After an exhausting week or distressed state, we only need a bowl of tomato soup to feel energized but is tomato soup keto?
Only a soup lover can tell how hard it is to abstain from soups if you're on keto. But health is wealth, and we've to take precautions before eating to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Generally, we assume soups are beneficial because of their contents. Tomato itself is considered a fruit, and people consider it healthy.
But a keto diet is different than your usual diet. If you love tomatoes and soup, this article will help you in the longer run.
Make sure you read it till the end because your life is about to change after reading this one!
What is Tomato Soup?
As the name suggests, tomato soup is made from fresh tomatoes as a primary ingredient. Depending on preference, you could have it hot or cold, but people prefer hot tomato soup for comfort.
Its smooth and creamy texture with sour cream, vegetable stock, and chunks of meatballs makes it a favorite among soup lovers.
There's no rocket science behind making tomato soup. Primarily, it's nothing but tomato paste with water and other ingredients to enhance the taste. Even though it's not considered a high-risk food, it's still acidic, with a pH range varying from 4.2-4.9.
Difference between Ketchup soup and Tomato Soup
Do you know Ketchup soup become popular in America during The Great Depression?
It makes sense because tomatoes have never been too expensive, and people find it easy to fulfill their appetite with a budget-friendly dish without compromising taste. Tomato soup has been a favorite.
Therefore, you can see its symbolism in various movies, such as “The Terminal.” In the film, Tom Hanks's character is stuck in the airport without money, loses all food vouchers, and feeds himself by making ketchup soup!
Is tomato soup similar to ketchup soup? Yes and No.
Both products are made from tomatoes. Ketchup soup contains a sauce containing tomato chunks cooked with garlic herbs, but tomato soup is either broth or milk-based with pureed tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
What is the difference between Tomato Soup and Tomato Sauce?
Do you think we can make tomato soup out of tomato sauce?
It might be possible, considering both products are made of tomatoes. While the sauce contains chunky tomatoes and, on a commercial level, has red wine, sausage, onions, cheese, and bell peppers.
Whereas tomato soup contains broth or milk with tomato puree, salt, and pepper. Tomato soup has 85 calories, whereas tomato sauce includes 74 to 136 calories.
History
Eliza Leslie introduced the concept of tomato soup in 1857 in her cookbook, “New Cookery Book.” Gradually, its popularity increased with Joseph A Campell's recipe for a condensed tomato soup.
However, before tomato soup was introduced as ‘The Tomato Soup,' it originated in the suburbs of Andalucia in Spain as a cold soup referred to as Gazpacho. It was consumed as a fresh beverage in the summers for its refreshing qualities in Spain and Portugal.
Today, you'll find various forms of tomato soup sold commercially, whether preserved, condensed, or dehydrated. Some people prefer the canned form, while others prefer drinking from a carton bag. Nonetheless, tomato soup has made a special place in our lives, and there's no way to turn back.
Health Benefits of Tomato Soup
- Tomato soup contains various minerals and vitamins, including potassium, C, K, and A.
- It's rich in antioxidants that relieve stress.
- It may have cancer-fighting properties due to the high lycopene level that further help fight prostate and breast cancer.
- It contains selenium that promotes blood circulation and prevents anemia.
- Copper in tomato soup boosts the nervous system and improves mental health.
- Tomato soup is an excellent choice for diabetic patients as it contains chromium.
- Lycopene in tomatoes slows down tumor growth.
- A bowl of tomato soup benefits the eyes and skin due to carotenoids and vitamin A.
- People, especially women who have Osteoporosis, can drink tomato soup to improve bone health as it contains lycopene.
- Vitamin C and lycopene in tomatoes help reduce heart disease rates, lower cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure.
- Tomato soup contains lycopene, which reduces oxidative stress, a significant cause of male infertility. Consuming the soup helps to prevent sperm damage.
- It's the best home remedy for colds and coughs. The vitamin C and carotenoid content stimulates the immune system and provides comfort to the throat.
- Even though it's not backed by science, people believe tomatoes promote hair growth, eliminate fat and support weight loss.
Disadvantages of Tomato Soup
- Tomatoes might trigger gastroesophageal reflux disease, causing heartburn, difficulty swallowing, and chest pain.
- The high salt ratio in canned tomato soup leads to high blood pressure.
- Histamine in tomatoes causes allergies and skin rashes and may lead to swelling of the mouth, tongue, face, sneezing, and throat irritation.
- Consumption of too many tomatoes causes kidney stones as they're rich in calcium and oxalate and challenging to remove from the body.
- Tomatoes contain an alkaloid named solanine that may result in swelling and joint pain, build calcium in tissues, and trigger inflammation.
- Bacterium salmonella in tomatoes causes diarrhea.
- Excessive consumption of tomatoes creates urinary problems, including irritation in the bladder, a strong urge to pee, frequent trips to the washroom, and pain in the lower abdomen.
Deal with the above problems in the following ways
- Alleviate stomach aches and gastritis by taking calcium supplements
- Treat allergic reactions by consuming antihistamines.
- Drink bone broth to neutralize the acidic effect of tomatoes.
People who should avoid Tomato Soup
- People suffering from frequent migraines
- People suffering from GERD
- People suffering from a kidney disease
Is Tomato Soup Keto Friendly?
Tomatoes are usually considered keto-friendly, but unfortunately, that's not the case with Tomato soup. Tomato soup is full of carbs that kick it out of the keto diet plan.
Asa fruit, tomato is considered keto friendly with 4.8g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber in a fruit weighing 145g. If you; ‘re following a strict keto diet, you can consume 1-2 tomatoes daily.
Coming back to tomato soup- people are surprised how seemingly healthy soup could be non-keto friendly. Your tomato soup usually contains more than 1-2 tomatoes and many other ingredients, making it unreliable for a keto diet.
Soups keep us hydrated and healthy, but the keto clan has to ensure that their soup contains the least carbs. Tomato soup might break your keto plan of consuming 50g of carbs daily.
Tomato paste, tomato sauce, salsa, tomato juice, and canned tomatoes most likely obtain sugars, making it difficult to fit into the ketogenic diet. While buying a tomato product, check the ingredients, and avoid the ones with high sugar levels.
If you love tomatoes, you can always consume raw tomatoes as they're considered keto-friendly; otherwise, all soups, sauces, and even sundried tomatoes are; ‘t considered keto friendly.
Sundried tomatoes have low water content with 23.5g net carbs in a 54g cup. Therefore, you've to limit the tomato intake during ketosis or switch to raw tomatoes.
But BEWARE! Raw tomatoes might taste delicious, but they possess some harm discussed earlier in their article. They're acidic and could cause stomach problems; therefore, you've to limit their usage.
How many Calories are in a serving of Tomato Soup
One cup of tomato soup, which is 248g contains 74 calories. It's pretty reasonable, especially if you're not on a keto diet yet trying to lose weight.
Here's a nutritional chart for your further guidance:
| Amount Per 1 serving 1 cup | 248 g |
| Calories | 74 |
| Total Fat 0.7 g | 1% |
| Saturated fat 0.2 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 471.2 mg | 19% |
| Potassium 277.8 mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 16 g | 5% |
| Dietary fiber 1.5 g | 6% |
| Sugar 10 g | |
| Protein 2 g | 2g |
| Vitamin C | 26% |
| Iron | 7% |
| Magnesium | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 5% |
| Calcium | 1% |
| Vitamin D | 0% |
| Cobalamin | 0% |
Is Tomato Soup Acidic?
Tomato soup is slightly acidic that causes acid reflux and GERD symptoms. Its pH ranges from 4.62 to 5.50, but that doesn't make it unhealthy; you can add bone broth to make it less acidic.
Do you know adding baking soda to creams of tomatoes makes a huge difference? It prevents the tomatoes from becoming too acidic and reduces the risk of milk curdling.
Keto Friendly Tomato Soup Recipes
Do you love tomato soups and can't resist the temptation despite being on a keto diet? Don't worry because we've got you covered. You can have these delicious keto-friendly tomato soups whenever you want!
1. Grilled cheese and tomato soup bake (low carb)
Enjoy this old-school recipe without breaking your keto diet. Take 4 slices of bread, and slather them with cream cheese and other cheese of your choice. Spread butter and place on a baking dish. Make a creamy tomato soup using tomato puree, seasoning, and almond milk. Add one egg to maintain the thickness and keep the carb level lower. Pour soup over your sandwich and sprinkle parmesan. Place in pre-heat oven and bake for half n hour until its turns golden brown.
2. Keto Tomato Soup
Take a pan and heat it. Add onions and let them saute, then add garlic and allow its fragrance to brew for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix it well and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to blister and their skin peels off. Add water and mix it well. Then, let it boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add cream and fresh basil for final touches. Blend it well to get a smooth texture.
3. Creamy Keto Tomato Soup
Combine 24 oz Jar of marinara, one cup of chicken broth, ½ cup of heavy cream, 2 tbs of tomato paste, 2 tbs of granulated sweetener, salt, and pepper in a pan. Mix them all. Cook these ingredients until you see bubbles. It'd take a maximum of ten minutes. Add salt and pepper or any seasoning of your choice.
4. Keto Tomato Soup
The recipe requires parsley, marinara sauce, heavy whipping cream, bacon, olive oil, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Place the marinara sauce on the stove on medium flame, add chicken broth, and stir it properly. Add tomato paste to the pot, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and mix it well until it boils. Add whipping cream and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with parsley or bacon on top.
Wrapping Up
Is tomato soup keto friendly or not? Hopefully, by the end of this article, all queries will have been answered. Tomato soup isn't keto-friendly, but you can enjoy the recommended keto-friendly recipes to satisfy your cravings whenever you want.
Generally, tomatoes are great for health, but excess of everything is terrible. You've to be cautious when it comes to its consumption. Make sure you're eating everything in moderation. In case of pain, consult the nearest doctor immediately. Until then, enjoy your keto and stay healthy!
Click on one of the links below to learn more about keto friendly foods:
Is Rotisserie Chicken Keto Friendly?
Are Blueberries Keto Friendly?