Soups: Hearty, homemade nutritious and a money saver, too
Print
EmailHomemade soups can be a healthy option for meals. Including vegetables, whole grains and lean protein into one dish is an easy way to get a balanced meal.
A pot of homemade soup is healthy and a resourceful money saver. Soup can be a meal on a cold, blustery winter day or a cool, refreshing treat in spring by combining spring vegetables and fresh local ingredients. In winter a steaming bowl of soup is comfort food in the purest sense and a well-intentioned meal for anyone aiming to eat a little healthier. Steaming bowls of hot, homemade soup can nourish and fortify a body in the cold of winter.
Homemade soups can be a healthy option for meals. Including vegetables, whole grains and lean protein into one dish is an easy way to get a balanced meal. By making and freezing batches of soups, you can save time and have a healthy dish whenever you want. Soups can be money savers because they don't require pricey ingredients. Plus, you can load soups with vegetables, giving your family the nutritious meal they need. Chop up your favorite veggies, add some broth and turn on your crock-pot for a slow-simmering soup dinner.
Preparing homemade soups can also help you are stay in control of what’s in your food. Preparing your own soups allows you to limit the amount of salt in them.
Here is a handy way to freeze soup for later use: Freeze your soup in zipper style freezer bags. You can use the large bags to freeze a family size portion of soup or you can use small bags to make handy individual servings of soup. Just be sure you do not lay the bags directly on any type of rack in the freezer because it can freeze around the rack, which will make it difficult to remove. Simply put a paper plate down first, then one they are frozen you can arrange them on top of each other neatly, stacked to conserve space. To serve the soup, run the bag under water, the frozen soup will just slip right out of the bag. Warm it on the stove or in the microwave and serve. You can also freeze your soup in plastic food grade containers. Simply pour the soup into any size container, leaving about a half-inch of space at the top to give the soup room to expand when it freezes. You can take out the container and let it thaw in the refrigerator, or you can run the bottom of the container under water and the soup cube will just pop out. Then heat the frozen soup on the stove or in the microwave and serve.
Finally, to help you get started on some great soup ideas here is an excellent guide to making homemade-cream of something soups. Also try the USDA recipe finder database.
