Eating soup every night: the secret to vitality? A nutritionist's opinion

Nourishing yet easy to digest, incredibly comforting, and simple to customize, soup is sometimes your only meal for dinner. In winter, it's not an option, it's an absolute necessity to stay warm. Beyond fulfilling your five-a-day quota of vegetables on its own, soup has numerous health benefits, provided it's homemade. Eating soup every night is an act of well-being, and a nutritionist explains how to fully enjoy this healthy beverage.

What happens in the body when you eat soup every night

During the cooler months, soup is practically a must on our plates. The ultimate comfort food, it often starts our lunch or dictates our entire dinner. This soup, which we used to avoid as children, is now our go-to recipe for autumn and winter comforts. And you don't need to be over fifty or have had your wisdom teeth removed to appreciate its inherent warmth. In the collective imagination, soup is often associated with older people, served in personalized Breton bowls or deep plates adorned with blue flowers.

Yet, eating soup every night is far from being just a grandmother's ritual. It's a secret to staying young. While the chilly months are punctuated by raclette, fondue, tartiflette, and other rich dishes, soup provides a light, satisfying, and nutritious dinner. Rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, it helps meet daily nutritional needs, especially when meals are sometimes unbalanced. According to dietitians, soup also allows you to eat more vegetables without even realizing it. Another advantage: its smooth texture aids digestion and helps regulate appetite.

"If you have soup and yogurt or a piece of fruit for your evening meal, you're also giving your digestive system a rest," nutritionist Raphaël Gruman told Pleine Vie . In short, it's a kind of "reset" for your body. The specialist also points out that soup is a good source of hydration since it contains 80% water.

Benefits for sleep and overall well-being

We've all heard the expression "soup and bed." Well, it's not a joke. Beyond its nutritional value, soup also acts as a signal for the body to slow down. By eating it in the evening, you create a soothing ritual that naturally prepares you for relaxation. In other words, this soup, which serves as your only meal for the night, has the effect of a sleeping pill. You don't even need to make yourself a pint of chamomile tea; the soup alone is enough to lull you into a state of zen.

On a physiological level, gentler digestion reduces nighttime discomfort and promotes deeper sleep. Furthermore, soups rich in root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips) provide complex carbohydrates that support the production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. A little liquid bliss, in short.

Eating soup every night, yes, but not just any old way

Eating soup every night is good for your health, provided you make it yourself and don't add a lump of grated Gruyère cheese, a large knob of butter, or ruin it with a tub of heavy cream. You can even enhance it with pumpkin seeds or dried fruit. "Store-bought soups contain too much salt, which promotes water retention, as well as additives, preservatives, and flavor enhancers—all harmful to our bodies," says the expert. These ready-made soups might be convenient now and then, but they're not as healthy as they claim. So forget about commercial soups and dust off that big pot of soup gathering dust in your cupboard. After all, you can't beat homemade.

Also note that soup alone is not always enough to meet your energy needs. Soup requires some nutritional supplements and should not be considered a complete meal. For example, you can add two hard-boiled eggs for protein , a slice of whole-wheat bread for carbohydrates, and a little cream cheese like Philadelphia. Like herbal teas, soup can be endlessly varied to become a comforting and delicious personalized remedy. Suffering from migraines? Opt for Moroccan lentil soup with spices. Have a sore throat? Choose a broth rich in garlic and packed with aromatic herbs.

Drinking soup every night shouldn't be seen as a chore or a cure, but as an act of self-care. A simple way to reconnect with your needs, slow down, and gently nourish your body.