7 Reasons to Eat Soup

Need a reason or two to attend a CNC women’s soup potluck on Friday, October 7th?  Read on. And then call Debra to let her know you are attending.

1. Tribute. Haitians eat pumpkin soup January 1st to celebrate their Independence from France (1804). This soup is eaten early in the day “to celebrate unity and good fortune” (Missy Gauvin).

Missy relates that the French landowners had their slaves prepare pumpkin soup, but often forbade the slaves from eating it themselves. So upon the slaves successful uprising and overthrow of the French involvement in their country, the now freed slaves prepared and ate the pumpkin soup for themselves. The yearly tradition of eating of the soup continues as a tribute to the men and women who fought for and won Haitian independence.

2. Vegetables and Fruits. We’ve been told since childhood to eat our veggies and fruits because they are good for us. And they are. But sometimes it is hard to eat all that’s required for a healthy diet. Eating soup is a great way to get multiple types and 5-9 servings of vegetables and fruit into our diet. Try this quick and easy vegetable soup or Elise Gaube’s Ratatouille which is in our CNC cookbook. (You can buy a book from the church office.)

There are even great soup recipes which include fruit. There are many such recipes on the web, but here are two to get you started.  Peach Buttermilk soup is great for breakfast. This Watermelon Gazpacho also has tomatoes and celery.

3. Roughage. Beans provide roughage (as do veggies and fruits). “Meeting your roughage targets promotes the health of your intestine, combats high cholesterol and can curb appetite” (Ryan Devon). You can get packets of bean soup mix from the market. And of course the Internet has many, many bean soup recipes. One of my fave recipes is Sweet Potato Lentil Stew.

4. Diet Aide. Starting a meal with a healthy soup has been shown that the “eater” then consumes up to 20% less food. Soup fills you up some and so you are not as tempted to overeat. Bonus – you get extra servings of vegetables and fruits by including soup in your meal plan.

5. Body Coolant. I’ve read that taking a warm shower on a hot day is the best way to cool down your body. I’ve also heard that consuming hot and/or spicy food does the same. Make this Korean Summer Chicken Soup to test out the theory for yourself.

6. Overall Health. Consistently consuming enough fruits and veggies will positively affect your vision, heart, and blood pressure. It can also be a deterrent to getting cancer.

7. Community. A bunch of CNC women will be gathering on Friday, October 7, 2011 for a soup potluck. Go here for details. Contact me or Debra, if you have any questions. (If you don’t RSVP, come anyway.)

Your Turn  . . . What reason would you add to this list? Have a soup recipe to share?

Related Post

• Five Reasons Why Soup is Healthy for Dieters and Everyone Else