Broccoli Cheese Soup has several nutritional benefits. Broccoli, according to Super Foods Rx, is a compact source of vitamins, phytonutrients and fibers, a mild-tasting veggie that complements calcium-rich cheese's smooth textures and sometimes tangy flavors. This versatile soup can be rendered low fat, low sodium and high protein--whatever you and your diet may need.
The Value of Broccoli
Super Foods Rx calls broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, a potent weapon against cancer due to its tumor-fighting compounds, and among the most nutrient-dense plant foods known. High in potassium, calcium and vitamins A and C, broccoli boosts immunity, strengthens bones, balances sodium levels, protects visual health and supports cardiovascular function. Broccoli is low in carbohydrates and contains only 30 calories per cup.
Cheese Benefits
Cheese has calcium that is more readily absorbed than plant-based calcium--even that of broccoli. Cheese is also highly digestible due to the presence of bacterial cultures and enzymes such as microbial rennet to help milk coagulate, according to The Natural Connection. It is these bacteria, states Vitamin Trader, that also provide probiotic action, like yogurt's, in your digestive tract. The beneficial bacteria that populate your gut not only aid digestion by breaking down nutrients but they also help manufacture essential B vitamins.
Fat and Sodium
Some broccoli cheese soups run high in fat and sodium. However, making this soup more healthy is often a simple matter of replacing high-fat cheese or milk with low-fat variants, and replacing salt with herb mixtures. CNN's Food For Thought provides an excellent chart comparing various cheeses' nutritional contents, including fat content. Parmesan is naturally low in fat, as is part-skim mozzarella cheese. Pre-mixed salt replacements are available in stores, but you can make your own concoction of parsley, thyme, garlic, dried onion flakes, dried red pepper, black pepper and even curry.
Two Recipes for Broccoli Cheese Soup
Taste of Home provides a flavor-filled version low in both fat and salt. A one-cup serving contains only 3 g fat, 521 mg sodium, 135 calories, 19 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein and 3 g fiber. That all comes from natural, healthful ingredients such as reduced-fat, reduced-sodium soup bases, nonfat milk, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, broccoli and spices. Taste Book lists a recipe that has "voluptuous texture," thanks to the processed cheese it uses, Velveeta Light, but it doubles the fat and sodium. This recipe's flour and 2% milk also helps double the calories.
Focus on Ingredients
Cheese's nutrients vary widely. Calcium is a good example: the Taste Book recipe gets its 385 mg calcium from a full cup of Velveeta processed cheese, or only 48 mg calcium per ounce, whereas the Taste of Home recipe utilizes only a half-cup of low fat cheddar, but at 204.5 mg calcium per oz, cheddar has nearly four times as much calcium. Gruyere cheese is even higher, at 286.5 mg per oz, and Parmesan has 355 mg per oz., per CNN's nutritional comparison list. As far as protein is concerned, cottage cheese has more protein than almost any other cheese. Different cheeses, with different nutritional benefits, translate to different results. Go ahead and experiment. Have fun inventing your own favorite--and, hopefully, healthful--broccoli cheese soup.
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