"Souper" Benefits of Soup

It doesn't matter if you're in Florida, Ohio, California or British Columbia, Canada, when cold weather sweeps through nothing seems to taste better than a cup of soup. Almost every region or country around the globe has its own special recipe. In New England it's all about Clam Chowder, Gazpacho is the specialty in southern Spain, and San Francisco is known for Cioppino. Soup also seems to be our “go to” when we're sick. Many people, including doctors will tell you to go home and have some chicken noodle soup. Are there really any true benefits to eating soup other than it tastes good? The American Heart Association recommends adults consume eight or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Soups are an easy way to make that goal a reality. Almost any vegetable can be used in soup, butternut squash, tomatoes, onions, turnips, broccoli and much more. Vegetables are chock full of vitamins, such as A and C, and cream soups up your calcium and vitamin D intake. Add beans to your soup, and you have now added fiber. For example, chili has beans, tomatoes and all sorts of vegetables. The beans add fiber and the tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that researchers at Penn State University say may help reduce the risk of cancer. Couple that with the other vegetables and you have a well rounded meal in a bowl. [gallery orderby="rand"]