5 Tips for Making Delicious and Nutritious Soup Kids Will Love

Soup is an excellent food for kids, as it provides them with essential nutrients, hydration, and warmth. Moreover, soup is versatile and can be made with a variety of ingredients to cater to different taste preferences and dietary needs. In this blog post, we'll discuss how to prepare the best soup for kids and introduce some kid-friendly soup recipes.

1. Choose a nutrient-rich base

The base of the soup sets the foundation for its nutritional content. Therefore, it's essential to choose a nutrient-rich base that will provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the soup. Chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, and bone broth are all excellent choices for the base of a kid's soup. They are low in fat, high in protein, and loaded with vitamins and minerals.

2. Add lots of veggies

Kids may not be too fond of vegetables, but incorporating them into soup is a smart way to get them to consume more of them. Adding vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and sweet potatoes will make the soup more nutritious and flavorful. If you're making a cream-based soup, pureeing the vegetables will give the soup a smooth consistency that's appealing to kids.

3. Use fun-shaped pasta

Kids love fun-shaped pasta, and incorporating them into soup is a great way to make the meal more appealing to them. Pasta shapes like stars, alphabets, and shells will make the soup more fun to eat. Moreover, pasta adds carbs to the soup, providing energy to kids for their daily activities.

4. Make it colorful

Colors play a significant role in making food attractive to kids. Adding colorful vegetables like red peppers, yellow squash, and green peas will make the soup more visually appealing to kids. Moreover, these vegetables are rich in antioxidants that help boost the immune system.

5. Add protein

Adding protein to the soup makes it more filling and nutritious. Kids require protein for their growth and development, and adding protein sources like chicken, turkey, beef, and lentils to the soup will provide them with the necessary protein. Moreover, protein helps kids stay full for longer, reducing their cravings for unhealthy snacks.

Here are some kid-friendly soup recipes that you can try:

1. Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 cups egg noodles
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

2. Add thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

4. Add shredded chicken and egg noodles. Cook until noodles are tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Creamy tomato soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans of tomato sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until soft.

2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add heavy cream and stir until well combined.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.