Why You Should Ditch Instant Soup Mix & Make Your Own
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A bowl of freshly made, nutritious broth is my way of treating flu and sickness in my home. Breaking some bread into a piping hot bowl of soup is also my way of getting through those exhausting evenings when every event in the day has gone just about left of how it was supposed to. But when I make this request from the comfort of my bed, I am almost always treated to a dish that comes out of a can or a packet. Ah, the luxuries of being the matriarch of the family!
Packaged or instant soups have made lives easier for many as they are pretty much ready to eat once the water has boiled. They are affordable, conveniently available and take up almost no cooking time! They claim to have the goodness of vegetables and herbs & behind these advantages, instant soups tend to pass off as healthier options.
However, this is not always the case. While soups and broths are wonderful options to get a serving of nutrition, instant or packaged soups are far from healthy. So, why should we be avoiding that irresistible 7 vegetable soup from one the leading soup makers?
Instant Soups Do Not Digest Easily
Various studies have noted that instant foods such as the ramen, remain intact in your gut even after two whole hours. Thanks to the high amounts of preservatives present in these soup mixes, your stomach has to work extra hard to digest them. This is obviously unnatural for the body and the longer the food remains in the digestive tract, the more it impacts the absorption of nutrients.
Instant Soups Contain Tertiary Butyl Hydoquinone (TBHQ)
Tertiary butyl hydroquinone is a byproduct of petroleum that is used as a preservative in instant soups. Noticing this additive can be tricky as it often appears as an “Anti-oxidant” in the ingredients list. The important thing to understand here is that even if synthetic chemicals do have antioxidant properties, they can never be the same as natural ones. They are used in packaged foods to stop the oxidation of fats and oils, thereby lengthening the shelf life.
TBHQ is also found in nail lacquers & floor varnishes and is known to cause symptoms like nausea, ringing in the ears and a feeling of breathlessness in people.
The Rest Of The Ingredients Aren't Great Either!
While preservatives and additives are only one part of the ingredients list on packaged soups, the remaining components cannot really be labeled as “nutrient rich” either. Most soups contain refined flour (how long does flour last?), corn flour (how long does corn flour last?), sugar, hydrolyzed vegetable fat, soy powder, potato starch (how long does potato starch last?), yeast extracts and corn syrup (how long does corn syrup last?). The quantity of dried vegetables is quite low in most brands compared to the rest of the ingredients.
Frequent Consumption Of Instant Soups Can Cause Metabolic Syndrome
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition, noted that those subjects who had greater amounts of prepackaged soup ran a higher risk of metabolic syndrome. In the study, the subjects were those who consumed instant soup at least twice a week. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur serially, increasing your risk of heart and blood disease. People with symptoms of metabolic syndrome or at a higher chance of developing diabetes, obesity, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Canned Soups Are Notoriously High On Sodium
Commonly and widely used canned soups (how long do canned soups last?) have more than 800mg of sodium in one serving. While this quantity is alright for a single serving, most of us easily exceed this serving size in one sitting. So, in reality, your sodium content for the day can surpass the daily recommended intake of 2000 mg on a simple bowl of soup.
Healthier Alternatives For Instant Soups
Does this mean we have to give up enjoying the deliciousness of soups forever? Not at all! What I have started doing is, when I am in a meal prep mood, I pre-make my soup mixes and store them in a jar. The jar has it all-veggies, spices, grains, lentils (how long do lentils last?)-everything.
They are super easy to prepare, you can leave it on slow or even pressure cook for 7-8 minutes and the soup is ready to serve!
The ingredients are easily available and affordable. Nothing fancy or special.
Alright, lets see how to prep some homemade instant soup mixes!
Italian Barley Soup
Add a can of diced tomatoes when cooking, and this barley (how long does barley last?) soup will be all that you need on a busy evening. Layer the following ingredients in the given order in a canning jar:
A cup of pearled barley
1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
Half cup sun dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced and dried garlic
2 tablespoons dried basil (how long does dried basil last?)
1 tablespoon dried parsley (how long does dried parsley last?)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (how long does dried oregano last?)
one vegetable bouillon cube
1 teaspoon black pepper
Half teaspoon salt
To make this soup, add all ingredients with four cups of water and one can of diced tomatoes to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and simmer until the barley is cooked and tender. Serve with the topping of grated Parmesan.
Coconut Lentil Soup
This coconut lentil soup is packed with exotic flavor, tastes so fresh and has a hint of that sweet coconut flesh! To make coconut lentil pre-made soup, add the following ingredients to a canning jar:
2/3 cup green lentils (how long do green lentils last?)
2/3 cup orange lentils
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/3 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
Two vegetable bouillon cubes (how long do bouillon cubes last?)
1/3 Cup desiccated coconut
To make the coconut lentil soup, add all ingredients and four cups of water to a saucepan. Let it boil over high heat and simmer on low until the lentils are cooked through. Add 1 can of full fat coconut milk and allow it to cook on low heat for another 3 minutes. Season to taste.
Chicken Noodle Soup
This pre-made soup mix is by far my favorite and I love keeping multiple jars of chicken noodle soup mix in my pantry for days I'm running late with my cooking. Layer the given ingredients in a canning jar. The only thing we have to add here while cooking, is 2 cups of cooked chicken. I usually have some leftover cooked chicken in my freezer that I like to use for this. if you don't have any, just finely chop a couple of chicken breasts and add to the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients.
One chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon ginger powder (how long does ginger powder last?)
2 cups wide egg noodles (how long do egg noodles last?)
1 tablespoon dried chopped onions
2 tablespoons of dried peas
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
Half a teaspoon each of dried thyme, (how long does dried thyme last?) dried rosemary (how long does dried rosemary last?), dried sage (how long does dried sage last?)
Half teaspoon celery seeds (how long do celery seeds last?)
To make this chicken noodle soup, start by heating a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and stir it in for 2 minutes before adding the jar of soup mix along with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer till the noodles and chicken are cooked through.
So, which homemade healthy soup mix are you making today?
