I usually bring my lunch to work. But I get tired of eating cold sandwiches and salads all the time. Sometimes I really want a hot lunch. One of the easiest and cheapest ways for me to enjoy a hot lunch, is to bring along a can of soup.

My favorite brand of canned soup is Progresso. Their cans are nearly 19oz. of delicious and filling soup, with plenty of solids. Progresso soups are definitely not watery, most don't even require crackers.

Progresso really makes it easy to enjoy their soups, with their pull-top lids. This is very convenient in an office, where can openers tend to walk off. Heating it's a snap too. Pour the contents into a bowl, and microwave for three minutes.

Their Savory Beef Barley Vegetable is a pretty good option. With large chunks of beef, and plenty of veggies, this soup really is a meal. What kinds of veggies? Carrots (and I don't mean little tiny pieces, I mean whole slices), tomatoes, potatoes, celery, corn, and peas. And to make it even more filling, of course, there's the barley. After all, the main point of eating a beef barley soup is the barley, right? I happen to really like barley. In fact, when I make home-made soups, I frequently add barley, instead of rice or pasta. There's just something about the texture of barley that I really enjoy. I'm glad Progresso puts plenty of it in their soups.

How's the beef? Well, the pieces are large, but they are a bit "dry" for my taste. I know that sounds weird, since they're sitting in liquid, but I just don't really enjoy the beef that much. That's OK, I simply leave most of it over, and concentrate on the barley and veggies, which are delicious, and filling on their own.

They say their cans contain "about 2 servings". For me, the can is one serving, but, still it's not bad in terms of fat and calories. Each serving contains 130 calories, 1g of fat, 3g of fiber, and - here's the bad news - 970mg of sodium. Yes, this soup has the same problem that nearly all canned soups suffer. Ridiculously high sodium levels. Aside from that problem, this makes a fairly healthy lunch.

Overall, this is a nice choice for a hot lunch, especially if you like barley and veggies. I don't love the beef chunks, but others may like them just fine. There are certainly plenty of them, so if you do like them, you won't be disappointed.




Recommended: Yes