5 OF THE BEST HEALTHY SOUP

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot soup on a cold day, but some ready-made soups can be high in sugar, salt and other unwanted additives. here, dietitian NOOr AL reFAe, from the harley street Cardiology Practice, selects five of the healthiest options . . .

SOUPOLOGIE THREE MUSHROOM BROTH

£2.99 for 600g, Asda and Waitrose. Per 300g serving: calories, 48; saturated fat, 0.1g; sugar, 2.7g; salt, 0.7g; fibre, 2.1g A SERVING of this broth provides two of your five-aday and 87 per cent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin D — 8.7 mcg, needed to keep our teeth, bones, muscles and immune system healthy.

Mushrooms also contain B vitamins, important for energy production and a healthy nervous system.

TIDEFORD SUPERGREENS — SEAWEED, SPIRULINA AND QUINOA SOUP

£2.89 for 600g, large supermarkets. Per 300g serving: calories, 99; saturated fat, 0.3g; sugars, 1.8g; salt, 0.87g; fibre, 3.9g WITH its 24 per cent kale and spinach content, this soup offers an easy way to get a generous helping of green vegetables in one hit. The seaweed and spirulina are sources of iodine, a nutrient essential for a healthy thyroid, which regulates metabolism. The lentil and quinoa give the soup a protein and fibre boost, which help fill you up.

NEW COVENT GARDEN SOUP CO SKINNY GOAN SPICED CHICKEN AND LENTILS

£2.10 for 600g, large supermarkets. Per 300g serving: calories, 132; saturated fat, 0.3g; sugars, 8.7g; salt, 0.83g; fibre, 5.7g A SERVING counts as two of your five a day. There are chunky vegetables and a helping of lentils, providing 5.7g fibre in a serving — a sixth of the RDA. It also provides a fifth of the RDA protein, so should be quite filling.

SOULFUL SOUP THAI CHILLI KALE WITH EDAMAME, PEAS AND QUINOA

£1.99 for 600g, ocado.com. Per 300g: calories, 180; saturated fat, 3.6g; sugars, 4.8g; salt, 1.8g, fibre, 3g THIS coconut-based soup provides a good amount of vitamins A and C — both important for a healthy immune system — and vitamin K from the kale, which is needed for blood clotting and wound healing. It’s also rich in fibre, iron and bone-strengthening calcium. Its higher fat content comes from the coconut milk.

GLORIOUS! INDIAN SUPER SPINACH AND CHICKPEA

£2.30 for 600g, large supermarkets. Per 300g serving: calories, 232; saturated fat, 0.8g; sugars, 4.6g; salt, 0.83g; fibre, 16.3g A SERVING of this aromatic soup provides one of your five a day and, thanks to the chickpeas and lentils, it has 10.1g protein and is high in fibre — providing more than half the RDA. There are enough calories to be a light lunch on its own. Spinach is also a source of vitamins A and C and iron.