Healthy Recipes
Even if losing weight isn't one of your goals, these nutritious recipes are worth adding to your meal rotation.
By
Leslie Barrie
by
Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN
Soup is naturally low in calories.
During the cold, wintery months, few things beat a comforting bowl of soup. But warming you up is only one of the things this dish is good for. “Soup can and should be a part of your healthy diet. It can also be a weight watcher’s best friend,” says Christine Palumbo, RD, who is based in Chicago.
That’s thanks in part to the fact that soup can be high in nutrients while generally low in calories, says Shilpi Agarwal, MD, a family physician based in Washington, DC.
To make a weight-friendly soup, you simply need the right ingredients.
Veggies are one of them, Palumbo says. “The vast majority of soups contain at least some vegetables, which can be challenging for some people to otherwise bring into their diet,” she explains. Noshing on veggies may help lower your risk for heart disease and stroke, keep certain cancers at bay, and stabilize blood sugar levels, which may help curb your appetite, according to theHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Lean protein is another must-have soup ingredient if you’re looking to lose weight. A diet rich in protein can help you feel full compared with lower-protein diets, and this may aid weight management, according to a meta-analysis published in June 2016 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Lean protein keeps total and saturated fat low, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When preparing soup, consider options like beans, lentils, and shredded boneless, skinless white meat chicken.
The consistency of soup could also help fill your belly. “Because you generally have to sip soup, it takes a while to consume, and you’ll likely feel full sooner when eating soup,” says Palumbo.
Dr. Agarwal has found this in her practice, too. “When my patients incorporate healthy soup into their diet, it really helps to localize and identify hunger signals and avoid overeating because the warmer liquid takes longer to eat,” she says. Research suggests that people eat fewer calories at mealtime when they start with a bowl of broth-based soup, compared with those who went straight to the entrée.
RELATED: How to Achieve 1 Pound of Weight Loss
Ready to get your soup on? Here, discover 10 registered dietitian–approved soups that not only taste delicious but could help support healthy weight loss, too.
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Creamy Carrot and Cauliflower Soup
Calling all carrot soup lovers! “I love carrots because they add dimension and are a good source of vitamins and minerals,” says Agarwal. Plus, this creamy version from Amy Gorin, RDN, isn’t actually made with cream, but it does include a superstar ingredient in addition to the carrots: cauliflower. This cruciferous veggie contains vitamin C, per the USDA, as do the carrots, notes the USDA. Vitamin C can help your body heal and protect your cells from things like harmful free radicals, according to the Mayo Clinic. For extra protein, the soup is garnished with Greek yogurt and dry-roasted pumpkin seeds.
Per serving (serves 6): 110 calories, 5g total fat (1g saturated fat), 3g protein, 10g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 6g sugar, 190mg sodium
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Spicy Black Bean Soup With Ancho Chile Pepitas
For ample flavor and protein, this spicy black bean soup from Marisa Moore, RDN, is hard to beat. “Beans and soups are made for each other,” says Palumbo. The soup not only packs 17 grams (g) of filling protein, courtesy of the black beans and pepitas, but the beans also dial up the fiber content. Fiber is important because it can help you stick to a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic. Plus, the jalapeño peppers add extra nutrient perks, like vitamin C, notes the USDA — and an extra kick!
Per serving (serves 4): 254 calories, 3g total fat (1g saturated fat), 17g protein, 42g carbohydrates, 15g fiber, 1g sugar, 243mg sodium
RELATED: 10 Surprising Ways to Cook With Black Beans
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash is a soup all-star due to its vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says Palumbo. But there’s one key nutrient in the squash that really stands out. “Butternut squash provides beta-carotene, which once converted to vitamin A in the body, helps bolster immune and eye health,” says Palumbo. And per the USDA, 1 cup cubed contains 1,140 micrograms of vitamin A, which helps organs like your lungs, heart, and kidneys work as they should, notes the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This recipe from Amy Kimberlain, RDN, contains onion and carrots, too, for an extra bang for your health buck.
Per serving: (serves 6): 180 calories, 5.7g total fat (1g saturated fat), 5.2g protein, 32.1g carbohydrates, 5.5g fiber, 6.8g sugar, 54.6mg sodium
This sweet and savory soup from Jessica Levinson, RDN, pairs perfectly with any winter dish. Plus, it’s a great one to serve if you have any vegan guests — it’s dairy-free but still has a velvety consistency from the starchy parsnips. Not to mention, parsnips and pears are loaded with health bonuses. For one, both contain fiber, according to the USDA, making this soup an excellent source. Parsnips have potassium, too, the USDA notes, which is a mineral that helps your heart, muscles, and nerves function well, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Per serving (serves 8): 163 calories, 3g total fat (1g saturated fat), 5g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 13g sugar, 645mg sodium
RELATED: 11 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
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Fall Roasted Vegetable Soup
An easy way to reach your veggie quota for the day? Make this warming and satiating soup created by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, that includes five veggies plus black-eyed peas for extra protein. While the recipe uses fall produce, you can make it any time of year. One veggie standout is sweet potato. Not only is it a filling root vegetable, thanks to its fiber (one large sweet potato has 6 g, an excellent source, according to the USDA), but it’s also rich in vitamin C, with 35.3 mg per big spud. To slash the sodium intake by about 40 percent, be sure to rinse the canned black-eyed peas, as the recipe instructs.
Per serving (serves 6): 246 calories, 5g total fat (0.8g saturated fat), 8g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 8.6g fiber, 6.8g sugar (0.7g added sugar), 351mg sodium
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Carrot Ginger Soup
A light and healthy soup that may also support your immune system? Yes, please. This carrot soup from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, comes with a ginger boost for extra health perks. “Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and provides a bold flavor to soups,” says Palumbo. Research even shows that it may help against certain viral infections, though more studies are needed. While the cashew cream may seem like simply a garnish, it’s actually a sneaky way to also get in a solid amount of protein.
Per serving (serves 4): 440 calories, 27g total fat (4.5g saturated fat), 17g protein, 41g carbohydrates, 7g fiber, 14g sugar (0g added sugar), 290mg sodium
RELATED: 7 Foods That Fight Back: Immune System Boosters
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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Red Lentil Soup
If you’re looking for a hearty soup that will fill you up, you’re in luck. This recipe from Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, comes packed with good-for-you lentils. “Lentils add texture, protein, soluble fiber, and potassium,” says Palumbo. And according to the USDA, you’ll also get iron from lentils, which is necessary for your body to do things like help oxygen move from your lungs to elsewhere in your body, notes the NIH. Plus, split peas have benefits, like over 8g of fiber per ½ cup, an excellent source, according to the USDA.
Nutrition per serving (serves 8): 167 calories, 0.6g total fat (0.1g saturated fat), 12g protein, 34g carbohydrates, 9.6g fiber, 3g sugar (0g added sugar), 405mg sodium
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Creamy Kale and Dill Potato Leek Soup
“Always look for or make a soup with at least two vegetables,” Agarwal says. This recipe from Sarah Gold Anzlovar, RDN, fulfills that assignment. For starters, the kale in the soup contains a myriad of vitamins, including K, according to the USDA. Vitamin K plays a big role in blood clotting and bone health, notes the Cleveland Clinic, though people on blood thinners may need to watch their intake. The recipe also calls for potatoes, which have the ever-important potassium (plus fiber), according to the USDA : A ½ cup has 319 mg of potassium.
Per serving (serves 8): 166 calories, 6g total fat (4g saturated fat), 6g protein, 24g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 300mg sodium
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Tuscan Vegetable Soup
Love a flavorful Italian soup? You're going to want to try this healthy and delicious version of Tuscan soup from Alix Turoff, RDN. It’s made with cannellini beans, which along with the turkey bacon add a hit of protein. The beans also provide magnesium, according to the USDA, another mineral that helps your muscles and nerves function properly, the Mayo Clinic notes.
Per serving (serves 11): 90 calories, 1g total fat, 6g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 3g fiber
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Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
If you’re a year-round pumpkin fan, like Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, founder of Once Upon a Pumpkin, then this one-pot soup of hers is definitely worth whipping up. The pumpkin puree is satisfying because of its fiber, and it contains an array of vitamins. A ½ cup of pumpkin, for example, has all the vitamin A you need in a day, according to the USDA. And you don’t have to be intimidated to cook with this versatile orange fruit — simply use canned pureed pumpkin, as this recipe does. “Just avoid the sweetened variety,” says Palumbo. In other words, avoid cans labeled “pumpkin pie filling.”
Per serving (serves 4): 139 calories, 7g total fat (1g saturated fat), 2g protein, 19g carbohydrates, 4.2g fiber, 10.2g sugar (5.5g added sugar), 364mg sodium
RELATED: 8 Instant Pot Soup Recipes That Are Healthier Than Canned, and Nearly as Fast
