When the temperature drops, it’s natural to want to reach for hot food options to warm up on your lunch break.
For many, this may be a classic toastie or leftover vegan chilli from the night before. Others are likely to opt for a classic tin of soup, with experts citing nostalgia as the reason for your regular cravings.
But the humble soup tin may not be the best choice where your health is concerned, according to experts.
The NHS Better Health website has launched a serious case against pre-packaged soups, urging consumers to replace the popular lunch item, as well as ham and cheese sandwiches, and split yoghurt pots.
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The health officials claim that these products make it easier to eat ‘more sugar or salt’ than you may realise.
According to nutritionist and broadcaster Amanda Ursell, a standard 400g tin contains around 1g of salt per half-can serving.
“Always look at the salt levels on all soup labels, both chilled and tinned. To help control our blood pressure, we shouldn’t exceed 6g of salt in a day,” she explained to Saga.
Moreover, these pantry staples are highly processed and usually contain a lot of saturated fat.
The NHS wrote that ‘too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease’.
"Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.”
As well as giving up your daily tinned can of soup, health officials want you to swap out cereal bars, muffins, crisps, and fizzy drinks for ‘better’ alternatives, such as fruit, plain popcorn, sugar-free jelly and water.
But this advice doesn't mean you have to cut soup out of your diet - it’s designed to turn you on to chilled and homemade soups instead.
The Association of UK Dietitians have a plethora of approved homemade soup recipes on their website, with top picks including: Manhattan Chowder, Mulligatawny, and Romanian Bean Soup.
Ursell advises that anyone making their own soup should use olive oil in recipes rather than cream, and whisk in an egg or sprinkle two tablespoons of cheddar on top for a protein boost.
“If you have space in the freezer, cook homemade soup in large batches and freeze into portions, to save time and effort at future mealtimes,” she added.
“You’ll have the advantage of knowing exactly what’s gone into the saucepan, and are likely to have significantly higher levels of B vitamins and vitamin C in the end result.”
Ella Scott