The Healthy Soup That Saves My Sanity on Busy Nights

Before I had kids, I had imagined that being a registered dietitian would help me to feed them the perfect healthy diet. I envisioned having dinner on the table by five every evening and sending them off each morning with beautifully packed lunches every day.

Now, as an actual mother of three young children, all of whom have busy social and extracurricular schedules, I have come to realize that having time to cook a meal from scratch every single day is impossible. Don’t get me wrong, I still do my best to feed them the best foods I can, but the reality is that our busy schedules make things feel impossible some days.

On days when we don’t even walk in the door until five or six at night, the easiest thing to do is grab something that is already prepared, such as takeout or packaged food that gets heated up quickly. As much as I love supporting the amazing locally owned businesses near our house, restaurant food is almost always less healthy than what you prepare at home. Add to that the fact that the cost of takeout for a family of five is astronomical right now and you have two really good reasons why I try not to indulge in takeout all too often, and will even make my own versions of favorite takeout meals.

Similarly, ready-to-eat food that you heat and eat at home is well known for being high in unhealthy fat, sodium, added sugar, refined carbohydrates, and chemical stabilizers, notes the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This food is handy in a pinch, but is certainly not something that I want to feed my family on a regular basis.

So what’s a parent to do in this all-too-frequent scenario when time is tight? I have a handful of go-to meals that I can turn to and get dinner on the table quickly and with things I already have on hand. One such meal is a frittata. I love that it uses up any veggies I have on hand and that we all get the protein we need from the eggs.

But without a doubt, my go-to quick recipe is minestrone soup. With a can of beans, a can of tomatoes, and some veggie broth — all inexpensive pantry staples, another advantage — I can have dinner ready in under 30 minutes. The recipe can vary based on what ingredients I have on hand, but the flavor is always amazing.

Soup also freezes well and can, therefore, be quickly defrosted and enjoyed for an even quicker dinner another night! Pro tip: I let the soup cool, then ladle portions into resealable zip-top bags, seal, and lay them flat on top of each other in my freezer for easier storage. When I need to defrost, I move a bag to the refrigerator or place it in a bowl of warm water to thaw.

Okay, I am off to take my kids to swim lessons and will be making this exact soup later tonight. Give it a try with whatever beans and veggies you have on hand.