In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleThe Best SoupsHow to Choose
In This ArticleView All
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In This Article
The Best Soups
How to Choose
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Photo:Jacob Fox
Jacob Fox
Sweater weather has officially returned. As the temperatures dip, we’re looking forward to donning our favorite knits and cooking up a pot of soup. It’s not just a delicious option for staying warm either—soup can be a healthy addition to your routine. In fact, the right soup recipe can check all the nutrition boxes and help you manage your blood sugars. Many soups are packed with health-promoting ingredients like protein, fiber and antioxidants while also being low in saturated fat, which is important since heart disease is closely linked with diabetes.
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Unfortunately, the cold weather months also coincide with the return of cold and flu season. Luckily, your favorite soup recipe may be the perfect dish to get in the essential nutrients your immune system needs to ward off the sniffles. If you haven’t been staying on top of your beverage intake with the season change or you’re already feeling under-the-weather, broth-based soups can help you stay hydrated.
Read on to find out what dietitians recommend for the best soups for staying healthy and hydrated if you have diabetes. Plus, we’ll share helpful tips for choosing the best diabetes-friendly soup options.
The Best Soups If You Have Diabetes
1. Lentil Soup
If you are trying to manage your blood sugars, lentil soup is a great pick because it’s high in fiber and plant-based protein but lower in saturated fat, saysVandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, a Los Angeles-based plant-based and diabetes expert. In fact, a 1-cup portion of cooked lentils provides 18 grams of protein and an impressive 16 grams of fiber.“This nutrition profile makes it nutrient-dense, satisfying and blood sugar friendly,” she says.
2. Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup makes for a nutrient-dense meal because it is rich in fiber and packed with veggies and plant-based protein, saysJessica DeGore, RD, CDCES, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist. These qualities make it a solid choice when trying to manage blood sugars.
In addition, if you struggle to meet your nonstarchy vegetable target for the day, adding a cup or bowl of minestrone can help get you there. If you are worried about the carbs from the pasta in a traditional minestrone, DeGore suggests choosing whole-wheat pasta for extra fiber or swapping pasta for another whole grain. (Farrowould be great.) Try one of our favoriteminestrone souprecipes like thisSlow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone SouporVegan Minestrone Soup.
3. Chili
“Vegetable chili is another option that is packed with fiber, plant protein and complex carbs. Without the meat, this chili is often made with more veggies and beans, making it a hearty and diabetes-friendly choice,” adds Sheth. One of our favorite plant-based chili recipes is thisVegetarian Butternut Squash Chili with Black Beans, or try this high-proteinTurkey Chilioption.
4. Pureed Vegetable Soup
Do you have some veggies in the fridge that need to be used up ASAP? Make a pot ofpureed vegetable soup. From broccoli to tomato or carrot, the options are endless for pureed vegetable soups. Not only simple to make, these smooth soups are also a boon for blood sugar management since they’re loaded with fiber and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. Plus, they tend to be lower in carbs too.
Many veggie soups will also be rich in immune-supporting nutrients like vitamins A and C. Dig out your immersion blender (or a traditional blender) and make ourRoasted Carrot Soup,Cauliflower Soup,Sheet-Pan Tomato SouporPersian-Style Butternut Squash Soup.
5. Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is a quintessential comfort food. Not only does it offer coziness, but chicken soup is a nutrient-dense option for bolstering your immune system while also being easy to make lower-carb. If you want to optimize the protein in your next pot of chicken soup,Gina Jones, M.S., RDN,owner of Gina Jones Nutrition, recommends usingbone brothfor extra protein, vitamins and minerals.
There are countless variations of chicken soup, but chicken vegetable soup is Jones’ top soup pick for diabetes. “The protein from the chicken broth and chicken helps with satiety and aids in blood sugar regulation. The nonstarchy vegetables (such as carrots, greens, celery) help provide additional nutrients and fiber, which curbs cravings and improves satiety and blood sugar regulation.” Try one of these soul-nourishing chicken soup recipes this week:Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables & BarleyorEasy Chicken Soup with Tortilla Crisps.
How to Choose a Soup for Healthy Blood Sugar
These tips will help you navigate choosing the right soup option that will support healthy blood sugars (and maybe even reach your hydration goals):
The Bottom Line
Embrace the cooler weather and cook up a pot of soup. While it may seem like a humble dish, soup is a multitasker when it comes to supporting your health goals like staying hydrated, eating more vegetables and reaching the recommended daily fiber target. Soup can be rich in protein and fiber, while lower in carbs and saturated fat, all of which help support diabetes management. Not only that, many soups provide immune-supporting nutrients like vitamins A and C, zinc and iron, key to fending off cold weather viruses. Time to get out the stockpot!
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt.Clarke ST, Sarfaraz S, Qi X, Ramdath DG, Fougere GC, Ramdath DD.A Review of the Relationship between Lentil Serving and Acute Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: Effects of Dietary Fibre, Protein and Carbohydrates.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):849. Published 2022 Feb 18. doi:10.3390/nu14040849Nitzke D, Czermainski J, Rosa C, Coghetto C, Fernandes SA, Carteri RB.Increasing dietary fiber intake for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review.World J Diabetes. 2024;15(5):1001-1010. doi:10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.1001
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt.Clarke ST, Sarfaraz S, Qi X, Ramdath DG, Fougere GC, Ramdath DD.A Review of the Relationship between Lentil Serving and Acute Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: Effects of Dietary Fibre, Protein and Carbohydrates.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):849. Published 2022 Feb 18. doi:10.3390/nu14040849Nitzke D, Czermainski J, Rosa C, Coghetto C, Fernandes SA, Carteri RB.Increasing dietary fiber intake for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review.World J Diabetes. 2024;15(5):1001-1010. doi:10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.1001
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt.Clarke ST, Sarfaraz S, Qi X, Ramdath DG, Fougere GC, Ramdath DD.A Review of the Relationship between Lentil Serving and Acute Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: Effects of Dietary Fibre, Protein and Carbohydrates.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):849. Published 2022 Feb 18. doi:10.3390/nu14040849Nitzke D, Czermainski J, Rosa C, Coghetto C, Fernandes SA, Carteri RB.Increasing dietary fiber intake for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review.World J Diabetes. 2024;15(5):1001-1010. doi:10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.1001
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt.
Clarke ST, Sarfaraz S, Qi X, Ramdath DG, Fougere GC, Ramdath DD.A Review of the Relationship between Lentil Serving and Acute Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: Effects of Dietary Fibre, Protein and Carbohydrates.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):849. Published 2022 Feb 18. doi:10.3390/nu14040849
Nitzke D, Czermainski J, Rosa C, Coghetto C, Fernandes SA, Carteri RB.Increasing dietary fiber intake for type 2 diabetes mellitus management: A systematic review.World J Diabetes. 2024;15(5):1001-1010. doi:10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.1001
