5 Easy Steps to Build a Healthy Soup
- Start with a liquid – Opt for a low-sodium vegetable, chicken or beef stock. Bring four cups to a low boil in a large saucepan.
- Select a protein – Add approximately 16 ounces of pre-cooked protein to the stock. Good sources of protein include beans, shrimp, ham, chicken, lentils, shredded turkey, beef or tofu.
- Add some veggies – Be generous with the vegetable (we recommend adding at least three). In addition to the usual favorites like carrots, onions and celery, we also suggest branching out and trying leafy greens, squash, cauliflower, broccoli and peppers.
- Choose a whole grain – Add two cups of whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, barley or another grain.
- Bring on the flavor – Kick your soup up a notch with fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme or chives. Lemon juice and garlic are also very versatile and complement most other flavors nicely.
Let your mixture simmer on the stovetop for an hour. You can also add your ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours
If you aren’t quite ready to get creative with your soup, here are a couple of easy-to-make, flavor-packed options that make great weekday lunches or light dinners.
Healthy Sweet and Salty Trail Mix
Serves 20
Sweet is the word with this recipe from Neighbor Food Blog. Dark chocolate chips, banana chips and dried cranberries delight the taste buds while nuts, crackers and a hint of salt afford a full, savory flavor. This mix stays fresh for weeks. So whip up a batch, and enjoy some happy, satisfying snacking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup cashews, salted or unsalted
- 1 cup banana chips
- 1 cup oyster crackers
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until everything is fairly evenly distributed.
- Store in an airtight container.