SOUPS - go for it!

Every once and again the stars and moon align and smile down upon my eating habits. However, more often than not, the opposite is the case - the cosmo frowns upon what I crave. Case in point: French fries and potato chips could easily be a daily diet staple if they were not so-so wrong. On the other hand, oatmeal, a food I abosolutely loathe, is considered a healthy way to begin a day.

Good news! I love soups (I enjoy soup in heat of summer, as well as, the freeze of winter) and I just read a study by Penn State University - reported by www.about.comhealthyeating - which reports that soup is both healthy and a good diet food. Why? Because soup is a high water content food or a food high in volume and low in calories (the high content of water gives you that full feeling without consuming large amounts of calories)

Soup, salad and wheat bread are an excellent way to begin a meal. You will feel full faster and be not crave high-calorie entrees as much. Beware:(you know there is always a beware) heed the following tips taken from the before mentioned website:


Buy soup stock that is low in sodium, or make your own broth.
Clear soups have fewer calories than creamed soups.
Add lots of vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, celery, peas and onions add flavor and healthy nutrition. Tomatoes and mushrooms are good too.
If you make a noodle soup, use whole grain noodles. Because consumers are becoming aware of the importance of whole grains, it is getting easier to find whole grain pasta with better taste and texture.
Serve your soup with a salad or some warm whole grain bread. A bread-maker comes in just as handy as a crock pot.
You can make a large batch of soup and freeze some for later. Keep in mind that cream soups and noodles don't freeze as well as soup with clear broth, meat, vegetables and beans. Of course, you can make the soup without the noodles and prepare a few each time you warm up your frozen soup.