Soups are a great way to fuel your body with more plant-based foods, like vegetables and grains.
Finding canned or pre-made soups that meet both the RENEW criteria for a low-sodium soup and that taste good can be difficult, but they do exist.
RENEW rules of thumb:
Low-sodium. If the soup is your meal, make sure the serving has less than 600 mg of sodium. If it’s a side component of your meal, keep the sodium between 200-300 mg/serving.
Broth-based over creamy. Broth-based soups are almost always a healthier choice than cream-based ones.
Protein: chicken, lentils, or beans (like black beans, kidney beans, red beans, and garbanzo). Try to get at least 5-10 g per serving, especially if it’s your meal.
Fiber: vegetables, legumes, quinoa, sweet potatoes. Look for at least 4-8 g per serving.
Daily Sodium Limits:
1,500mg/day for those with high blood pressure
2,300mg/day for those with normal blood pressure
If you have kidney disease, check for potassium and phosphorous additives.
Nowadays, there are tons of low-sodium soup options. Below isn’t a comprehensive list. You can also determine if a soup is a healthier choice by using the RENEW rules of thumb.
Amy's Light in Sodium Organic Lentil Vegetable (vegan)
Amy's Light in Sodium Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque (vegan)
Pacific Foods Organic Roasted Red Pepper Light in Sodium (vegetarian)
Imagine Organic Light in Sodium Butternut Squash Creamy Soup (vegan)
Imagine Creamy Potato Leek Soup (vegan)
Health Valley Organic Chicken Noodle Soup No Salt Added or Low Sodium
Health Valley Organic No Salt Added Minestrone (vegan)
Progresso Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Dr. McDougall's Garden Vegetable Lower Sodium Soup (vegan)
Kettle & Fire Spicy Cauliflower Bone Broth Soup
Koyo Reduced Sodium Garlic Pepper Ramen (vegan)
Proper Good Southwest Chili (vegan)
Beyond Broth Organic Instant Sipping Broth (vegan). DYK that sipping plant-based broth can boost your immunity, aid in digestion, and give you an energy boost.
Enhance your store-bought soup by adding foods, like non-starchy vegetables (i.e. broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, kale, and zucchini), barley, legumes, potatoes, rotisserie chicken, etc.
If you feel like cooking up a batch of soup, use a low-sodium broth like Pacific, Imagine Food, or 365 Organic chicken or vegetable broths. Zero- and lower-sodium bouillon like Herb Ox Sodium-Free Bouillon or Orrington Farms Low Sodium Broth Base and Seasoning are also good options. For RENEW soup recipes, visit the RENEW recipe page, keyword search “soup”.
How To Pick a Healthy & Satisfying Low-Sodium Soup