Instant cup soups are handy when you want something quick, warm and light, but are cuppa soups actually healthy?
They are often low in calories, which can make them seem like a good choice. But how much real food do they actually contain? Are they high in salt? And do they have enough protein or fibre to actually keep you full?
I decided to look into it and see how healthy these instant cup soups really are.
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Quick answer: are cuppa soups healthy?
Cuppa soups are not usually very healthy. They are often low in calories, but many are also salty, low in protein and fibre, and made with processed ingredients.
They are fine occasionally as a light snack, but they are not a good replacement for a proper meal.
For this post, I’m looking at instant cup soups in general, including Cup a Soup-style products from brands like Batchelors, Lipton and Heinz. Some come as sachets and some as pots, but they are all quick soups you make with hot water.
Nutrition at a glance: how popular instant cup soups compare
To see how they compare, I checked the calories, salt, sugar, protein and fibre in a few popular instant cup soups.
Nutrition values can change, so always check the packet. These figures are based on the prepared serving listed by the brand or retailer at the time of writing.
What the numbers show
Most instant cup soups are low in calories, but that doesn’t automatically make them healthy. A 50–100 calorie cup of soup may look good on paper, but if it has hardly any protein or fibre, it may not keep you full for long.
This is the main problem with using them as a meal. They may take the edge off your hunger for a short time, but they don’t usually offer much in the way of proper nutrition.
Salt is the main thing to watch
Salt is probably the biggest issue with many instant cup soups.
Some contain around 1g of salt per cup, sometimes more. UK adults are advised to have no more than 6g of salt a day, so one small cup soup can take up a noticeable part of your daily limit.
If you are in the US, the label will usually show sodium instead of salt. In that case, check the sodium amount and the % Daily Value.
This matters more if you have high blood pressure, are trying to cut down on salt, or already eat a lot of processed foods.
What about sugar?
Most savoury cup soups are not very high in sugar, but some flavours contain more than you might expect.
Tomato cup soups are a good example. Batchelors Tomato Cup a Soup contains 8.3g of sugar per prepared cup, which is just over 2 teaspoons. Heinz Cream of Tomato Cup Soup contains 11.3g of sugar per cup, which is nearly 3 teaspoons.
That doesn’t make them as sugary as sweets or fizzy drinks, but it is still quite a bit for a small cup of savoury soup. Chicken and noodle-style soups are usually much lower in sugar, so the flavour makes a big difference.
What’s actually in instant cup soups?
The nutrition numbers tell you one part of the story, but the ingredients list is just as important. This is where you can see whether the soup is mostly made with real food, or whether the flavour is coming from starches, sugars, oils and flavourings.
Here are a few examples from popular instant cup soups:
| Product | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Batchelors Chicken Cup a Soup | Water, glucose syrup, cooked chicken (2.5%), maize starch, palm oil, onion, salt, flavour enhancers, yeast extract, milk proteins, parsley, emulsifiers, flavouring, ground turmeric, sage extract, black pepper extract. |
| Batchelors Tomato & Basil Cup a Soup | Tomatoes (45%), water, potato, glucose syrup, maize starch, potato starch, onion, sugar, palm oil, salt, basil (0.5%), yeast extract, emulsifier, flavourings. |
| Heinz Cream of Tomato Cup Soup | Tomatoes (36%), sugar, modified potato starch, potato starch, sunflower oil, salt, glucose syrup, flavouring, whey powder, red beetroot powder, colours, modified cornflour, citric acid, palm oil, palm fat, emulsifier, stabiliser. |
| Lipton Cup-a-Soup Chicken Noodle | Enriched egg noodles, maltodextrin, cornstarch, salt, chicken powder, potassium chloride, hydrolyzed soy protein, chicken fat, onion powder, carrots, chicken white meat, autolyzed yeast extract, chicken broth, turmeric, silicon dioxide, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, parsley, natural flavour, paprika, garlic powder, whey, nonfat dry milk. |
Are the ingredients in cuppa soups healthy?
Some cup soups do contain real ingredients, like tomatoes, onion, chicken, carrots or herbs. But they also often contain a lot of added ingredients used for texture, flavour and thickness.
This includes things like starches, glucose syrup, oils, flavourings and flavour enhancers. These are not automatically dangerous, but they do make instant cup soups very different from homemade soup.
The other thing to check is how much of the main ingredient is actually there. For example, a chicken cup soup may contain only a small amount of chicken, while much of the flavour comes from seasoning, flavourings and enhancers.
So the ingredients are not necessarily “bad”, but they are usually quite processed. If you want a healthier soup, look for one with more real vegetables, beans, lentils or chicken, and fewer added starches, sugars and flavourings.
The ingredients worth checking
Starches and thickeners
Starches are very common in instant cup soups. You may see ingredients like maize starch, potato starch, corn starch or modified starch.
These help make the soup thicker and creamier. They are not automatically bad, but they don’t add much nutrition either. If starches appear high up the ingredients list, it usually means the soup is relying on them for texture.
Glucose syrup, maltodextrin and sugar
It can be surprising to see glucose syrup, maltodextrin or sugar in a savoury soup, but they appear in some instant cup soups.
This doesn’t always mean the soup is very high in sugar, but it does show the product is more processed. Tomato soups are more likely to contain noticeable amounts of sugar, while chicken or noodle-style soups are often lower.
Flavourings and flavour enhancers
Many cup soups use flavourings, yeast extract or flavour enhancers to make the soup taste stronger.
This is especially worth noticing when the actual amount of chicken, vegetables or herbs is very small. The soup may taste rich and savoury, but some of that flavour can come from added flavourings rather than the main ingredient itself.
Oils, creamers and milk powders
Creamy cup soups often contain oils, milk powders, whey powder or cream-style ingredients. Some also contain palm oil or palm fat.
These ingredients help with taste and texture, but they can also make the soup more processed. It doesn’t mean you need to avoid every creamy cup soup, but it is worth checking what is making it creamy.
How much real food is actually there?
This is one of the most useful things to check.
If a soup is called chicken, vegetable, mushroom or tomato, look at how much of that ingredient is actually included. Some cup soups contain a decent amount of tomato, but others may contain only a small amount of chicken or vegetables.
That doesn’t mean the soup is dangerous, but it does tell you something important: the name on the front of the packet does not always reflect how much real food is inside.
What to look for on the label
If you do buy instant cup soups, don’t just go for the one with the lowest calories. A very low-calorie soup can still be mostly starch, salt and flavourings, and it may not keep you full for long.
A better cup soup would usually have:
- Less salt or sodium
This is one of the first things to check, especially if you eat other processed foods during the day. - Some protein
A soup with hardly any protein is unlikely to be very filling. - Some fibre
Fibre helps make food more satisfying, but many cup soups contain very little. - Real ingredients higher up the list
Look for vegetables, beans, lentils or chicken near the top of the ingredients list, not just tiny amounts near the end. - Fewer added starches, oils and flavourings
These are common in instant soups, but if the list is full of them, it is a sign the soup is more processed. - Less sugar in tomato or sweet flavours
Tomato cup soups can be surprisingly higher in sugar, so it is worth checking. - A portion that actually feels realistic
If one cup is only 50–80 calories and has little protein or fibre, it may be more of a snack than a meal.
The main point is this: don’t judge cup soups by calories alone. Check whether they actually offer anything useful, or whether they are just a salty, low-calorie snack.
Final verdict: are cuppa soups healthy?
Most cuppa soups are not a very healthy choice. They may be low in calories, but that is not enough to make them good for you.
When you look closer, many are quite salty, low in protein, low in fibre and made with a long list of processed ingredients. Some also contain very little of the main ingredient you would expect, such as chicken or vegetables.
For me, they are more of a quick emergency snack than a proper meal. Having one now and again is fine, but I wouldn’t rely on them regularly if you want something filling and nutritious.
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Join for $29.99/MonthA better option would be a soup with more real vegetables, beans, lentils or chicken, whether homemade or a better-quality ready-made soup. If you do have a cup soup, treat it as a side and add something more filling with it.
FAQs
Are cuppa soups ultra-processed?
Yes, most instant cup soups are ultra-processed. They often contain ingredients like starches, glucose syrup, maltodextrin, flavourings, flavour enhancers, emulsifiers and powdered creamers.
Are cuppa soups good for weight loss?
Cuppa soups can help with weight loss if they replace a higher-calorie snack, but they are not a great meal on their own.
They are usually low in calories, so they are not especially fattening by themselves. The problem is that many are low in protein and fibre, so they may not keep you full for long. You may end up hungry again soon after.
Are cuppa soups OK for diabetics?
Some cup soups may be OK for diabetics, but it depends on the product and the rest of the meal.
The main things to check are carbohydrates, sugar, salt and the ingredients list. Tomato and creamy flavours can contain more sugar, while many cup soups are also quite salty.
If you have diabetes, a cup soup with very little protein or fibre is not usually the best choice on its own. It would be better with something more filling, such as eggs, chicken, beans, wholegrain toast or vegetables.
Can they be bad for your stomach?
They can be for some people.
Instant cup soups may contain onion, garlic, dairy powders, flavour enhancers, gluten, starches or other ingredients that can bother sensitive digestion. They are also quite salty, which may not sit well with everyone.
If you notice bloating, discomfort, reflux or stomach upset after having them, check the ingredients and try a simpler soup instead.
Which cuppa soup is healthier?
Most standard cuppa soups are not that healthy, but some are better than others.
A better example is FUEL10K High Protein Chicken Instant Cup Soup. It has 101 calories, 5.2g of protein, 1.1g of sugar and 1.1g of salt per prepared portion. It is still a processed instant soup, but it has a shorter ingredients list than many typical cup soups and more protein, so it may be a bit more filling.
Even so, it is still not the same as homemade soup or a ready-made soup with plenty of vegetables, lentils, beans or chicken. If you want the healthiest option, look beyond standard cup soups and choose something with more real food, more fibre and less salt.
