Can we just drink soup and not eat meat?

Many people think that soup is nutritious, and they often only drink soup without eating meat. So, is soup really nutritious? Experts tell us that broth and meat have their own advantages, and it is best to eat both.

Drink soup instead of meat. Is nutrition soup or meat?

A friend asked: My wife cooks chicken soup and fish soup every day. She says it is especially nutritious, but she only drinks soup and doesn't eat meat and vegetables. She said it was slag, and there was no nutrition at all. There is no need to eat. Another friend asked: the nutrition expert on TV said that cooking soup can't nourish you at all. Protein and iron are both in meat, so you have to eat meat to supplement your nutrition. It's no use drinking soup ... Is it useful or useless to drink chicken soup and fish soup? A lot of people are obsessed with this.

In fact, whether this sentence is right or not depends on who it is for and under what circumstances. Indeed, whether it is chicken soup, broth or fish soup, the protein content of soup is far less than the meat itself. Meat consists of muscle fibers, including soluble sarcoplasmic proteins, amino acids and peptides. They can easily enter the soup, but most muscle fiber components are difficult to dissolve. Generally speaking, the content of protein in broth and chicken soup is only 1%~2%. Compared with 15%~20% meat, the content of protein is much lower. Calcium and iron in bones are insoluble components, so it is impossible for calcium and iron in soup to dissolve in large quantities. Only soluble ingredients such as potassium can enter the soup.

For the vast majority of healthy people with normal digestion and absorption capacity, if they only drink chicken soup every day instead of eating pieces of fish, the total intake of protein will be too small to supplement calcium and iron.

However, comparing the value of soup and meat only by protein content is not accurate enough in some cases. There are many good things in chicken soup, such as dissolved free amino acids, small peptides, glutamic acid, glutamine, creatine, B vitamins and other substances, which can be quickly used by people who are weak and have indigestion after illness, thus improving appetite and promoting digestion. For the infirm, although the protein content of whole meat is high, protein can't be fully digested and absorbed due to the low digestion and absorption capacity and the therapeutic function of liver and kidney, which may even burden the digestive system and liver and kidney. From this point of view, drinking chicken soup and broth can make the weak people quickly absorb some nitrogen-containing substances and feel better in a short time. The ancients thought it was a "nourishing" effect, but it could not be completely wrong. In addition, the delicious chicken soup will really make people feel happy. As long as there is no hyperuricemia and excessive salt, it is completely understandable that people are happy to enjoy fresh soup.

However, while drinking soup, you should also pay attention to skimming the oil and putting as little salt as possible. The lighter the soup, the better. Otherwise, the effect of health care is not seen, but it has gained a lot of weight. Drinking too much salty soup increases blood pressure, which runs counter to the goal of "health care". As for calcium supplementation, you can directly drink milk and yogurt, eat bean products, eat green leafy vegetables, or eat calcium tablets, and don't expect bone soup broth. If you supplement iron, you should also eat red meat, animal blood or animal viscera directly. Soup is of little use.

Just, what about the meat and fish pieces cooked in soup? Of course, you can't waste it. Just make another dish. For example, although the flavor of chicken breast is greatly reduced, it can be completely shredded, and then shredded bamboo shoots and cucumbers are added, mixed with sesame sauce, seafood juice, pepper juice and other seasonings, and the taste is very good.

Experts remind: Broth and meat have their own advantages and cannot be neglected. We should eat both soup and meat.