Canned soups are so tasty and convenient that they inspired artist Andy Warhol to create his famous work, "32 Campbell's Soup Cans." What Warhol may not have known, though, is that canned soup also has a number of potential health benefits. From curbing appetite to helping with portion control, canned soups can make your healthy diet a nutritional masterpiece.
Appetite
Controlling appetite is an important aspect of weight loss and weight maintenance. If your appetite gets out of control, it can make limiting portions and choosing healthy food options more difficult. Soup is a high-volume food that helps keep appetite under wraps, a research study published in the November 2007 issue of "Appetite" reports. In this study, a group of volunteers who had soup before a meal ate 20 percent less than a group that didn't eat soup.
Portion Control
Cutting back on portions is a simple and effective way to lose weight. According to the September 2003 "Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior," adding low-calorie prepackaged foods to your diet can help you reduce caloric intake. Canned soup is a prepackaged food that's also low in calories. Opt for low-calorie canned soups such as lentil soup, vegetable soup and meat-free chili.
Vegetables
Many canned soups are loaded with nutrient-rich vegetables. Vegetables are naturally rich in vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fiber. Consumption of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day reduces your risk for high blood pressure, constipation and eye disease, Harvard University reports. Vegetable-rich varieties of canned soup include garden vegetable, spinach soup and tomato soup.
Dangers
While generally healthy, canned soups can be very high in sodium. Excess sodium intake can contribute to high blood pressure in salt-sensitive people. According to the "Nutrition Action Health Letter," many popular soups contain more than 800 mg of sodium per 1-cup serving -- more than one-third of your daily value. Opt for low-sodium or reduced-sodium varieties of canned soup to limit the impact on your sodium intake.
References
- "Appetite"; Soup Preloads in a Variety of Forms Reduce Meal Energy Intake; Julie Flood et al.; November 2007
- "Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior"; Bad Popcorn in Big Buckets: Portion Size Can Influence Intake as Much as Taste; Brian Wansink et al.; September 2005
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vegetables and Fruits, the Bottom Line
- Nutrition Action Health Letter: Soups, The Middle Ground; Jayne Hurley, et al; December 1997
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