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8 Heart-Healthy Soups for Athletes
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Fuel up right this winter with these eight vitamin-rich, fiber-filled, cold-fighting soups. A hearty dose of vegetables, such as garlic, onions, leeks and tomoatoes, can improve your cardiovascular health. Some of the more protein-rich soups—chicken vegetable soup, vegetable lentil soup and smoky black bean stew—are great after a workout, when you need muscle-repairing protein and plenty of liquid and some salt to ensure you're hydrated.
Leek and Pea Soup
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Green peas provide protein and carbohydrates, B vitamins, iron, potassium, vitamin A, folate and calcium. Leeks, which come from the same family as onions and garlic, contain little-known cardiovascular benefits: They contain polyphenols, antioxidants that protect blood vessels and cells from oxidative damage, and kaempferol, a flavonoid that reportedly protects blood vessel linings from damage. This soup is great served hot or cold.
Chicken Vegetable Soup
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Long known as "Jewish penicillin," chicken soup isn't just good for the soul—it can nurse you back to health when you're ill, and is good for your waistline. Bulk up your chicken soup with extra vegetables, and you'll add fiber and texture to this classic cold-weather standby.
Vegetable Lentil Stew
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If you're a vegetarian, or are looking for a meat-free soup that's packed with protein, try this vegetable lentil stew. This hearty, thick recipe is packed with superfoods—sweet potatoes, apples and garlic—and the fiber, protein and slow-burning carbs from the lentils will keep you well fueled for hours.
Gingered Apple Carrot Soup
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This healthy vegan soup is high in fiber, low in calories and very filling. It requires minimal effort and can be made in advance and refrigerated/frozen until ready to use. This sweet and spicy soup blends immune-boosting ginger with vitamin C-rich carrots. It's the perfect soup to ward off germs during the winter.
Spicy Tomato Soup
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Loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant in tomatoes that can reduce incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration, this tomoato soup recipe can be spiced up to add a punch of flavor. Get plenty of cold-busting Vitamin C, A, K as well as folate and potassium in this bowl of red goodness.
Two One-Pot Meals
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Increase your fiber, ancient whole-grain, protein and antioxidant intake with one (or all) of these no-fuss one-pot meals: •Smoky Black Bean Stew •Chicken Quinoa Soup