Thank you. Traci I have updated the article. Wolfgang Puck does not make BPA free cans at this time but is looking into it for the sake of consumers.
Please read their quote from my update in the article. Thanks for the suggestion, Susan. I often wonder how mass-marketing convinced post-war homemakers to switch to canned anything. Freeze-dried food comes already washed, peeled, and chopped and ready to throw into the pot just like canned but retains all the enzymes and nutrients of the fresh picked not two weeks shipped product, along with the taste and texture of fresh nothing like canned.
Check out the benefits of freeze-dried over canned or frozen and start making your own soup in no more time than it takes to open a can. Go ahead, give it a try. Is that similar to flash freezing? Personally, the easiest way to make soup is to bake a whole chicken and just pull out the liquid for the next time. Then just roast your veggies in it and throw in rice, pasta, whatever. I often wonder who eats the crappy tasting soup found on grocery shelves, I only eat Chicken noodle soup, and only when I am sick.
It was a staple in pretty much everything I learned to cook as a young wife. I appreciate you getting the word out with such an informative piece! I may give your healthy options a try, but right now I do prefer to just make it myself. Suzanne, homemade is best! I did the same in my youth. Thanks for the compliment. Oh Dakota — this site is not ridiculous! Our food manufacturers and the FDA are the ridiculous ones! You can choose to not read the info being presented and just go on about your day.
Ignorance is bliss. I tend to buy the soups at Costco — in the plastic containers. I am glad to learn that the Wolfgang Puck is truly no better as I was trying to choose healthy but fast when our family was hit with a cold a couple weeks ago and picked up a few cans of their organic chicken noodle soup….
I always have to spice them up with my own herbs and spices! LOL, good point Christina. This is an amazingly helpful expose on the real dangers in canned soup! I appreciate the in-depth look and will be sharing it with my friends and family. Thanks so much Alicia! That stuck out in my head so much that I was excited to write this for Mamavation all these years later.
Last time I had canned soup in my home, a doctor gave it to me! I remember learning in a media class in college how they could and would sue for these deceptive practices. Thanks for breaking this down so we can see bad, better and best.
I still sometimes resort to what is easiest and always feel guilty.
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