Soup — so simple yet many people feel it is just easier to buy it than make it. January is National Soup Month and what a great idea for Super Bowl Sunday. Make soup to serve at your Super Bowl party.

Soups are not alike in the world of weight loss. The main ingredient in broth-based soup is water. Cream-based soup however, has more calories. Eating broth-based soup for lunch or the first course for dinner just may fill us up with fewer calories and help us to lose extra winter pounds.

Cream soups are at the top of high-calorie list and can be enjoyed but in smaller quantities. Cream of broccoli, cream of potato, New England clam chowder, crab bisque are all made with cream and a thickening agent that boosts the calories. Other broth-based soups such as minestrone, chicken, turkey, and black bean fill us up, but with a lower calorie count.

Commercially made soups may contain more sodium and calories than homemade soups. Be savvy when reading the label. Look for sodium and calories per serving.

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Making soups at home can be low in cost and convenient. Freeze any leftovers for an easy ready-made dinner or lunch. Here is a recipe from our soup booklet. If you would like a copy, call our office at 888-825-1701. Enjoy.

Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 15.5-ounce cans corn, drained and rinsed or frozen

2 15.5-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ teaspoon chili powder

¾ teaspoon cumin powder

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup water

Cook meat in a pan over medium heat until brown or reaches 165 degrees. Place meat in a strainer to drain fat. Rinse with hot water. Mix all ingredients in a soup pot and cook on low for an hour. To lower sodium even further, use frozen corn.

Yield 10 servings, serving size 1 cup 1 serving: Calories 270, Fat 5g, Carbohydrates 39g, Protein 18g, Sodium 490mg, Fiber 10g, Calcium 2%.

Nutrition Corner Mary R. Ehret
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_Ehret.CMYK_-2.jpg.optimal.jpgNutrition Corner Mary R. Ehret

Mary Ehret is the Penn State Extension Nutrition Links Supervisor in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Carbon, Sullivan and Bradford counties. Reach her at 570-825-1701 or at mre2@psu.edu.