|
|
|
Get Nutrients from Soup Ingredients
|
According to Sharon, several food items are healthy, tasty ingredients for soup-making. Examples are apples, pears, papayas, figs, chestnuts, lotus roots, walnuts and black beans (Table 2). In addition, root vegetables such as corns, potatoes and burdock roots are rich in calories (Table 2). They can be used to prepare soup and then served as a dish to go with rice. To absorb the nutrients from foods and increase satiety, you may consume the soup along with its ingredients.
Check out Food Nutrients and Put Healthy Eating into Practice
There are various canned soups and instant soup packs on the market. Sharon reminded us that when purchasing these products, it is advisable to read the food labels and find out whether the food items contain animal fats, preservatives, gourmet powder, artificial colourings and sodium. Attention should also be paid to the serving size to avoid over-eating and excessive intake of salt.
Note: Purines are a substance found in animal cells. When they enter our body, they are metabolised into uric acid. People with too much uric acid or purine metabolic disorders are more prone to gout attacks.
Table 1: Nutrition Information on Raw Meats Commonly Used for Soups
Food Items
((per 100g)) |
Calories
(kcal) |
Protein
(g) |
Carbohydrate
(g) |
Fat
(g) |
Cholesterol
(mg) |
Sodium
(mg) |
| Squab |
201 |
16.5 |
1.7 |
14.2 |
99 |
64 |
| Quail |
110 |
20.2 |
0.2 |
3.1 |
157 |
48 |
| Pork ribs |
208 |
18.9 |
0 |
14.7 |
47 |
100 |
| Lean pork |
101 |
22.2 |
0 |
1.1 |
95 |
54 |
| Pork stomach |
159 |
16.9 |
0 |
10.1 |
223 |
75 |
| Chicken |
167 |
19.3 |
1.3 |
9.4 |
106 |
63 |
| Fish (Basa) |
80 |
15.7 |
0 |
1.8 |
NA |
NA |
| Abalone |
105 |
17.1 |
6 |
0.8 |
85 |
301 |
|
Table 2: Nutrition Information on Vegetables Commonly Used for Soups
Food Items
((per 100g)) |
Calories
(kcal) |
Protein
(g) |
Carbohydrate
(g) |
Fat
(g) |
Cholesterol
(mg) |
Sodium
(mg) |
| Lotus root |
74 |
2.6 |
17.2 |
0.1 |
0 |
40 |
| Yellow corn |
86 |
3.3 |
18.7 |
1.4 |
0 |
15 |
| Carrot |
22 |
1 |
4.6 |
0.1 |
NA |
63 |
| Green radish |
33 |
1.3 |
6.8 |
0.2 |
NA |
70 |
| Winter melon |
9.2 |
0.4 |
1.8 |
0 |
NA |
0 |
| Tomato |
16 |
0.7 |
2.6 |
0 |
NA |
0 |
| Potato |
62 |
2.0 |
13 |
0 |
NA |
0 |
| Papaya |
39 |
0.6 |
9.8 |
0.1 |
0 |
3 |
| Chayote |
19 |
0.8 |
4.5 |
0.1 |
0 |
2 |
| Burdock root |
72 |
1.5 |
17.3 |
0.15 |
0 |
5 |
| Pumpkin |
26 |
1 |
6.5 |
0.1 |
0 |
1 |
| Snow fungus (dried) |
261 |
10 |
67.3 |
1.4 |
NA |
82 |
|
Source: Nutrient Information Inquiry System, Centre for Food Safety |
Remark: “NA” means that relevant nutrient data for that particular food item is not available. |
Tips on Making Healthy Soups
Add ingredients to cold water
Boiling the ingredients in cold water gives the soup a lighter and better taste. When placed in hot water, the ingredients will easily become stiff, making the extraction of flavours more difficult.
Add veggies at last
To reduce loss of nutrients, do not add vegetables until the soup is nearly done.
Use a variety of ingredients
Lotus seeds, foxnut seeds, lily buds, red dates and figs are healthy and nutritious ingredients that can add great flavours to your soups.
Use a vaccum cooker
Making soup in a vacuum cooker saves time and energy. It also reduces water loss and helps retain flavours.
|
Extract from CookSmart, Issue 27 |
|
|
