Chicken Noodle Soup: Not The Comfort Food You Thought? Discover The Surprising Reasons Why It Could Be Bad For You (2024)

FAQs

Is chicken noodle soup bad for you? ›

Chicken noodle soup is a great source of vitamins, minerals and provides a healthy amount of carbohydrates and fat, too.

Foul odor: If the soup smells off or has a sour, rancid odor, it's a clear sign of spoilage. Fresh chicken noodle soup should have a pleasant aroma. If you can't smell anything, give it a stir to let break the possibly frozen surface.

Chicken soup is synonymous with comfort, nourishment, and warmth; serving a steaming bowl is a simple act of care, whether it's for yourself, your family, a friend, or a neighbor. Chicken noodle soup is a much-loved classic, and there are so many more ways to prepare chicken and broth!

Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus. The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.

Chicken noodle soup

However, canned versions tend to be very high in sodium, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure in people sensitive to dietary salt ( 13 ). For example, a 1-cup (106-gram) serving of canned chicken noodle soup may provide up to 80% of the recommended daily intake for sodium ( 24 , 25 ).

Unfortunately, there is a catch: Many canned soup products tend to fall on the "unhealthier" side of the healthy-eating spectrum, due to the large amounts of sodium, preservatives, and added sugars they can contain.

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by' date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor.

According to State Food Safety, leftover food should be tossed after one week — but according to the USDA, a number of foods should actually be thrown out before that seven-day mark. For example, per the USDA, cooked patties, soups, stews, and casseroles, should be in your fridge for no longer than three or four days.

A clear, vegetable-based soup with some acidity, such as tomatoes, may last longer. Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days. Creamy soups will most likely last three days, and seafood soup two or three days.

Comfort foods, like chicken soup, boost levels of serotonin, which is a brain chemical that produced a calming effect.

Does chicken soup have real chicken? ›

It's a pretty safe estimate to say there's about one ounce of actual chicken in a ten-ounce can of soup.

“In particular, chicken is an excellent source of the amino acid cysteine, which has been shown to help thin mucus and help you manage cold and flu symptoms.” The broth that serves as the base of chicken soup can also provide fluids and electrolytes that help the body fight off infections, Collier noted.

Rich in nutrients

Most chicken soup recipes starts with onion, carrots, celery; but any vegetables you add will deliver fiber, vitamins and minerals. Lastly—the noodles you choose are important. Whole-grain noodles will add more fiber and protein than white noodles, but most pastas deliver some protein, fiber and iron.

Zinc is one of the very important nutrients involved in the immune system, increasing resistance, easy digestion. Therefore, abstaining from chicken when coughing is not advisable. On the contrary, parents should give their children chicken meat supplements when coughing to increase the child's resistance.

Along with a high saturated fat content, soup can come with an overload of sodium, as well. The American Heart Association recommends the average person consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but an ordinary can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup already has 890 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Chicken soup has long been used as a home remedy for cold and flu. Some scientific evidence indicates that the soup could be anti-inflammatory. Though research is scant, experts say chicken soup is worth a try when you're sick.

Clear chicken soup also has the goodness of protein in it, due to the presence of chicken. Protein further helps in achieving desired weight loss goals by inducing a feeling of satiety, which saves you from overeating and bingeing on other fattening foods.