Lunch time

Today I decided to make a vegetable soup with left over veggies from our stock here at home. I've always read from various sources about having a cup of soup before meals to eat less of the main course, therefore saving your stomach calories. Here's what I made:

Vegetable soup = 68 calories/1 cup (this particular batch made 11 servings-enough for a week!)



Preparing the soup went a little like this: I boiled about 4 cups of water and threw in two chicken bouillon cubes. Once they dissolved I started throwing in vegetables. I cut up one full size squash and zucchini, added in a full can of corn, and a can of stewed tomatoes, cut up one serving size of baby carrots, about 1/2 cup of celery, one whole onion, and a sweet potato cut into wedges. If it looked too concentrated, extra water could be added in. I also added various spices including parsley, salt and pepper, etc.

Super easy! And very healthy for you. It's also very easy to freeze and reheat later, pouring it into a freezer Ziploc bag. Back when I used to watch Jon and Kate plus 8 (back when Jon was still sticking around), I remember Kate made various types of soup and made big enough batches to freeze and store. This is especially a good idea when you have so many vegetables available to you over the summer. You can use them and freeze them, then reheat when fall or winter arrives to enjoy that summer flavor. Serve with bread or crackers, preferably whole wheat.

When you have a busy schedule like we do, it is really easy to have similar lunches everyday. Especially for us adults that don't mind sticking to what we like. Pair soup with salad, sandwich, or a wrap for that middle of the day surge in energy. You can save up your calories for dinner and snacks without breaking the bank for prepackaged meals at the grocery store.