With the arrival of winter, soups and stews offer an easy, tasty, and nutritious way to chase away the winter chill.
“Use soups and stews to add more cancer-fighting vegetables to your diet,” said Melissa Crawley, M.D., oncologist with Texas Oncology–Boerne. “Low fat, high fiber soups and stews can aid in weight management by reducing hunger and helping you stay full longer.”
Soups made with bone, vegetable or meat-based broths provide vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and they are lower in calories than creamy soups. When adding vegetables to soups, shop the rainbow:
Red–Tomatoes and red bell peppers
Orange—Sweet potatoes and carrots
Yellow—Garlic and onion
Blue-Purple—Blue potatoes, beets, or purple cabbage. Sweet potatoes, carrots and onions also come in purple varieties
Green—Spinach, celery and herbs like basil and parsley
Chili is another option for winter menus. Tomato-based chilis have cancer-fighting properties whether canned or fresh tomatoes are used. The chili pepper contains capsaicin, a compound known for its anti-carcinogenic properties. Chili pepper and chili powder contain vitamin C, an immune system booster, and can reduce appetite and increase metabolism.