Advice Column: Instant Soup

By Noor H. Salem, TMO

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Question: I run off to work and never have time to prepare lunch.  I found instant noodle soup cups that are prepared by adding boiling water. They have chicken flavors and vegetables in the soup. Is this a good idea for a mid-day lunch?

Answer:

Quick meals, high-speed, drive-thru, and instant meals; this country is running on stress. We want to do everything, but we want it done faster and quicker.  Do note though, faster and quicker does not mean healthier. In fact, being under stress around the clock could harm one’s health in the long run. Now, let’s get to the focus: instant soups. Instant noodle soups consist of noodles, dehydrated vegetables (a few pieces of corn, carrots, and peas), chicken stock, and flavoring. But what’s really in the soup? Well, the noodles are made up of enriched flour, which is bleached. The three of four pieces of peas and corn you find in your soup is not even a quarter of a serving. You need vegetables at lunch! The “chicken”-let’s not go there. Tons of artificial and natural flavorings are added to create the stock flavoring. The majority of these soups have over 38 ingredients, a lot more than what you’d use a home. MSG, hydrogenated oils, and a ton of other harmful cheap ingredients are what make your soup so instant and “good”. This soup is not a good lunch. You’re not getting healthy carbohydrates, lacking protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.

You could simply prepare a big batch of soup with lots of fresh vegetables, unbleached noodles, natural stock, grass-fed meat, and your own favorite spices. Pack it in a well-sealed glass tuber ware and you’re good to go. You’d be getting your balanced proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in one dish. You won’t need 38+ ingredients to make it taste good, and you’ll feel good yourself.

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