Soup-er Food

Jennifer Hutchinson has the scoop on soup

The 2008 Ironman season wraps up this weekend in Tempe, Arizona. This is where I plan to toe the line with more than 2,000 other crazy Ironman athletes to see what the day dishes out.

I can tell you one of the highlights of my day will be when the run aid stations start serving Styrofoam cups filled with the tasty chicken soup (broth)! There is just something about that “liquid gold” that offers a welcome reprieve from the sweet taste of the drinks, bars and gels.

So with soup on my mind, a chill in the air and so many athletes transitioning into the off season, I thought I would make a case for why soup is good off season food.

What makes a soup?
Soup is a fairly simple food. It is made by combining ingredients (vegetables, grains, meats, seasoning) in a liquid base (including one or more of the following: water, vegetable juice, meat stock) usually being served warm or hot. It can be as basic as chicken broth or more complex such as Minestrone Soup. If pureed, it basically is the non-sweet version of a fruit smoothie.

Why is soup a good food?

It’s filling and may help with weight management.
There are some clinical studies that have shown that most folks will eat less when they consume soup prior to a meal. The warmed liquid with vegetables help with hydration as well as keep you feeling fuller a bit longer. To help fight the off-season weight gain, soup may help. The trick is sticking with low calorie/ nutrient dense broth or vegetable based soups and steering clear of the high calorie creamy soups such as bisques, chowders and most “cream of” soups.

It may help the immune system.

Soup makes it easy to get in a healthy does of vegetables (and beans). Like fruit, vegetables are antioxidant and phytochemical powerhouses which can be help keep the immune system strong.

It’s a great recovery food.

If consumed after a chilly workout, soup can be the magic bullet to get you warm and jump-start the recovery process. Providing the key recovery elements of fluid, electrolytes, carbohydrate and protein, many soups could go head to head with the mainstream recovery shakes or smoothies.

Soup is easy to make and perfect for athletes that are time crunched. Many mouth watering options can be found in the grocery store and heated up in a pinch, or soup can be made from scratch with a little bit of preplanning.

Soup sounds “super,” but there is a downside (that can easily be overcome): the dark side for many soups is the sodium content. Now, granted, endurance athletes have an excuse for allowing more sodium in the diet as it is an essential mineral that is needed for normal cell function and electrolyte balance. Unfortunately, quite a few commercially prepared soups can deliver an eye popping 1,200 mg sodium per 8 oz.

There is good news, though. Many of the higher sodium soups can be found with reduced sodium options so label reading is a must. If a favorite soup does not come with a lower sodium option, you can always reduce the sodium per serving by diluting the soup. Adding 4-8 oz water per 12-16 oz soup (or adding more vegetables) increases soup volume without added salt.


Here are some additional suggestions for making soup a good food:

If buying commercially prepared soups/bases:
Read the label and avoid the ingredient (MSG) monosodium glutamate.

Look for soups that provide less than 600 mg sodium per serving.

Pump up the nutritional density by adding antioxidant rich no added salt vegetables.

Add cooked rice, pasta or potato to deliver carbohydrates for refueling muscle glycogen.

To add flavor to low sodium soups, season with herbs or try one of the no salt seasoning blends such as Mrs. Dash.

Use nonfat milk or low fat plain soymilk instead of cream or whole milk for cream soups to reconstitute condensed cream soups.

If making homemade soup/base:
Start with a lower sodium broth/ bouillon or stock. Explore online recipes ( ex: CookingLight.com, LowSodiumCooking.com), as there are many great make-your-own soup base options.

Use fresh or frozen vegetables without added salt to maximize the nutritional content. Add the vegetables a couple of minute before serving to help preserve nutritional value.

Use your imagination with selecting ingredients but make sure your emphasize wholesome grains and phytochemical rich brightly colored vegetables.

Simple Recovery Soup
All the ingredients below can be combined and simmered on the stove top or heated in a glass bowl in the microwave.

Recipes make ~ four 12 oz servings with 125+ calories, 6+ gm protein, 25+ gm carbohydrate and 2+ gm fat.

Soup Base:
24 oz Vegetable/Chicken/Beef Broth or Stock (or can try V-8 juice)- can simmer with celery, onions and herbs of choice to add more flavor. For lower sodium, you can substitute reduced sodium broth/V-8 and add 6-8 oz water.

Added Ingredients:
For carbohydrate: 3/4- 1 cup whole grain rice, pasta, barley, quinoa
For a creamier texture, can blend in ¼ -½ c mashed potato.

For antioxidants: ½ - 1+ cup any combination of broccoli, spinach, carrots, yellow squash, red/orange/yellow peppers, onions or any other deep colored vegetables. (I like to stir fry fresh or frozen vegetables in 1 Tbsp of olive oil before adding to the soup)

For protein: ½ + cup cooked beans, textured soy protein or firm tofu chunks or cooked meat (chicken breast, ground turkey, extra lean ground beef). If using, canned beans drain and rinse prior to adding.

Like its chilled fruit based cousin, the smoothie, soup ingredients and combinations are endless. So next time you come back from a long ride or run….side line the smoothie, fire up the stove to cook up some tasty recovery soup. Soup really can be good food!


Jennifer Hutchison, RD, CSSD is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a USA Triathlon Certified Level 3 Elite Coach. As a Registered Dietitian, Jennifer uses her academic training, certifications and “real world” experience to help fuel athletes worldwide. You can direct comments, questions or suggestions for further articles to Jennifer via email to eSportsRD@aol.com or go to www.IronCladCoaching.com.


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