by Sandra Piddock

Created on: April 10, 2010

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be soup. I don't mean canned or packet soups - although as a child my two favourite soups were Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup and Oxtail Soup - I'm talking about good old fashioned, home made soup. My husband says I must have been a witch in a previous incarnation, as I always have a cauldron on the stove! So what are the benefits of soup over other foods?

It's easy to cook

Anyone can make soup. All you need is a large pan, some ingredients, and some seasoning. Soup making is an art, not a science, so you can use whatever you have available to make a nourishing soup. Just saute your vegetables in a little oil, add some tinned or chopped fresh tomatoes, stock and seasoning for a basic vegetable soup. Follow one of the many soup recipes available online for other options.

It's a natural, healthy option

All those vegetables make soup a healthy option. Soup is low fat - unless you add cream or milk - and because it's made with all natural ingredients, there are no additives to worry about. A diet that regularly includes soup is a diet that cuts down on processed foods, and that's good news for everyone. Many nutrition experts agree that cutting down on processed foods and eating more natural foods can protect against cancer, so your soup could be a life saver!

It's a filling comfort food

If you're watching your weight, soup is a filling meal choice at a relatively low calorie cost, and if it's cold outside, a hearty bowl of soup will soon warm you up. People who have lost their appetite through illness can usually manage a bowl of soup, and even the most fussy eaters can usually be tempted by a steaming bowl of home made soup. 

It's economical

Everyone seems to be watching the pennies these days, and soup is an economical choice. However, when you tuck into o bowl of rich, home made soup, you'd never guess you were eating on a budget. You can use up odds and ends of leftover vegetables or meat that wouldn't make another meal, but you wouldn't want to throw away. Even leftover cooked vegetables from Sunday lunch can be turned into a soup for Monday. Make your soup even more economical by cooking in bulk and freezing for future meals.

As far as I'm concerned, soup is one of the greatest inventions ever - but then, you'd already guessed that, hadn't you?

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