I’m a big believer in fast food. I’ll bet you even know I’m not talking Mikey D’s or that crowd. No, I’m referring to food that ends up in a bowl or on a plate for my meals as quickly as possible. That’s why I make soup–at least in winter–and freeze it in quart sized batches. I also like soup because it’s a filling, satisfying meal and if you are on a weight loss mission, it’s proven to be a great choice.

There is nothing fancy about these soups, usually it’s a basic chicken with some veggies, brown rice or barley, and the occasional carrot ginger or minestrone. When it comes time to eat it, though I’m happy it’s there, looking down at it in the pan I’m left wanting. If it’s chicken soup, the veggies are carrots, celery and onions, maybe a mushroom. Plenty of good stuff but the texture is soft and the colors have blanded out. (Yes I made that word up)

Then there is the constant awareness I have about how many servings of vegetables we are supposed to get to stay healthy. Missing an opportunity to include extra veggies means I’ll be short at days end and I’m doing my best to feed the old engine what it needs.

Soup is an excellent place to add some veggies. By doing so the nutrition increases, as do the fiber, texture and satiety. You’ll feel a lot more satisfied after a huge bowl of vegetable rich chicken soup than you will after a measly bowl with a few stock vegetables in there.

I’m also a big fan of spicy food. If you can tolerate it I’d suggest keeping your fave hot sauce on hand. Not only does it power up the metabolism–ok a little but it all adds up–it’s said that hot peppers are good for our hearts and reducing inflammation.

In order to get those veggies into the soup they’ve got to be in the house. I keep a bag of spinach, a head of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms–all sorts–on hand at all times so there’s no excuse.

The soup below has a few florets of broccoli, a couple extra mushrooms, spinach and a healthy dose of Siraccha. (A thai hot sauce that I love) You can use frozen veggies if you like, they’ve got all the nutrition you’d get in fresh. (Unless you are picking things from a garden out back)

I’ll post more ways to include more vegetables in your day. Meanwhile, next time you have soup, look around for something to toss in there to pump up the volume. Your lean mean  midlife machine will thank you for it.