Benefits of Eating Soup Before Meal

Submitted by Loring A. Windblad on December 16, 2009

Soups are the first course of any elaborate dining experience and are sometimes the most looked-forward-to part of the meal. Typically, soups are made from boiling and extracting the flavor out of any vegetable, fruit, or meat. These are clear soups. Soups can then be thickened by the addition of vegetable purées or even the use of cream and eggs. Some commercial soups are a meal unto themselves especially with the addition of noodles and other preparations.

These can be a lifeline to people during illness as it is sometimes the most soothing treatment that one can have.

Soup is not an absolutely important part of meals but its addition makes for good digestion. This is because of two factors – the intake of water and the use of spices in soup.

Soup that contains spices like ginger, garlic, pepper, and other spices all have the effect of settling the stomach and sometimes even inducing acid production in preparation for a meal afterwards. Many of us don’t have an adequate amount of water after our meals, which is essential for digestion. Having soup and brown bread in this regard works wonders for digestion.

When we don’t have enough fiber and water in our diet, constipation can be an end result. From the perspective of feeding children, soup can be a useful tool. As most of us know, children can be picky eaters and vegetables like broccoli are generally refused or promptly spewed out.

In this regard, soup can be used to ensure that adequate taste is given to broccoli and other greens to ensure that a child gets the nutrition that he or she requires. In elderly people, soup can again be a lifeline because it is easier to digest pureed food than to swallow tough, indigestible chunks of vegetables.

Commercial soups are usually quite a good alternative to spending hours in the kitchen stirring and extracting flavor from vegetables. There are some health concerns in the use of these especially if they contain too much salt or trans fats.

Trans fats are fats that contain LDL, which is responsible for the buildup of cholesterol plaque in the arteries of the heart causing heart disease. There are absolutely no down sides to eating simple, home-made soup and an additional benefit lies in the fact that they are great for weight watchers. Soup being so high in water content and less in actual food makes for an excellent diet while still getting essential nutrients.