Soup Is a Diet Staple in the Winter, But How Healthy Is It? (2024)

Soup is a winter staple for almost everyone; both cooks and regular regular food lovers typically have their favorites. We tend to think of soup as a healthy food, because it typically has some combination of protein, carbs, and fat all in one portion-controlled bowl, but is that true? Is soup healthy?

Lizzie Kasparek, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., a sports dietitian in Madison, Wisconsin, and Cara Harbstreet, M.S., R.D., L.D., coauthor of The Healing Soup Cookbook tells Bicycling that soup is, typically, a great postride meal because it is frequently nutritious, and is almost always refreshing. Here’s the full scoop.

Why is soup healthy?

According to both Kasparek and Harbstreet, soups are a great—and filling—way to meet your nutritional needs in one go, as long as you keep an eye on the ingredients.

Soups make a great all-in-one meal: You can get carbs from noodles, rice, or potatoes; protein from beans or meat; fats from oils; and essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from vegetables and herbs, Kasparek says.

Both dietitians also agree that the liquid base of soup helps to rehydrate, which is especially important in the winter when you aren’t sweating as much and not as likely to reach for water after a ride.

“Produce in general is hydrating—tomatoes, squash, peppers, onions—and when you pair vegetables with broths and stocks that are a liquid, that contributes to your overall fluid intake,” Harbstreet says.

Before you read the exact number recommended in the dietary reference intake (DRI), you should know that these numbers are for total fluid intake, which includes water in all foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and, yes, soup. Accordingly, the recommendation per day for men is 16 cups and for women, it is 12 cups. It’s worth noting, however, that these numbers depend on a number of factors—one of which is how much you sweat during a workout. For every 2.2 pounds a person loses, 1 liter of fluids (sweat) is lost and you should replace it.

That said, not all soups are created equally, because they don't all include the three macronutrients: Carbs are your body’s main source of fuel on a ride, protein helps build and repair your muscles, and healthy fats boost your heart health and help your body absorb essential vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.

What’s the best type of soup to eat?

The short answer: The kind of soup you like the best, even if it’s a creamy soup or a bisque.

While many cyclists think that thicker soups are less healthy than their broth- or stock-based counterparts, that’s not necessarily true, according to both dietitians.

“If you enjoy a food, and it’s appetizing and flavorful, you’re more likely to get that nutrition in,” Harbstreet says. “Plus, athletes who are expending a lot of energy might want to eat a creamier soup since it’s more satiating.”

That’s not to say you should ditch your beloved miso soup if that’s what you enjoy. While it’s not as nutrient-dense, you can always add more filling ingredients to it—or eat them on the side, Kasparek recommends.

Just be mindful when it comes to portion sizes and toppings, Kasparek says, especially on days you are not riding. If you serve yourself ladlefuls of sausage and potato soup with cheese and sour cream on top, it’s not as balanced as a green vegetable soup with a few slices of sausage.

Nevertheless, some so-called creamy soups actually get their texture from vegetables such as sweet potato or squash, so it’s best to read the nutrition label to make sure the first few ingredients are protein, vegetables, or water (broth).

Is canned soup healthy?

It’s one thing to control the ingredients in a pot of soup you cook, but what about canned soup? One thing to watch out for, according to Harbstreet, is sodium. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (moving toward no more than 1,500 mg per day), but, as Harbstreet points out, athletes “do have higher sodium needs than the average person,” since this electrolyte plays a role in muscle and nerve function during exercise.

While the amount of sodium you need as a cyclist depends on a variety of factors—like how much sweat you lose during your workout—you do need to make sure you get enough before a ride and during a ride (between 500 mg and 700 mg per hour).

Stock versus broth: which is healthier?

Broth is thinner than stock, meaning it has about half the calories than stock (1 cup of chicken broth contains 38 calories, while 1 cup of chicken stock contains 86 calories). Bone broth, specifically, contains gelatin and collagen from the bones, which help promote postworkout recovery, according to Harbstreet.

However, stock contains more essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, potassium, and selenium. And it’s worth noting that consuming chicken broth before exercise has been found to improve high-intensity cycling performance, according to a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Why soup is especially healthy in winter

Because you might not feel as overheated during a winter workout as you would on a 90-degree summer day, Harbstreet says opting for a low-sodium can of soup is fine if you know you aren’t sweating a ton. “Especially during winter, it’s difficult to calculate your sweat loss, or you may not be noticing those white sweat streaks on your face or clothes,” Harbstreet says.

The bottom line on whether soup is healthy

Soup is an easy and convenient way to get all of your essential nutrients into one dish. As Harbstreet points out, a good soup contains basically every macronutrient.

Plus, you can make a big batch, then freeze the smaller batches to use as meal prep for the week, Kasparek recommends.

“It helps warm you up if you’re [riding] in cold weather and need to warm up afterward—and you’ll still have the nutrients you need to recover,” Kasparek says.

Want to make your own? Here are some of Bicycling’s favorite soup recipes.