Soup-at-hand: Classic Tomato: Andy Warhol revisited
Written: Jul 15 '09 (Updated Jul 15 '09)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros:
Microwavable Container
Convenience
Tastes Great
Cons:
Corn Syrup
Calories (120)
Salt (890 mg.)
Price
The Bottom Line:
While Campbell's Soup-at-hand, Classic Tomato is okay for occasional use in lunchpacks, it is considerably less-healthy and more expensive than regular Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup.
|
|
|
| WulfsDen's Full Review: Office Snax Tablemate Soup At Hand With Classic To... |
When Andy Warhol first painted a Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup can way back in 1964, we can be sure of two things. First, the can was not microwaveable, and second, it did not contain high fructose corn syrup. My, how times do change.
Campbell's Soup-at-hand, Classic Tomato is a 10.75 ounce container of soup that is shaped a bit like a drinking glass, narrower at the bottom than the top. It is made of some miraculous material that is not only microwave safe, but stays cool as the soup heats up. All you have to do it take of the plastic top and the ring-pull lid, stick the soup in the microwave for about 75 seconds, and put the plastic lid back on. The soup is now warm and ready to drink from the coffee mug like spout. It's that easy.
The Classic Tomato Soup flavor is the same rich tasty soup that you grew up with, or at least, it tastes like it. Unfortunately, as some things change for the better, other things change for the worse. Although it has 0 grams of fat and cholesterol, this soup has a hefty 120 calories, mostly, I suspect, from the 15 grams of high fructose corn syrup. It also has a whopping 890 mg of sodium per container too.
Now corn syrup is one of the worst alleged foods that you can put in your body. It's a byproduct of making things like corn flakes, and thus is exceedingly cheap. However, while our digestive systems have had many years to learn to handle sugar, corn syrup is poorly tolerated by many people, and is slowly being linked to a host of health problems. Salt (the source of the sodium) too is an extremely cheap way to add flavor, but unfortunately it is not too good for your heart health. Somehow, Campbell have allowed cost and expediency to turn a simple broth into an unhealthy, fattening chemical cocktail. So sad.
By comparison, price too is a factor. In exchange for the convenience, soup-at-hand is considerably more expensive than Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup. While the 10.75 oz. cans of each both list for about $1.30, there is a big difference in the normal sale price. Soup-at-hand can be found for about 80 cents a container in bulk stores like Costco. However, my local supermarket regularly sells condensed tomato soup at 5 for a dollar. Also, you add an equal amount of water to the condensed soup, so a can really contains two 10.75 oz. servings. That makes the condensed soup 10 cents per serving, 1/8 of the cost of the soup-at-hand. You should also take into account that although the condensed soup also uses corn syrup, it is only 90 calories per serving (25% less) and only contains 710 mg. of sodium (20 % less), which is still too high, but a big improvement.
So, if you are packing a brown bag lunch for work, where condensed soup is really not an option, by all means use the Campbell's Soup-at-hand, Classic Tomato. While the calories, salt and price are way too high, they are still a huge improvement over heading out for fast food. However, for normal home use, the Campbell's Condensed Tomato soup provides a lower-calorie, less-salt option for a fraction of the price. And let's face it, they both taste great. For that reason, I can only give Soup-at-hand, Classic Tomato 3 stars, and a very limited recommendation.
* * *
This review of a can of tomato soup that usually costs less than a dollar, is part of Mary Ellen's (mmcphee) T.R.I.V.I.A.L. (Tomato Really Isn't Vegetable Irregardless American Laws) write off... Okay. I lied. It is really the (This Review Is Very Irrelevant And Laughable) Write Off. So there!
* * *
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.