Canned Soup
Canned soup comprise several unhealthy components such as fat, sodium, starch, artificial food additives, preservatives and colors. Most canned soups contained about 1000 grams of sodium, which is way above the body requirement. The luxury soups containing cream also load the body with high levels of fat. These days soup manufacturers are touting their products with claims such as their soups are lower in sodium, fat and cholesterol. We find all kinds of canned soup brands with all kinds of labels such as low carb canned soups, healthy canned soups, etc. however, is the canned soup diet healthy?
Is Canned Soup Healthy?
The supermarkets are loaded with different kinds of canned soups. Let's find out, how should we decide, which canned soup is healthy!
High Sodium Content
However, most canned soups contain considerable amounts of salt, which can be seen in the list of ingredients on the label. High amount of salt is added to increase canned soup shelf life. With each spoonful of delicious soup, you are actually taking in high doses of sodium. Campbell's traditional soups still load the body with more than 800mg of sodium in just one-cup serving of soup. The FDA in 1994, stated that for a food item to be labeled healthy, it needs to contain less than 480mg of sodium per serving, which is 20% of the daily value. Thus, a soup can be only called 'healthy canned soup' if it contains less than 480g of sodium. Check the label on your soup before purchasing it.
BPA Content
Some of the canned soups available today are packed in metal cans coated with a potentially dangerous chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA). As per Consumer Reports' November 2009, it was said that BPA is associated with causing deleterious conditions, such as breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and prostate cancer and is also known as an endocrine disruptor. They also went on to mention that some of the most loved soups were seen to contain dangerously high levels of BPA.
Less Nutritious than Homemade Soup
The soup in canned form has undergone a lot of processes before it undergoes canning. The soup we find in cans has less nutrition content, as compared to homemade soup. It contains lower level of vitamin C and vitamin B1.
Thus, quit perusing over canned soup reviews in the effort to find the best canned soup. Pick out some homemade soup recipes and make some yourself. The best part about homemade soups is that one knows what goes into it. There's no fear about the ingredients and one does not have to spend unnecessary time worrying about what one is feeding the family. Canned shelf life is higher and it's easier to prepare, however if it decreases our shelf life, it's only wiser to stick to homemade soups. Hope this article on 'is canned soup healthy' was informative and helpful!