Chicken noodle soup is one hell of a taste bud stunner–an awesome gift from the Chinese just like pancit. Being a food lover and a diabetic, I have had a hard time doing restaurants as most food won’t be prepared according to my health needs, but has that stopped me from enjoying chicken noodles soup? No! Should diabetics be having some? Here is all I know:
What is Chicken Noodle soup?
Whenever the weather was a bit cold, any family member felt a bit under the weather, I remember how my mum always served a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup, this tradition has continued in my home with my wonderful kids and I believe they’ll also pass it on to theirs. How’s this soup made? well, let me show you.
To make any chicken noodle soup, the most common ingredients that you’ll need are;
- Chicken (preferably chicken breasts/thighs),
- noodles of course (egg noodles/ any pasta of your choice),
- vegetables like onions, celery, carrots, to keep it simple and healthy
- some flavourful broth for the soup, it could be the chicken broth or any kind you have, it may even be store-bought,
- some seasoning like garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper to taste.
All I need to do is stir-fry my vegetables for a bit in some butter, add the bone or chicken broth, and my seasonings and chicken follow as adding them earlier on will make them more tender and tasty. when the chicken is tender enough, I take it out, shred it, add it back into the pot with the noodles, and leave for some minutes to cook well.
This has always been my go-to recipe, and it’s so simple yet delicious and gracefully serves its purpose. However, some people still think that this may not be healthy for consumption, so let’s find out if this is truly the case.
Disclaimer: This material is presented for education and should not replace the professional medical advice of your healthcare provider.
What are the health benefits of Chicken Noodle soup
For many, the amount of carbs in the noodles makes it a total no-no, but it is safe to say that if eaten right, chicken noodle soup offers some benefits to our body and well-being. right here, breaking down the composition we’ll point out some of the benefits of chicken Noodle soup:
- Vegetables:
This is the most nutrient-rich ingredient that you may have in the meal because the celery, onions, and carrots that you’ve added to your chicken noodle soup is not for show. Vegetables are a good source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and all the carrots and celery that you have added will be able to provide you with Vitamin C, Beta-carotene, and even vitamin K. All these added together will boost the immune system, help you fight illnesses and viruses more quickly.
- Chicken:
Chicken apart from being a great choice of packed protein, it’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin B which helps in boosting the immune system while aiding easy digestion. One more thing that makes you feel some comfort when you eat chicken is the tryptophan it contains. Tryptophan helps the body produce the necessary amino acids, melatonin, and serotonin which can also help improve your mood.
- Broth:
My mum would always advise that whenever you’re fighting a cold, a clear and warm broth is good for you as it helps to reduce nasal congestion and makes you feel better, also the spices in them would help with the loss of taste you may be experiencing.
- Noodles:
Depending on the kind of noodles you choose, they can be packed with enough carbohydrates to help you with all the energy you may need for the day, Say no to a lazy/sluggish workday.
Is chicken noodle soup good for diabetics?
Diabetics could enjoy chicken noodle soup just like every other meal. If you have the opportunity to choose the noodle for the dish, select kelp, shirataki, mung bean, or rice noodles, as they have lower carb content and glycemic index when compared to regular wheat noodles.
As for the general meal, ensure to have more proteins. When you consume proteins and carbs together, the body digests the proteins first—slowing down the conversion of carbs to glucose and how quickly they are absorbed into the bloodstream—nagating blood sugar spikes.
Energy
Regardless of how much you would like to avoid carbs, you can’t always take them out of your diet, plus you need your energy levels to stay up, and carbohydrates help achieve this. I don’t mean that you should eat so much of it. The noodles in a chicken noodle soup play a lot of role in keeping you energized, and having a little will do the trick.
Stabilizes blood sugar levels
If you’re trying to heal or reverse back from diabetics like type-2 diabetics, having chicken soup is a healthy option, because it is a low glycemic index meal, which will help you maintain blood sugar. if you don’t feel full right after, you can wait for some time to have another hearty bowl and include the noodles if you feel like it.
Provide you with enough protein
If you’re diabetic and switching from red meat, you might want to go for the leaner parts like the chicken breasts in your chicken noodle soup instead of the thighs which carry saturated fats that you’re advised to avoid. Proteins help build muscle, maintain bone mineral density, keep you full for longer, help manage your weight, and even reduce the risk of blood pressure spikes and heart attacks.
Green Health
Doctors would always advise that the more vegetables in your meal, the better for you, and vegetables are like the main ingredient in a chicken noodle soup, as long as you avoid non-starchy veggies, you can never go wrong, and you need vegetables as they help to boost and provide most vitamins and minerals that otherwise can be produced by our bodies alone, they also help your immune system.
Summed up
For those who have been thinking about whether or not to indulge in a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup, it is safe to say that if you finally get around to it, it would be a good decision. chicken noodle soup is one of the best nutrient-backed meals for a diabetic patient.
However, like every meal we’ve tried to eat, Portion control is usually key, less sodium and unhealthy fats are advised. More vegetables and fresh spices are the way to go.
