Nutritional Information For Homemade Soup

Whether it's a spicy, warm bowl of soup in the winter, a cool soup on a summer evening, or a soup with fresh vegetables to match the season, homemade soup is always a healthy alternative to high-sodium, high-fat commercial products. Use non-fat milk or soy milk as an alternative to the heavy cream, butter and cheese in restaurant soups to reduce the calorie count in homemade soup as well. Substitute vegetable stock for chicken or beef stock in any soup for vegetarians and vegans.

Advantages

As Michael Pollen, author of "Food Rules," suggests, there is more nutrition in real food than there is in what he calls "edible food-like substances," such as dried soup mixes or canned condensed soups. Not only do fresh ingredients for soups contain less sodium and fat than store-bought soups, fresh foods have more healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber than processed soups. And, as James McWilliams points out in a 2010 "New York Times" article, there is a strong relationship between healthy food and the risk of obesity.

Less Sodium

The extremely high levels of sodium in processed soups go far beyond the amounts recommended by the American Heart Association, which lists healthy sodium amounts as less than 1,500 mg per day, or less than 600 mg per serving size. For instance, 1 cup of Campbell's split pea soup contains 779 mg of sodium. On the other hand, a 2-cup serving of a homemade split pea soup from "The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook" contains 364 mg of sodium.

More Antioxidents

Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances in whole grains and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and spinach, that researchers say may prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer. Walter Willett, author of "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," includes two antioxidants, carrots and spinach, in his white bean, chicken and spinach soup. In addition to the beta-carotene in the carrots, the soup contains high amounts of folate and iron. A 1½-cup serving provides 200 calories, with 26 g of protein, 16 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of fiber and 5 g of fat.

Cream Soups

Cream soups are almost as easy and convenient as canned soup. Choose any vegetable and cook it in 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock along with half an onion. Puree the cooked mixture in a blender and return to the cooking pot to reheat with 1 cup of non-fat or soy milk. Choose cauliflower, which is packed with fiber and contains lots of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and potassium. Or try any winter squash, an excellent source of vitamin A, and add fresh ginger and apple cider for more flavor.

Clear Soups

Clear soups are those where the ingredients remain in a form you can see instead of being blended together. With its abundance of tomatoes, gazpacho, for instance, is rich in fiber and vitamin C and contains good amounts of vitamins A and B, in addition to potassium, iron and phosphorus. In addition to tomatoes, gazpacho contains tomato juice, vegetable stock, garlic, cucumber and red bell pepper.