With winter’s bone-chilling
temperatures, there’s
nothing like a steaming
bowl of soup to warm and
nourish you. It’s almost like
getting a much-needed hug.
Broth-based soups are a great way to help
you lose weight and keep it off. Research
has shown that having soup before a meal
or as your main meal helps you eat less.
Here are some must-have ingredients to
give your soup an extra boost of nutrition
in each and every spoonful!
1. Homemade chicken or vegetable stock
Store-bought soup stock and bouillon cubes
are loaded with salt and don’t offer much in
terms of nutrition. Save money, reduce food
waste and control what’s in your food by
making your own soup stock.
All it takes is putting vegetable scraps
and/or chicken bones in a pot, covering
with water and letting them simmer for at
least an hour. You can add your own herbs
and spices and limit the amount of salt you
use. As an added bonus, the water-soluble
vitamins and minerals in the vegetables will
infuse into your stock for even more health
benefits. For example, homemade vegetable
stock is rich in potassium, which helps keep
your blood pressure in check
Chicken stock contains a type of protein
called gelatin. Gelatin helps with healthy
digestion and may help lower inflammation,
a common culprit in inflammatory bowel
disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart
disease. Mom was right – chicken soup is
good for body and soul!
2. Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain starches called betaglucans. Beta-glucans are believed to
stimulate the immune system and activate
cancer-fighting cells in the body. Try adding
some dried or fresh mushrooms to your stock
to boost both the flavour and health benefits.
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