12 Healthy Canned Soups—and 5 To Skip

Soup season is finally here, and it's the perfect time to cozy up with your favorite bowl. If making soup from scratch isn't your thing, canned or shelf-stable soups in jars or boxes offer a quick and easy alternative. However, not all canned choices are healthy. While many soup companies have introduced better-for-you lines and reduced sodium amounts recently, some choices are still best kept out of your regular diet. To help you make healthier decisions during soup season, we've put together a list of the best canned soups on grocery shelves.

How We Chose the Healthiest Canned Soups

There are a few things to look for when selecting a healthy canned soup at the grocery store:

• Calories: Canned soups typically range from 100 to 250 calories per serving. It's important to consider the quality of those calories—whole grains, protein, and vegetables are a good use of calories, whereas creamy soups or high-fat meats might not be the best choice.
• Saturated fat: Saturated fat intake has been linked with an increased risk for heart disease, and the creamier soups tend to have higher amounts. The American Heart Association recommends a daily limit of 13 grams of saturated fat, so aim for soups with 3 grams or less per serving.
• Sodium: Canned soups are notoriously high in sodium as it's used to preserve flavor and texture. The FDA recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day to avoid high blood pressure and other heart-related issues. We recommend soups with 700 milligrams or less to help keep your sodium intake in check.
• Serving size: Some cans are labeled as one serving, while others list a cup as the serving size. Be sure to check this on the nutrition label to understand what you're getting.

Below, you'll find 12 of the best soups to buy and five that are better left on the shelf. When shopping, it's important to consider both nutrients and where the calories are coming from. Read on to discover your next favorite healthy soup, then check out these 17 Best Soup Recipes for Weight Loss.

12 Best Canned Soups

Best: Progresso Reduced Sodium Southwest Style Black Bean & Vegetable

Progresso has its fair share of high-sodium, unhealthy soups, but its line of reduced sodium options actually holds a few winners, like the Southwest Style Black Bean & Vegetable. A one-cup serving has only 410 milligrams of sodium, which is relatively low compared to other popular canned soup brands. Plus, there is zero saturated fat and only 90 calories per serving.

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Best: Campbell's Well Yes! Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Campbell's Well Yes! Soups are made with carefully selected and sourced ingredients like chicken meat with no antibiotics. The soups contain no artificial colors, flavors, ingredients, or modified starches.

The Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Soup is made with chicken carrots, sweet potatoes, pasta, corn, red peppers, and roasted garlic. It provides a reasonable amount of calories and 7 grams of protein and is saturated fat-free per each 1-cup serving. It's a delicious way to up your veggies as an appetizer to a meal or paired with a salad or sandwich.

Best: Amy's Organic Light in Sodium Lentil Soup

"Amy's Organic Lentil Soup is a healthy option because it is made with organic ingredients, is low in sodium, and is high in protein and fiber," says Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT of One Pot Wellness.

With 9 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, Chun says this soup makes a filling and nutritious meal option when paired with a side of vegetables or an additional protein source.

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Best: Rao's Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Made with Italian peeled tomatoes, vegetables, and enriched pasta, this warming bowl of soup from Rao's is a better-for-you option with only 100 calories, 3 grams of fiber (which can increase satiety and improve gut health), and is saturated fat-free.

Best: Annie's Homegrown Organic Chicken Noodle Soup

Annie's Homegrown is arguably best known for its organic mac and cheese products, but it also makes a variety of organic canned soups. The Chicken Noodle Soup is a healthy choice because an entire can contains only 90 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, and less than 600 milligrams of sodium.

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Best: True Primal Chicken & Vegetable Soup

"Packed with 24 grams of protein per pouch, this True Primal Soup is made with quality ingredients like chicken, veggies, and beef gelatin (a rich source of the amino acid glycine)," says Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD. "This soup is gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and totally delicious."

Best: Kevin's Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Pasta

Chicken noodle soup is usually out of the question for those on a gluten-free diet, but thankfully, brands like Kevin's Natural Foods make delicious gluten-free soup options like their Chicken Soup with Cauliflower Pasta. Made with chicken veggies, gluten-free cauliflower noodles, and chicken broth, this healthy soup is also paleo-friendly and has 13 grams of filling protein in each cup.

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Best: Sprague Organic Tuscany-Style Minestrone

This Organic Tuscany-Style Minestrone from Sprague Foods is full of hearty ingredients like kidney beans, romano beans, carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, red peppers, brown rice, green peas, and more. It packs in 6 grams of filling fiber for only 150 calories and less than one gram of saturated fat. Plus, it has less than 700 milligrams of sodium.

Best: Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen

"Many ramen soups, while delish, are packed with sodium and are loaded with refined carbs," says Manaker. "Lotus Foods makes a ramen that contains 4 grams of fiber and a whopping 9 grams of protein." Plus, Manaker points out that this delicious soup is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly, which means it can fit into many diets.

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Best: Wild Zora Lemon Chicken Soup

Not only is this Lemon Chicken Soup just 50 calories, contains zero grams of fat, and has less than 450 milligrams of sodium, but it can be ready to eat in a matter of seconds. All you have to do is add hot water and stir. Then, you'll have a delicious cup of gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly soup to enjoy.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Best: Pacific Foods Organic Spicy Black Bean and Kale Soup

This plant-based vegan soup is made with simple ingredients, including black beans and kale, and is flavored with chili powder to give it a kick. It provides 6 grams of filling fiber and is rather reasonable on sodium compared to other brand options. Serve as a warming appetizer to a meal or pair with a salad or sandwich.

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Best: 18 Chestnuts Black Bean & Kale Soup

The 18 Chestnuts Black Bean & Kale Soup is everything you need in a jar of premade soup. Made with organic black beans, kale, peppers, apples, carrots, and sunflower seed protein powder, this soup provides 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber for only 120 calories and zero grams of saturated fat.

5 Worst Canned Soups

Worst: Progresso Rich & Hearty Broccoli Cheese with Bacon

Progresso Rich & Hearty Broccoli Cheese with Bacon is just too rich in ingredients that push the saturated fat too high. Per each cup, you'll get 4.5 grams of saturated fat—much of it coming from the cheese and bacon. Sodium is also on the higher end at 35% of your daily recommended max.

Worst: Snow's Clam Chowder

This New England-style clam chowder from Snow's is rather high in calories and has 7 grams of saturated fat and more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per serving. If you're craving this soup, enjoy it once in a while but it shouldn't be a daily menu item.

Worst: Campbell's Chunky Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

According to Chun, this soup "is a poor choice because it is high in calories, fat, and sodium, and contains many artificial ingredients. One serving of this soup contains 790 milligrams of sodium, which is over one-third of the recommended daily intake. "Consuming too much sodium can increase the risk of heart disease, as it can lead to high blood pressure and other risk factors," explains Chun. When choosing canned soups, Chun recommends looking for options that are low in sodium and free from artificial additives and preservatives.

 10 Best & Worst Canned Chicken Noodle Soups

Worst: Amy's Soup Thai Coconut

Amy's has a ton of good-for-you soups, but this coconut-based soup is just too high in calories and saturated fat to be eaten often. Calories per serving is on the higher end, and the 11 grams of saturated fat is close to the recommended daily limit. If you choose this soup, make it a once-in-a-while indulgence, and opt for healthier Amy's soups instead, like their Light in Sodium Lentil Soup.

Worst: Zoup Tomato Bisque

Zoup makes a variety of healthy options, but the bisque made with cream just isn't your best choice. The calories per cup are high and the saturated fat is 68% your recommended daily max. If you're trying to watch your calorie intake or are at risk of having high cholesterol or heart disease, opt for many of the other healthier options by this brand.