Article Category: Nutrition
Author: Shifa Fatima, MSc.
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Apoorva T, MHM.
Review Date: April 20, 2022
Soup makes a great healthy and nutritious meal, whether consumed during the night or day. If you are craving warm and comforting food, you can simply cook a packet of the best soups for diabetics that are available in the market, such as Knorr ready-to-cook soups. But here's a primary question that arises: Is Knorr soup good for diabetics?
The foremost reason for people adopting readymade recipes and ready-to-eat food items is their busy schedules. Knorr soup might prove to be a yummy and easy to prepare soup, but it is composed of abundant syrups, added sugars, and trans fats.
Diabetes is a disease where the body cannot metabolize the sugar in your bloodstream. It requires a person to abstain from certain ingredients that might be bad for their health.
Another question is: Is soup good for diabetics? Well, the answer to this is a big yes!
This article compares the ingredients of Knorr versus homemade soups to help you make an informed decision about soup consumption for diabetes management.
Knorr ready-to-cook soups contain the following ingredients:
Knorr soup contains starch, and it is a well known fact that starch is the source of carbohydrates, raising questions about whether people with diabetes should or should not consume Knorr soups.
In addition to preservatives to prevent rapid spoiling of food and increase its shelf life, Knorr soups also contain thickeners, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers.
| Nutritional Component | Per 100g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 348 kcal |
| Protein | 5 grams |
| Carbohydrate | 73.7 grams |
| Sugars | 29.5 grams |
| Dietary fiber | 2.3 grams |
| Total fat | 3.6 grams |
| Saturated fat | 1.9 grams |
| Trans fat | 0.03 grams |
| Sodium | 3.041 grams |
Although Knorr claims to add 100% natural vegetables, they are dried. Dried veggies will never taste the same as fresh ones. They are deprived of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Vitamin A: Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant and has immunity-boosting properties abundant in green leafy vegetables. It is an essentially needed vitamin by patients having diabetes.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant. It is essential for iron metabolism in the body.
One needs to add preservatives in small quantities to prevent rapid spoiling of food and increase its shelf life. Homemade soups do not need to add any preservatives, added sugars, glucose syrups, or trans fats. In addition to using pure vegetables, homemade soups do not contain thickeners, emulsifiers, or flavor enhancers.
As the ingredient list implies, homemade soup has no cons, except it requires some of your time cooking it. Thus, without any doubt, homemade soups are a healthier choice over commercial ones.
Knorr soup should not be consumed by patients diagnosed with diabetes. It can make you prone to various complications due to the nutritional content of Knorr soups or any commercially available soups. Another factor is that instant soups tend to remain undigested for longer durations. It can cause severe abdominal cramps and gas.
Easily Digestible and Absorbable: A homemade soup is easily digestible, absorbable, and assimilable. Your digestive system will digest it easily (digestible). Your tissues will absorb the nutrients from it rapidly (absorbable), and your body will be able to use those nutrients to provide energy instantly.
Low in Calories: It is a bowl full of nutrition and very low or negligible calories.
Nutrient Retention: Essential vitamins and nutrients are retained in the home cooking process.
Controlled Salt Content: Salt content is kept to less than 3g/day for people with diabetes.
Soup is an easy-to-make dish packed with nutrients. However, there's a twist in soup recipes for people with diabetes. Such people must pick ingredients from an already limited list of green leafy veggies and non-starchy food. Most important of all, they must avoid any commercial soups.
The key to making a healthy soup is to focus on the ingredients you choose. Homemade soups have the upper hand as they do not extract the natural moisture, vitamins, and minerals of vegetables. Also, it will serve as a vehicle to help you with your veggie intake. Soups contain a lot of water content, which is essential to keep you hydrated and free from the tension of wearing out.
What other simple, easy-to-make, inexpensive, nutrient-loaded dish do you need to enhance your immunity? Switch to homemade soups for a healthy life and a healthy living.
No, peas are a starch-containing food that can result in a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. Other starchy foods are corn and potatoes. It is best to abstain from consuming these veggies.
Cabbage is one of the diabetic-friendly vegetables. One can easily consume them in a soup or any dish as they are low in starch. They will not elevate your blood sugar levels. Other safe to eat and commonly available veggies are spinach, green beans, broccoli, etc.
No, doctors do not suggest consuming hot and sour soup to those diagnosed with diabetes. It has a high carb content and can lead to weight gain and heart issues.
Tomatoes are great for diabetics since they are high in fibre and have a low glycemic index. The glycemic index of a food indicates how much it will raise blood sugar levels in the body. Tomato soup, especially homemade, is a healthy option for diabetics.
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