SOUP is a great meal or side dish that is both healthy and tasty. The wide array of recipes and variations make soup a great fit for any diet. Soup is not only for cold weather days. Soups can be enjoyed year-round as there are both hot and cold-served versions.

You may be surprised to learn that there are many great health benefits you can gain from eating soup. Here are five reasons soup is a healthy option for any meal.

1. SOUP RELIEVES THE COMMON COLD

There may be no real cure for a cold, but taking certain measures does help to relieve symptoms. Lots of rest and medication are essential, but eating soup can also help.

Soups with broth help you to avoid dehydration — a common occurrence when sick. When soup is served hot, the steam decongests sinuses.

Warm fluids from soup also break down mucus, commonly associated with illnesses like the cold.

2. SOUP CONTAINS LESS CALORIES

Most soup recipes contain fewer calories than a meal made with meats and side dishes, such as a meal of chicken and rice. Even soups made with less-than-healthy ingredients, such as cream, can be made using a substitute to create low-fat or low-calorie versions. Use Maggi® soup mixes and add food and vegetables to create a filling meal.

Eat soup and you will still feel full while consuming fewer calories.

3. FRESH INGREDIENTS EQUAL MORE NUTRITION

Adding fresh vegetables enhances the nutritional content of soup. For those who take meat, this adds a punch of protein.

Putting vegetables in your Maggi® soups make it deliciously easy to get the recommended daily servings in meal.

4. BONE UP ON FLAVOUR AND NUTRITION

Using bones with Maggi® soup is a great way to add even more nutrients to the dish. When stewed or simmered, bones and marrow release vitamins and minerals that are said to help with a variety of issues — from digestive health and better joints to shinier hair and reduced inflammation.

5. YOUR WALLET CAN BE HEALTHIER TOO

Making a main meal of soup is easy on the pocket. Maggi® soups are fantastic to make for the family when you are trying to conserve money.

Dried ingredients that you can add to the soup dish like beans and pasta are usually inexpensive, come in larger quantities, and have longer shelf lives — allowing more use out of one supply.

Additionally, soups can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for later meals, thus saving money in the future.