Nutrition-Wise Series: How to Reduce Saturated Fat in Hearty Soups

How to Reduce Saturated Fat in Hearty Soups

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Penny Clark offers easy ways to lighten up your favorite Hearty Meal Soup Mixes without sacrificing flavor.

Whether you're cooking for heart health, managing cholesterol, or just aiming for balance, reducing saturated fat in your soups is simple with a few smart swaps.

Smart Tips to Cut Saturated Fat

• Use extra lean ground meats (ground turkey, bison, or 90–95% lean beef)

• Replace butter with olive oil or vegetable oil

• Remove poultry skin before cooking

• Reduce or omit cheese or cream garnishes

• Swap pork sausage for lower-fat chicken sausage

California Gold Rush White Bean Chili

• Use extra lean ground turkey or go vegetarian with diced sweet potatoes or acorn squash

• Swap sour cream for nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Colorado Campfire Chicken Stew

• Use skinless chicken breast

• Sauté with vegetable oil instead of butter

Dakota Territory Beef Barley Bean Stew

• Use lean beef or bison and trim visible fat

• Sauté with a mix of oil and a small amount of butter

Illinois Prairie Corn Chowder

• Puree canned low-sodium corn with low-fat milk instead of using cream

Indiana Harvest Sausage Lentil Soup

• Halve the sausage and use lower sodium chicken sausage or lean ground meat

Little Italy Wedding Soup

• Skip meatballs and use lean turkey sausage or a vegetarian version

• Top with basil instead of Parmesan cheese

Louisiana Backyard Cajun Gumbo

• Use skinless chicken, lean sausage, or vegetarian protein

• Sauté with oil instead of butter

Michigan Ski Country Chili

• Use extra lean ground chuck and pork

• Garnish with yogurt and herbs instead of sour cream or cheese

Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean Soup

• Swap pork sausage for ground turkey or go vegetarian

• Use skinless chicken breast

Nebraska Barnraising Split Pea Soup

• Halve the bacon or use lower sodium turkey bacon

New York Corner Cafe Minestrone

• Swap bacon for lean ground turkey or turkey bacon

• Garnish with basil instead of cheese

Ohio Valley Vegetable Soup

• Use olive oil to sauté garlic instead of butter

Spiced & Sweet Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

• Sauté veggies in vegetable oil rather than butter

Texas Wrangler Black Bean Soup

• Use orange juice for flavor instead of sweetened ingredients

Vermont Farmhouse Apple Sausage and Bean Soup

• Use lean turkey sausage or go vegetarian

• Add spices or chili for bold flavor without fat

Simple swaps can make a big nutritional impact. Choose healthy fats, lean proteins, and plant-forward enhancements to create soups that are both nourishing and delicious. Tag us @frontiersoups and use #SoupSmarts to share your lighter soup creations!