Simple soups are one of my favorite ways to feed my family, especially on cold winter days when I am super busy. They are filled with nutrition and qualifies as a definite “comfort food.”

Simple Soups for the Whole Family

Babies, toddlers, and the whole family can enjoy simple soups. There are so many kinds of soups you can make. They can be loaded with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats and can be made “thin” or “thick” to delight people of all ages. They are wonderful lunches or dinners, either as the main dish or as a delicious side dish. You can easily adapt the recipes to your family’s taste preferences by adding your favorite seasonings.  

Nutrition for Busy Days

Soups are delicious and nutritious! Here are some of the reasons they are so good for our busy families:

• Soups provides hydration, which is essential for many body processes.  Hydration comes through the water we drink and the food we eat. Soups increase our water intake. It is also easier for a person with a colder body constitution to take in warm fluids during the cold winter months. 
• Soups can help with respiratory infections. You have probably heard the saying, “food is medicine.” Chicken soup is a well-known example of soup being administered as a remedy for the common cold by our parents and grandparents. Modern science has uncovered plausible evidence to support its traditional use in that way. Studies have found that soup offers benefits in fighting inflammation and reducing symptoms. One study even found that hot chicken soup was more beneficial for clearing nasal mucus than plain hot water. There is also the consideration that vegetables like carrots provide vitamin A, which boots immune health.
• Soups can promote satiety for fewer calories than other types of meals because of the high water volume it contains. A veggie-rich, bone-broth-based soup can warm you up and help you get more nutrients. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a 2012 study which found that people who ate a smooth soup felt full longer than people who ate a solid meal. They said this could be because the soup appeared to affect blood glucose levels differently than a solid meal does. Another thought was that the soup was high in volume, which made the people’s stomachs feel physically fuller.  
• Soups are easy to consume for people who don’t have an appetite because they are sick and don’t feel like eating. The elderly, too, sometimes don’t feel like eating, and a nutrient-dense soup provides a yummy way to intake some healthy nutrition.
• Soups can be “comfort food” which provides mental calming and a positive mental outlook. 

Soups are great for busy days! It does take some time to chop vegetables, but you can also purchase fresh or frozen versions of already prepped veggies. Then you can easily dump the ingredients in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or pot on the stove (if you are going to be home all day) and start cooking your simple soup.

Ingredients can include protein, vegetables, carbs, healthy fats, and seasonings. Vegetables, legumes (like lentils and beans), and whole grains provide both soluble and insoluble fiber. Here’s a simple plan for making simple soup:

• Choose bone broth, not a cream base, as the foundation of your soup. 
• Incorporate lots of colorful vegetables- green, red, and yellow. Choose those from the vegetable rainbow. 
• Next, add your protein choice- beans, chicken, turkey, beef, or fish. Precooked chicken is a great option to make simple soup.
• Then, add some whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, or millet. 
• Finally, up the nutrition by adding healing herbs like Fennel, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Parsley, Oregano, Marjoram, Chili, and/or others.

Pair your soup with a salad or sandwich for a great meal for your busy days. 

Raising Generation Nourished 

Renee Kohley is a mom who has a website called Raising Generation Nourished. She has many recipes on her site that my family and I have tried and loved. I also love her Nourished Beginnings Baby Food cookbook. It has a chapter on Simple Soups Starts for Babies, Toddlers and the Whole Family. Some of her delicious soup recipes include:

• Creamy Potato and Leek Soup
• Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
• Fresh Spring Vegetable Soup
• Hearty Roasted Root Veggie Soup
• Nourishing Summer Vegetable Soup
• Nourishing Slow-Cooker Bone Broth
• Nutrient-dense Green Soup
• Pea Soup
• Simple Broccoli Soup
• Squash Medley Soup
• Summer Squash Soup

She also has other more stew-like recipes like in her Nourished Beginnings cookbook: 

• Flavorful Lentle Soup
• Slow Cooker Sprouted Chili with Vegetables

Simple soups are packed with nutrition. They are good meal choices on busy days, and they are especially comforting during the winter months or when experiencing an illness. 

Action Step

Plan your next menu to include a simple soup. You will feel content when you enjoy the soup and know you are providing your body with the nutrition it needs. 

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. What is your favorite simple soup?