nutrients in soup

Question
I am a big big fan of soups and stews - mainly a load of vegetables with a base such as oxtail or osso busco as flavour, or minestrone.  Because my soups are in large batches, I tend to have 2-3 days' worth of dinner!  I always thought this was healthy because of all the veggies.

However, someone recently told me that soups were not nutritious at all.  They said this was because any vegetables in it had all their nutrients 'boiled out' (hence their yellowish rather than green colour, etc).  They also said that fatty meats like osso bucco / oxtail would lead to cholesteral problems.

Could you please advise on this?  I'm quite dismayed!

Answer
Good morning Gabs

The meat you add to soup does contain Cholesterol but, in soup you usually eat less meat then you would if you where eating that same meat as a main course so consuming meat in soup may in your case still be healthier. Another thing, meat does have Cholesterol in it, but it is OK to eat, just not in excess. Moderation is the key to a healthy diet along with portion control.  As for the vegetables, your friend is correct about them losing most of their nutrients when you cook them. The best way to eat vegetables is raw or partially cooked or eating them completely directly after cooking them to be able to take advantage of their vitamin as much as possible. In defense of soup it is still considered a complete and healthy alternative to many other food choices.

Thanks For Writing


Larry S.  

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