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One of the best meals on a chilly day or when you’re feeling under the weather is a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup.
Research even suggests that chicken soup has healing properties: It may offer anti-inflammatory benefits, which could relieve cold symptoms, according to one study. Another found that hot chicken soup may alleviate sinus congestion. Advertisement
Homemade chicken noodle soup is the healthiest option because you can control the amount of salt and load it up with vegetables, said Danielle Frost, a registered dietitian in central Arkansas. But not everyone has time or access to fresh ingredients to make homemade soup, so checking out the canned variety makes nutritional sense.
“One important factor is that canned soup is delicious, affordable, and highly convenient,” Frost stated. Advertisement.
Since chicken noodle soup is broth-based, most canned products are already low in fat. But Frost urges consumers to check the label for sodium and protein. About 10 grams of protein per can is a good target. Anything higher is a bonus, she said, since protein keeps you fuller longer.
As for salt, Frost recommends choosing canned chicken noodle soup with no more than 300 mg of sodium per serving. An ideal sodium limit is 1,500 mg per day ― and definitely follow a daily value of no more than 2,300 mg ― according to the American Heart Association.Advertisement
Serving size is an additional consideration, according to registered dietitian Luis Gonzalez of Chicago. The majority of cans contain roughly two servings, and nutrition information is based on serving size, he explained. If one serving (half of the can) is not sufficient, adding more water will increase the volume and dilute the excess sodium. ”.
Which canned chicken noodle soups are actually the healthiest? We asked Frost, Gonzalez and Emily Tills, a Syracuse, New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition coach, to rank 10 popular versions based on nutrition.
- Serving size: 1/2 cup (2.5 servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 60
- Total fat per serving: 2 g
- Sodium per serving: 890 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 3 g
One of the most well-known canned soups is the traditional Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup. However, Frost, González, and Tills all stated that it is the least healthy option due to its extremely high sodium content, which is 890 mg per serving, or 339 percent of your daily value. Additionally, Frost stated that the half-cup serving size that is listed is less than that of other brands. Advertisement.
According to Gonzalez, the soup includes a lot of processed ingredients like soy protein isolate and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in addition to chicken that is free of antibiotics.
- Serving size: 1 cup (about two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 60
- Total fat per serving: 0.5 g
- Sodium per serving: 660 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 6 g
Frost stated that although the light soup has less calories than the traditional version of Progresso, it still contains almost as much sodium: 660 mg, or 29% of your daily value from half the can.
“Calories aren’t everything, and I believe that the lower protein content contributes to the lower calorie count,” the speaker stated. And while that’s positive, it doesn’t really matter if all it does is make you hungry again in an hour. ”Advertisement.
Despite the soup’s claim that the chicken in it is antibiotic-free, Gonzalez said that it also includes a lot of processed ingredients—such as xanthan gum, modified food starch, and soy protein isolate—as well as very little vitamins and minerals.
- Serving size: 1 cup (about two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 100
- Total fat per serving: 2.5 g
- Sodium per serving: 680 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 7 g
Progresso is another of the most popular canned chicken noodle soup brands. “It is a classic and popular soup, but the sodium content brings down the rating,” Tills said. Half a can has 30% of the daily value.
The first few ingredients listed are chicken broth, cooked white chicken meat (which the brand claims is free of antibiotics), carrots, egg noodles, and celery. However, the soup also includes a number of additives, including maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, and soy protein isolate. Advertisement.
- Serving size: 1 cup (two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 100
- Total fat per serving: 1.5 g
- Sodium per serving: 640 mg
- Fiber per serving: 2 g
- Protein per serving: 8 g
Campbell’s launched the Well Yes! line of soups in 2016, promoting their real ingredients and no artificial flavors. Well Yes! Chicken Noodle Soup lists lean antibiotic-free chicken, white beans and egg noodles made from quinoa flour among its ingredients.
“It’s better nutritionally than the traditional Campbell’s classic,” Tills said. The Well Yes! version is higher in protein and lower in sodium, but it is still regarded as high in sodium because it contains half of the daily value in half of the can.
- Serving size: 1 cup (nearly two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 100
- Total fat per serving: 3.5 g
- Sodium per serving: 660 mg
- Fiber per serving: 2 g
- Protein per serving: 5 g
Since organic tofu is used in place of chicken in this vegan noodle soup, it still has a respectable amount of protein, according to Tills. It also contains organic onion, celery and leeks.
One downside: It’s high in sodium.
“Those who are otherwise healthy and on a vegan diet have that option.” But given the high sodium content, Gonzalez advised against recommending it to anyone who is at risk of hypertension, vegan or not.
- Serving size: 1 cup (about two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 80
- Total fat per serving: 2 g
- Sodium per serving: 580 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 5 g
Annie’s Organic Chicken Noodle Soup has less protein than higher-ranked brands and provides almost half of your daily sodium intake if you finish the can (eat just one serving for a quarter), according to Tills.
It’s definitely not a meal replacement, but on a chilly day, it would be perfect as a snack, she added. There isn’t much fiber in this and a good number of ingredients are preservatives because most of the ingredients are concentrates or purees. ” The whole can has about 1 gram of fiber.
- Serving size: 1 cup (about two servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 90
- Total fat per serving: 2 g
- Sodium per serving: 390 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 7 g
“I would recommend this to most people,” Gonzalez said. “It may not cost as much as other high-quality canned soups, but it still has a lot of nutrients.” ”Advertisement.
He highlighted the soup’s low sodium, high protein and 35% of the daily value for vitamin A. But Gonzalez also pointed out that the soup contains some processed ingredients, like modified corn starch and malic acid. Research shows that eating too many processed foods may be bad for our health.
“It is generally a good idea to steer clear of ingredients in processed foods that a typical consumer wouldn’t naturally recognize,” he stated.
- Serving size: 1 cup (two servings per container)
- Calories per serving: 70
- Total fat per serving: 0 g
- Sodium per serving: 540 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 8 g
Gonzalez stated that the 365 Everyday Value line of chicken noodle soup at Whole Foods “is an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A.” It contains 60% of your daily value of vitamin A. Although the sodium content is still high, it makes up more than 33% of your daily value per serving. This is because Advertisement.
Tills added that the soup has a good amount of protein and high-quality organic ingredients like carrots, celery, egg noodles, and white meat chicken.
- Serving size: 1 cup (two servings per container)
- Calories per serving: 100
- Total fat per serving: 1.5 g
- Sodium per serving: 430 mg
- Fiber per serving: 2 g
- Protein per serving: 7 g
Another low-sodium option is Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Noodle Soup. According to Frost and Gonzalez, it’s a good source of protein as well. They enjoyed that it contained organic chicken, organic veggies, and chicken bone broth as its main ingredients.
Bone broth contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium, and may offer joint and gut health benefits. Frost called it “a cool bonus ingredient.”Advertisement
- Serving size: 1 cup (1.75 servings per can)
- Calories per serving: 80
- Total fat per serving: 2 g
- Sodium per serving: 130 mg
- Fiber per serving: 1 g
- Protein per serving: 5 g
Nutritionists ranked Health Valley’s chicken noodle soup as the healthiest, citing its low sodium content (E2%80%99) as the reason for its low nutritional value per serving (E2%80%95% just 6% of the daily value), which is a great substitute for canned soup. Moreover, it provides 2020% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A per serving.
Another benefit, according to Gonzalez, is that the majority of its ingredients are organic and well-known, like organic carrots, celery, and dark meat chicken.
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