I’ve been going through my first trimester of pregnancy and having all the usual symptoms. This is tough for me because as a chef and all-around food lover, I plan the family meals, pore over cookbooks and come up with new recipes, some of which I have shared here with you. So here I was at a loss as to what to include in this month’s column!
Well, my husband made the following soup for me which incorporates fairly easy to digest veggies and protein that are healthy for me and the baby. As I was eating, I realized this is a very hearty and healthy soup for anyone at any age!
So, what’s healthy about this soup? Everything! The mixture of vegetables provides essential nutrients such as foliate, potassium, carbohydrates, calcium, and vitamin C. Folate is helpful in promoting healthy fetal development, potassium helps maintains fluid balance in the body, carbohydrates gives you energy, calcium is for bones and vitamin C is good for immunity, and lean protein provides iron.
As I was enjoying the soup, I realized it wasn’t just the flavor that tasted so good to me. I felt a warm and soothing feeling too. So I asked my husband if he had added anything special to it.
He responded with a smile and said, “I just wanted you to be able to eat something that tasted good to you and help you feel better.”
In Internal Energy Plus™ we call that cooking with intention. His intention was simply putting energy into the soup that tasted good to me and that I would feel better. It worked! That was the secret ingredient.
Enjoy the recipe below. It cooks quick and easy and will also be good way to use that leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
Homey and Healthy Chicken Soup
1 - 32-oz. carton creamy sweet corn soup (I used the Imagine brand I found at my local Whole Foods store)
1-1⁄2 cups cooked chicken or turkey cut into small chunks
2-3 potatoes peeled, cubed, and cooked (boil them for about 10 minutes and drain)
2 celery ribs sliced about 1/8” thick
1-1⁄2 cups mixed frozen veggies (carrots, peas, green beans, and corn or pick what you like best)
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Pour the carton of creamy sweet corn soup into a medium soup pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the celery and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.
- Add the rest of the ingredients including the spices and simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes more.
- Serve with a slice of your favorite bread.
Note: Cooking at a simmer keeps the soup from scorching and lets the flavors blend slowly.
About Lola:
Lola Kern has dedicated her life to helping others re-empower and heal their relationship with food as she did for herself in the last several years. She developed her own weight loss plan that included nutritious recipes and a fitness program. She lost 85 lbs. during the course of two years and has successfully maintained a healthy weight since.
Lola is a certified Internal Energy Plus™ consultant and has also earned her first level black belt in the Chinese martial art system of Kang-Nei-Chin Gung-Fu. As a certified IEP™ Consultant, Lola focuses on helping others overcome their food and body image challenges and subsequently re-empower and heal their relationship with food. To contact Lola directly call 1-866-758-7496, ext. 707 or log onto www.internalenergyplus.com You can also check out her blog at lolakern.blogspot.com or join our new Yahoo Group, it’s free!
