Few things are as nourishing as a hearty bowl of soup after a long day’s work. While many consider it a winter staple, soup is in fact a great option all year round. Every Sunday in preparation for the week ahead, I create a big batch of broth or soup that I can use as a go-to meal for the week. In an ideal world, we would all be making soup from chicken bones and veggies, but that’s not always realistic. During busy times a healthy packaged soup is the next best thing, so with that in mind, I’ve put together a guide to help you shop for a soup that’s both nutritious and healthy.

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Ignore the Front of the Packaging

When it comes to supermarket shopping, I always encourage my clients to put on their food detective hats. As per the regular GMB shopping advice, I recommend ignoring marketing terms such as ‘low fat’ or ‘sugar free’ and instead take a good hard look at the ingredients and nutritional panel on the label. While it may seem daunting at first; the more you read labels, the easier it becomes.

5 things to look out for when shopping for a healthy packaged soup

1. The salty truth:

According to The Heart Foundation, ‘75 percent of our salt intake comes from packaged and processed foods.’ Packaged soups can be one of the largest culprits for high sodium (salt) content. The Heart Foundation recommends adults eat less than 6g of salt (2400 mg of sodium) a day* , so look for packaged soups that have less than 6g salt in a single serving.

2. Sugar – you are sweet enough:

Some pre-packaged soups are filled with excessive amounts of refined sugar. Always opt for soups that have less than 5% (or 5gm/ 100gm serve) of sugar, or better yet, have no added sugar at all. Be extra careful with tomato or Thai style soups, as they can be big offenders in the sugar department.

3. Avoid artificial:

In the world of packaged foods, artificial ingredients seem to be everywhere. Avoid soups filled with artificial flavours, GMO ingredients and preservatives, opting instead for real foods. Keep an eye out for ingredients lists filled with wholefoods including vegetables, proteins, whole grains and water.

4. Go broth or veg based:

Opt for a vegetable or broth based variety over a cream-based soup. These soups are not only more nutritious but also higher in fibre than cream based soups, which can be laden with calories.

5. Pay attention to packaging:

Avoid BPA packaged soups. According to Choice, ‘BPA is a toxic chemical that can leach into foods from the lacquer lining of cans and from other food containers and bottles made from certain plastics’* . Most BPA free products will be marked accordingly.