Soups are fast to fix, economical and can pack a lot of nutrition into each bowl. Most soups are low in fat and high in vitamins, especially if they contain a lot of vegetables. Most children enjoy soup with different flavors and textures. Children can help make homemade soup, which may induce them to eat more of this good food.
Tomato Soup
Tomato soup contains lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant thought to help fight cancer. Tomatoes also contain vitamins A & C. Adding milk to make cream of tomato adds calcium. Tomato soup was one of the kid favorites prepared in the Cooking With Kids project at Penn State University, which teamed local children with university students to learn cooking. To make homemade tomato soup, combine canned or chopped fresh tomatoes with an equal amount of vegetable broth and simmer. Season with salt, pepper, basil and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. For cream of tomato soup, remove from heat and use an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth. Stir in one cup milk and reheat, stirring constantly, until hot. Serve with crackers or grilled cheese for dipping.
Chicken Noodle
Making your own chicken noodle soup allows you to cut down on salt and add extra healthy vegetables. You can use fun-shaped noodles instead of egg noodles for an extra treat for children. Start with a basic chicken broth. You can use canned, boxed or homemade, but look for a low- salt version. Heat the broth and add diced celery, onion and carrots. Children often prefer vegetables cut in very small pieces. Zucchini, red peppers and green peas or green beans are other healthy additions if your child will eat them. Add diced chicken and dried noodles and simmer until the noodles are done. Season with salt and pepper
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Some children who turn up their noses at whole pieces of carrot or broccoli will eat these foods if served in puree form. You can make a creamy vegetable soup by cooking chopped vegetables such as tomato, carrot, celery, cauliflower and zucchini in chicken or vegetable broth until the vegetables are very tender. Transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree smooth. Stir in one cup milk and season with salt and pepper and heat. You can sprinkled a little cheese on top, or float some fish or animal shaped crackers on top for a kid-friendly meal.
Peanut Soup
Kid-favorite peanut butter flavors a tasty chicken soup from West Africa. Adjust the spices to suit your child's taste. Combine three cups chicken broth with one 6-ounce can tomato paste, one can chopped tomatoes, one-half cup peanut butter and one cup chicken. Season with a teaspoon each curry powder and minced garlic and one-half teaspoon red pepper. Simmer for a few minutes and serve hot.
