The 6 healthiest canned soups to always keep in your pantry, according to a dietitian

January 01, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC

On weeks when I really don’t feel like meal-prepping, I have an easy solution. I buy five canned soups to stash at my desk for speedy lunches. I have my own favorite (Amy’s French Country Vegetable), but just to make sure I’m on the right nutritional track for cozy, mid-day fuel, I asked a dietitian to name the healthiest canned soups on the market.

“Canned soup can be extremely high in sodium, and according to the American Dietary Guidelines, the goal is to stay below 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day,” says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian and author of The Better Period Food Solution. “If you suffer from heart disease or diabetes, you want that goal to even lower: 1,500 milligrams.” The ideal soup, says Beckerman, will have about 400 milligrams of sodium. “That’s less than 20 percent of the total amount of sodium intake a day,” she adds.

As with all your meals, you’ll want to make sure your canned soup of choice balances carbs, fat, protein, and a ton of veggies. Below, Beckerman names the healthiest canned soups that fulfill the criteria of the most popular diets today.

The healthiest canned soups for every diet

Paleo and whole30: TRUE AND PRIMAL GRASS-FED BEEF AND VEGETABLE SOUP

“Not only is this a paleo option, but this soup is made with natural spices and 100 percent grass-fed beef—making it Whole30 approved. It’s also gluten free, high in protein [24 grams], and is packed with colorful and antioxidant-rich veggies like carrots, green beans and tomatoes,” says Beckerman. You couldn’t ask for more, carnivores.

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Everything you need to know about paleo: 

Vegan: AMY’S LOW SODIUM ORGANIC LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

“The base of the soup is water, which allows it to be 50 percent less sodium than their regular soups so you won’t feel bloated. Plus, the lentils make it a great source of vegan-friendly, plant-based protein that’s also high in fiber,” says Beckerman. Thanks to the soup’s 11 grams of protein, you’ll be energized throughout the afternoon.

Vegetarian: PACIFIC FOODS ORGANIC CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

This soup sources its milk from fresh organic, local dairies—so you can feel good about where its animal products are coming from. “Because the first ingredient is milk. it does have a good amount of protein and also contains calcium, which is a plus. Shockingly, for a creamy soup is it low in fat, only 2 grams of fat per serving,” says Beckerman.

Keto: KETTLE AND FIRE MUSHROOM AND BISQUE SOUP

Classic bone broth gets remixed with mushrooms in this product. “This soup is loaded with healthy fat and low in carbs, making it very keto-friendly and helping you stay in ketosis,” says Beckerman. Each serving contains 10 grams of protein, zero sugars, and no preservatives, “which gives it a thumbs up in my ‘keto’ book,” says the dietitian.

What Beckerman wants you to know about keto:

Dash diet: HEALTH VALLEY ORGANIC NO SALT ADDED VEGETABLE SOUP

“Following a low-salt diet is tough, but this soup is wonderful because there’s no salt added to the final product,” says Beckerman. “That being said, it still contains 80 milligrams if you eat the entire can, still making it a low-sodium and heart-healthy option. This soup is packed with antioxidant vitamin A as well as vitamin C and is in line with the DASH principles of a veggie-dense diets. There are 10 different vegetables in this soup!” Did you hear that? 10!

Mediterranean Diet: FISHPEOPLE WILD SEAFOOD BOUILLABAISSE

You’ll find a host of seafood in this soup, including rockfish, shrimp, and clams. “A staple of the Mediterranean Diet is weekly fish intake. It is hard to find fish-based soups that are not chowders. This soup is low in saturated fat with only 1 gram and high in omega-3 fatty acids,” says Beckerman. It’s even certified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch ratings.

The deal with the Mediterranean diet:

These are the gut-friendly snacks dietitians turn to again and again, and the anti-inflammatory food pyramid that deserves to be on your radar.

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Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good
Selected by CWC