Chicken Soup: Calories in Chicken Soup

You must have heard your grandma saying that chicken soup is good for health. Chicken soup has been proclaimed to work great for just about every ailment, from the common cold to a nasty scrape on the elbow. A properly prepared chicken soup is really packed with nutrients like proteins and calcium.

Generally carrots and onions are added along with chicken pieces while preparing chicken soup. Carrots are the best source of beta carotene and onions contain quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant. Various other vegetables and flavorings can also be added to it, depending upon your own liking. For instance, celery, black peppers, ginger, garlic, broccoli, etc. Chicken soup, generally, is a combination of clear broth and small pieces of chicken or vegetables with or without noodles, dumplings or grains like rice and barley. It is difficult to quote the exact calories in chicken soup as everyone can prepare it using different ingredients. The quantity of the ingredients is also not fixed as such. It can vary depending upon the person's choice. The following table illustrates the chicken soup calories. The numbers are just for your guidance.

Chicken Soup Calories

Name of the Item	Quantity Served	Calories
Homemade Chicken Soup	1 Bowl	152
Chicken Broth	1 Cup (240 gm)	38
Chicken Soup with Noodles	1 Cup (240 gm)	60
Chicken Rice Soup	1 Cup (240 gm)	88
Chicken Vegetable Soup	1 Cup (240 gm)	75
Chicken Broth Canned Reduced Sodium	1 Cup (240 gm)	17.5
Chicken Gumbo Soup	1 Cup (240 gm)	56.12

You may like to read more on chicken soup recipes.

Here are some important chicken soup nutrition facts which might tell you about the chicken soup nutritional value. Following values are for 1 cup of Campbell's cream of chicken soup.

• Calories: 160
• Calories from fat: 48
• Total fat: 3 gm (5%)
• Saturated fat: 1.5 gm (8%)
• Sodium: 860 mg (36%)
• Calcium: 6%
• Iron: 10%
• Vitamin A: 10%
• Protein: 8gm (16%)
• Dietary fiber: 8 gm (32%)
• Sugars: 4 gm
• Total carbohydrates: 25 gm (8%)
• Estimated percentage of chicken soup calories from: Fat - 16.9%, Carbs - 62.5%, Proteins - 20%

Now let us have a look at the health benefits of chicken soup.

Health Benefits of Chicken Soup

• Some studies have reported that chicken soup helps to control the white blood cells that are responsible for the inflammatory response. The anti inflammatory properties of chicken soup play an important role in inhibiting neutrophils, which are extremely active during a cold or flu. The unnecessary movement of neutrophils leads to the production of the mucous that irritates the nasal passages, the sinuses, and the throat.
• Oats or barley are often added to chicken soup, to make it more healthy. They contain beta-glucan, that has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in it. Beta-glucan helps in speeding up wound healing and it boosts immunity. Garlic and onions, added to chicken soup also help to increase the immune boosting quality of the chicken soup.
• Though it is not scientifically proved that chicken soup cures a cold, it is a common experience that it helps alleviate some of the annoying symptoms that accompany common cold and flu. Chicken soup surely provides a hot, comforting meal and rehydrates the body well.
• Beta carotene from carrots is converted into vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A boosts the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Thus it prevents and fights off infections.
• Though there's no real scientific proof that chicken soup can cure a cold, it is said that chicken soup contains an amino acid called cysteine that is similar to a drug used to treat some respiratory infections.
• Some studies conducted have proved that the soup works great for congestion as it helps ease the flow of nasal secretions.
• The powerful antioxidant quercetin from onions works as a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory agent.

Well, it is safe to conclude that those old wives were probably right on. What seems probable is that chicken soup may cure a cold. To avail all the above mentioned benefits, just slurp up homemade chicken soup, made from natural ingredients, when you're feeling a little under the weather. You can always include chicken soup in your diet as it definitely is a delicious, comforting meal that helps keep your body hydrated. It's a guaranteed kid-pleaser. Chicken soup calories are helpful as the growing kids need a lot of energy. But, when the smell of chicken soup welcomes you home on a cold day, you don't really want to take the trouble of calculating the chicken soup calories. I am sure that next time your nose starts sniffling, you will try some chicken soup and make your grandma proud!