Hi Guys,

Now I'm within the extremes of my target weight (for my height and age) but I'd like to generally trim up and lower my cholesterol. I've been trying to include more veg in my diet but i've just never been a big fan. Having said that, I do really like vegetable soup (the Heinz canned kind) and the nutritional breakdown on the Big Veg doesn't seem too bad to my unschooled eyes:

Big Soup chunky Vegetable 400g

Cal..........172g
Fat..........3.60g
Sat Fat....0.40g
Protein....4.60g
Carbs.....30.60g
Sugar.....13.40g
Fibre......4.40
Sodium...1.0g

Would people say that this is a good way of getting veg? The fat seems very low, but is the sugar high? Are there other pre-made soups that are even more healthy yet nutritious and low in fat?

Cheers,
si

Other than the sugar content, it seems ok for me. Even the sugar would be manageable if you kept it in context of the rest of your diet.

Why not just make your own veggie soup, though? It's super easy and you can control exactly what goes in. You can also tailor it to your own tastes.

Start with some kind of low-sodium broth or stock or cube.
Chop up whatever veg you want, cover them with the broth/stock or water.
Simmer until the veg are tender.
Add salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

I make soup of all kinds at least once a week and eat it for lunches or snacks.

Last night I made chicken corn chowder with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, corn and a bit of cream.

Thanks for the the reply Kara, I can't say I'm not tempted, in fact my mouth is watering. It's just that whenever I enter the kitchen with the intention of anything other than basic warming, the kitchen seems to sense that I'm out of my depth and spontaneously burst into flames.

si

P.S. I understand every bit of your mail with the exception of:

low-sodium
broth
stock
cube
and chowder.

P.P.S. On a serious note are there any good, healthy soup recipe sites out there, and is a stew very different from a soup?

There are technical differences in the world of cooking - primarily that a stew is considered a main course/meal, while a soup is considered an appetiser or a side dish as part of a meal.

The main difference is that a stew is thicker - and always has some component of meat and potatoes. Usually stews are almost "gravy like" in their thickness.

A soup is more liquidy - although it might have meat and potatoes as well, the liquid part won't be as "gravy-like" as a stew.

A chowder is a type of soup made with potatoes and milk or cream.

But really the best thing about soups/stews, to me, is that there's no wrong way to make them. Get a big pot, fill it with whatever you like, add water or broth, and simmer it until everything is cooked through.

The sources I use the most for recipes online are:
allrecipes.com
epicurious.com
tastykitchen.com

All of them have a variety of soup recipes that range from super easy and basic to very gourmet.