These easy, healthy plant-based soup recipes will warm your heart and improve your health!

There are few things more comforting than the smell of a delicious soup simmering in the slow cooker on a cold fall day. Whether it’s your mother's or grandmother’s favorite savory soup recipe or something thrown together quickly on the go, indulging in those warm and delicious soups and stews as summer fades into fall is what “comfort food” is made of.

Unfortunately, many comfort foods today include ingredients that can negatively impact our health. But not to worry: we have a five-star lineup of healthy, hearty, plant-based soups that will warm your heart and improve your health this holiday season!

Health Benefits of Plant-Based Soups

Plant-based diets have been shown to improve overall health, from reducing pill use in seniors to improving cholesterol and blood sugar, maintaining a healthy weight, and so much more. Vegetable-based soups, especially during the fall and winter months, are a great way to get all your key nutrients without compromising on taste or quality.

Not only are veggie-based soups a nutritional slam dunk, but studies have also shown that we eat 20% fewer calories per meal. Why? Because soup is incredibly filling, and even more so when it contains nutrients found in many vegetables, including water-soluble vitamins like B, C, and K.

Soup is a fan favorite during the colder months, but more than that, it can be frozen and enjoyed at a later time which saves time and money, and can be repurposed into other meals (leftover vegetarian chili atop a baked potato, for example).

Easy Plant-Based Soup Recipes for Seniors

Understanding each of the ingredients in your meals and the unique benefits they provide can give you a mental boost to stay the course and also help you understand how the foods you consume make you healthier and happier. Let’s take a look at a few recipes and discuss the benefits of a few key ingredients in each.

Spinach Rice Soup Recipe

Key Ingredient: Spinach

The main ingredient in this delectably delicious soup is spinach. Jam-packed with health benefits galore, let’s look at the top 3 ways spinach can enrich your mind and body, whether in soups, salads, or a snazzy side dish.

• Improved cognitive health. Lutein, a nutrient in spinach that gives it its rich dark color, is also responsible for improving vision and brain health. If you’re struggling with memory issues, eating spinach and other foods rich in lutein (such as kale, romaine lettuce, and bell peppers) can help preserve and even improve brain function.
• Lowered blood pressure. The high potassium content in spinach makes it a gold-medal winner for heart health and lowering blood pressure specifically.
• Better lung health. Red meat doesn’t get all the glory for its iron content—in fact, spinach contains plenty of iron without the potential for raising cholesterol. And when it comes to lung health, iron is critical because it forms hemoglobin, which shuttles oxygen throughout the body.

Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Key Ingredient: Beans

If you are new to eating a plant-based diet, you may have worried that good, old-fashioned chili might be out of the question. Not to worry! This vegetarian chili will make your mouth water and the high fiber content will keep you fuller, longer.

Rich in many nutrients that are vital to a senior’s health, beans are not only a versatile addition to almost any dish, but a healthy (and much cheaper) swap for animal protein that is just as protein-dense and delicious! Here are a couple reasons to make beans a household staple in your weekly menu:

• A decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes. Because beans help lower blood pressure and promote stable blood sugar levels, adding these to your diet can decrease your risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes. And yes, soybeans and peanuts count!
• In this day and age, environmental toxins like air pollution, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and radiation from X-rays or cell phones are all around us. While there are things we can do to limit our exposure, there is simply no way to avoid it entirely. These toxins create what are called free radicals, or unstable atoms that damage our cells, cause illness and aging. Antioxidants to the rescue! Antioxidants are chemicals found in healthy foods that neutralize free radicals within the body. Think of antioxidants as free radical hunters that zap free radicals in our bodies and promote health and vitality.
  
  Gives a whole new meaning to the tune, “Beans, beans, the magical fruit,” doesn’t it?

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Key Ingredient: Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a seasonal favorite that makes a yummy, nutrient-dense addition to soups, stews, and more! Did you know eating in-season produce adds another layer of health benefits? Here are a couple more reasons to cook with butternut squash:

• Anti-inflammatory properties. Bursting with carotenoids, which are disease-preventing antioxidants, like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin that contribute to heart health, butternut squash is known for having anti-inflammatory properties. When you consider that inflammation is the root cause of many diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it makes butternut squash a beneficial addition to any soup or stew!
• Insulin-regulating. Because butternut squash is also rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants, and can reduce blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. With its low glycemic index and ability to keep your blood sugar from rising after eating, eating butternut squash can also prevent diabetes and other diseases!