Embracing Active Living and Nutrient-Rich Soups

On a chilly winter evening, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a steaming bowl of soup to warm you up. While it might be tempting to hibernate during the cold season, maintaining an active lifestyle is crucial year-round, even when it’s frosty outside. After a brisk winter walk, reward yourself with a hearty bowl of soup.

Taking a walk has numerous health advantages, making it an ideal exercise for beginners that can be squeezed into even the busiest days. All you need is a pair of comfy shoes, warm clothing, and the determination to stay active throughout the holiday season!

One of the greatest things about soup is its versatility as a quick and simple homemade meal. Moreover, it can be a powerhouse of nutritious ingredients like vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins. There are plenty of ways to enhance the nutrient content of your soup while keeping it deliciously uncomplicated.

Benefits of Walking

Before embarking on any exercise routine, it’s crucial to consult with your doctor. Nevertheless, walking is generally a form of exercise accessible to most individuals. Here are a few advantages of incorporating walking into your routine:

• It’s free!
• It can be done anywhere and without any equipment
• It is easy on your joints, yet helps strengthen your bones
• It reduces stress and can help you sleep better at night
• It shapes and tones your lower body
• It improves your mood and your outlook on life
• It can help reduce your cholesterol and reduce your risk of developing heart disease

Soup Making Basics

Creating homemade soup doesn’t have to be a daunting task! All you need are delectable ingredients and a flavorful base. Explore these methods to elevate your soup from simple to scrumptious:

Choose the right broth: Having a good stock or broth is the starting point when making soup. If you are using store-bought, try to choose a broth that is lower in sodium for heart health. An even better alternative to buying stock or broth is to simply make your own! All you will need is a pot, water, and whatever vegetables, chicken or meat you want to add in. Cook everything in the pot for about an hour, strain the ingredients out and you have instant homemade broth! This is great because not only do you know exactly what ingredients it contains, but it is easy to make in bulk and freeze for multiple soup recipes.

Veggies for Volume: Incorporating a variety of vegetables and legumes into any soup is a great way to sneak in extra vitamins and nutrients. Tossing in some spinach, arugula, bok choy, or even pureed zucchini or yellow squash is quite easy to add extra nutrients and texture. Legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas are excellent sources of fiber, are rich in protein, and are tasty additions to any soup or stew.

Whole Grain Goodness: Use whole grain noodles when making noodle soups. You can also top your soup with a scoop of cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet, or buckwheat. Adding whole grains to your soup will make it more of a substantial meal.  It also adds fiber, and B vitamins, and is an easy way to sneak in one of your three whole-grain servings you should be getting per day!

Tempting Toppers: To get that extra crunch, slice up some toasted whole wheat bread or crush up some whole grain crackers into your soup to increase your soup’s fiber content. Garnishing your soup with fresh basil or cilantro gives a decadent appearance while adding flavor. Try a scoop of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt with a creamy texture and added protein.

There are endless ways to turn seemingly boring soups into delicious and healthy meals. Making substitutions and incorporating vegetables, whole grains, and legumes is all there is to it. Feel free to get creative and you will be enjoying warm, comforting soup all winter long!

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