My biggest thing lately is trying to eat “better”. What that does mean, exactly, can vary by person. I am trying to cut down on processed foods somewhat, reduce sodium intake and try not to nibble so much on junk food. (Sorry Girl Scout cookies that I just purchased…)
Health Choice was on sale in Costco for a package of chicken noodle and chicken and rice soups. I was pleasantly surprised by the price and Costco had a coupon which made it an even better deal. So, I thought what the heck…having never tried a product, I am usually leery of buying a “case lot” size package. But, chicken noodle and chicken and rice soups all seem about the same right?
The Product
These cans of soup are the 15 ounce size. They have a decent level of sodium compared to other soups I have tried and they advise on the can that they use only white meat. That, for me, is a plus as I enjoy the white meat better for some reason.
The photo shows really big curly noodles (I don’t know what the type is called) and large pieces of carrots and celery and it says “Old Fashioned” making me kind of think about homemade soup….kind of back to the basics. When I opened the can, I was surprised and happy, as the chunks of carrots and celery really were good sized. There are some chicken noodle soups out there that have these itty-bitty little pieces of carrots that look like the waste from erasing something rather than pieces of carrots! (You soups know who you are!) The celery pieces were smaller in comparison, but were still decent sized. I would say the celery pieces were roughly a ¼ of an inch wide, so you could definitely see them and taste them.
The soup had a golden chicken broth appearance and some flecks of seasoning like parsley leaves. One thing I have noticed when opening or preparing the can of soup, I don’t get a really wonderful “chicken soup” smell. The celery, the chicken and the seasonings do not jump out when you open the can or when it’s being cooked either on the stove or in the microwave. It seems a touch bland to the nose.
This blandness does also carry over into the flavor, disappointingly enough. Due to the lower sodium (and thus the American Heart Association stamp of approval for meeting their criteria on saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over the age of 2 years) the flavor falls really flat for me. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t really satisfy the taste buds either! The seasoning falls short, doesn’t really give your taste buds anything to report. It’s not spicy, it’s not salty, it’s not flavorful. I am not even able to get the flavor of the celery out of the soup!
The carrots are really “mushy” without any of the tender-crisp doneness that I find I am enjoying more in the past year or two. The carrots and celery both seem to “melt in your mouth” and leave you wondering was it a noodle or a vegetable? Actually, thinking back over the few cans that I have tried, I actually think the noodles have a more firm texture to them than the carrots and celery do.
The amount of noodles in the can was good, carrots decent, celery a bit light and chicken pieces were ok. I always enjoy more meat and vegetables in my soups. But, this is not a disappointing soup in the level of ingredients, the sizes of the pieces or the appearance in any way!
Nutritional Facts
This information is taken directly from the can and is based upon a standard 2,000 calorie diet and a single serving. There are approximately 2 servings in a 15 ounce can of soup!
Calories 100 Calories from Fat 15
Total Fat 1.5g or 2%
Saturated Fat 0g or 0%
Cholesterol 15mg or 5%
Sodium 480 mg or 20%
Total Carbohydrate 13g or 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g or 8%
Sugars 1g
Protein 9g
Vitamin A 20%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%
Iron 0%
The Ingredients
This information is also taken directly from the can:
Chicken broth, chicken breast with rib meat, carrots, enriched egg noodles (durum flour, water, whole egg solids, egg white solids, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), celery, less than 2% of: modified corn starch, flavor, salt, rendered chicken fat, potassium chloride, onion powder, modified rice starch, autolyzed yeast extract, isolated soy protein, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, garlic powder, sugar, guar gum, xanthan gum, spices, sodium phosphate, beta carotene.
Contains Wheat, egg, soy
Overall Impressions
I don’t think the soup is horrible or bad. But, if you like a flavorful soup, this might not be one for you. If you like a very mild, almost bland soup with chicken, noodles, carrots and celery this would probably be a good option for you, as there isn’t much flavor or spices and it’s lower in sodium than a lot of other chicken soups on the market (from my experiences so far).
This soup is one I likely will not purchase again unless it’s an excellent price per can. I enjoy the amount of ingredients and the sizes of the chicken pieces, the carrot pieces and the celery pieces. But, the overall lack of flavor is a big disappointment for me. But, again, I am sure there is a market out there for people that don’t like having their soups be super spicy. This would be one for that group of people! If you do try it, I hope you like it and enjoy it.
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