Soups are versatile, easy to prepare, and are a great food to start making now and then freeze until colder weather arrives.
These are some of our favorite recipes because they supply muscle-building protein and many other nutrients that active women need, and most of them double as entrées and side dishes.
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Healthy Eating
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5 Healthy Versions of Common Comfort Foods
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<p class="article__subtitle">Anything cheesy and fried sounds great—but only if you want to ruin your diet. Kick your comfort foo...</p>
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<p class='slide-count'>1 of 6</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2024/1124/20241124110539106.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine</p>Stoup
If your diet is short on vegetables, whip up a batch of this “stoup,” whose satisfying consistency falls somewhere between soup and stew.
The vegetables, including beans, pack in the potassium, a mineral that experts say we fall short on. Potassium is especially important for normal muscle contraction, communication between nerve cells, and normal fluid balance, among other functions.
One serving of veggie stoup provides nearly 25% of your daily potassium needs and supplies about a third of your fiber requirements, too.
The fiber that occurs naturally in foods may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type-2 diabetes. Fiber also provides feelings of fullness, which may help with weight control.
Click here for the full recipe.
Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine
Chili
Chili is a go-to meal when you’re tight on time. This dish is ready in about 20 minutes, so it makes perfect weeknight fare. It’s simple and nearly a meal in itself, thanks to all the protein, fiber, and vegetables it packs.
Beans are responsible for much of the fiber, protein, and iron necessary to keep energy levels high. Canned beans offer convenience, but choose reduced-sodium varieties and rinse them to keep sodium content low.
Feel free to turn up the heat with diced jalapeño, more cumin, dried oregano, or all of the above.
You can also swap in lean ground beef for the turkey, or go meatless by using a third can of beans.
Click here for the full recipe.
Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine
Salmon Chowder
On average, adults eat about 3½oz of seafood a week, a far cry from the USDA’s suggested minimum of 8oz weekly to help protect against the risk of heart disease.
This chowder helps you include more heart-healthy omega-3 fats, which also play a role in soothing inflamed muscles and joints.
Salmon also harbors high levels of vitamin D. In addition to possibly improving immunity and guarding against breast and ovarian cancers, vitamin D helps calcium keep bones strong.
Click here for the full recipe
Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine
Slow Cooker Middle Eastern Stew
There’s nothing like having this dish ready to eat at the end of a long day. It’s full of flavor and good for you, too. Ground spices turn this hearty stew into a nutritional powerhouse.
Cinnamon provides more antioxidants than fresh blueberries, and ground ginger and cumin contribute cell-protecting qualities.
California raisins also lend antioxidant power and provide natural sweetness, fiber, and potassium, with nearly no sodium.
Dark chicken meat supplies more iron than white meat, and it costs less, too.
Click here for the full recipe.
Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Asparagus is a treasure trove of vitamin K, which your body needs to bolster bone strength and regulate blood clotting.
The carotenoids found in asparagus make for its pretty green hue and double as anti-inflammatory compounds. Asparagus can also claim high levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that guards against cell damage from intense exercise and everyday living.
Don’t let the name fool you: This is a vegetarian dish. The soup’s creamy consistency is achieved by blending the ingredients, and no cream is required.
Click here for the full recipe.
Moya McAllister / M+F Magazine
Mushroom and Egg Drop Soup
They pale in comparison, but mushrooms have as many valuable nutrients, including selenium and antioxidants, as brightly colored vegetables.
Mushrooms are the only fresh fruit or vegetable with vitamin D. Shiitake mushrooms add a meaty flavor and texture to this egg drop soup, but you can use white button mushrooms instead.
Eggs provide a protein punch, and fortified varieties, such as Eggland’s Best, offer twice the D, 10 times the E, and double the omega-3 fats of regular eggs.
Click here for the full recipe.