The 10 Healthiest Canned Soups
Ten of the healthiest canned soup options ranked by a Registered Dietitian.
Quick Picks (If you're standing in the aisle right now!)
Best Overall: Amy's Light in Sodium Split Pea
510 mg of sodium per can, 12 g protein, 7 g fiber
Lowest Sodium: Amy's Light in Sodium Minestrone
440 mg per can and easy to find in most stores.
Most Protein: Amy's Light in Sodium Chili
29g of protein and 14 g fiber per serving, with 500 mg of sodium per serving.
Canned soups are often a pantry staple for busy home cooks, but they also get a bad reputation for being high in sodium and low in nutrients. Thankfully, not all canned soups are created equal.
The problem usually isn’t the can; it’s the serving size! The labeling of canned soup can be tricky, and not always uniform. For example, Amy’s labels a 14-ounce can as one serving, but Progresso labels a similar size can as two.
So, when you’re standing in the aisle comparing 510 milligrams of sodium against 600, it can look like a close call when it isn’t. The Progresso can is 1,440 milligrams once you eat the entire can, which most people do. In my almost two decades of analyzing diets, I’ve rarely seen someone eat 1/2 a can of soup.
They are harder to find, but Dr. McDougall and Plant Strong both make low-sodium soups, and they are almost only in Whole Foods, Sprouts, and similar stores.
“Low Sodium” May Not Be What You Think
“Light in sodium” isn’t the same label as low sodium; light in sodium means that it’s at least 50% less than a brand’s regular version, which is a real improvement most of the time, but a different claim.
For example, Amy’s regular Lentil Vegetable is around 1200 mg of sodium per can, so their light version is 540 mg, which is much better, but still may be higher in sodium for some people. The FDA’s definition of low sodium is 140 milligrams or less per serving, which not one canned soup has.
Beyond sodium, I think it’s important to consider what else is in the can. I recommend looking for soups with at least a serving of vegetables, and bonus points for ones that are centered around whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins, like black beans and lentils. Depending on the person, I may recommend a higher-sodium lentil soup with more fiber and protein than a lower-sodium chicken-noodle soup, which also has less fiber and protein.
What makes a canned soup healthy?
When I’m assessing the healthiest canned soup, here’s what I look at, in order:
- Sodium, per container: This is per can, not per serving, which can be different (see above!) Under 600 mg of sodium per container is pretty good for canned soup. Between 600 and 1,000 is reasonable if the rest of the label is otherwise good. Over 1,200 mg of sodium per can is roughly 1/2 a day’s sodium. That doesn’t mean that higher-sodium soups don’t work for some diets, but it’s something to consider in the overall diet context.
- Protein: I prefer at least 10 g of protein per container. This is what makes a can of soup the healthiest canned soup option, to me. Beans, lentils, and split peas are all great ingredients, which is why most of the soups on this list are legume-based ones, as they bring both protein and fiber.
- Fiber: I prefer a can of soup with at least 5 g of fiber, as most adults get about half the fiber that they should. A can of soup with 5+ grams of fiber will also help keep you full.
The healthiest canned soups, ranked by sodium:
| Soup | Sodium (mg) | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. McDougall’s Lower Sodium Vegan Chicken Noodle Cup* | 360 | 6 | 6 | 140 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Minestrone | 440 | 6 | 6 | 190 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Lentil | 460 | 9 | 6 | 260 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Chunky Tomato Bisque | 470 | 5 | 4 | 230 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Chili, Medium | 500 | 29 | 14 | 510 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Split Pea | 510 | 12 | 7 | 200 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Butternut Squash | 520 | 3 | 2 | 180 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Lentil Vegetable | 540 | 11 | 8 | 270 |
| Amy’s Light in Sodium Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable | 550 | 6 | 5 | 220 |
| Dr. McDougall’s Low Sodium French Lentil | 560 | 16 | 18 | 260 |
| Dr. McDougall’s Lower Sodium Vegan Garden Vegetable | 560 | 6 | 6 | 180 |
If you’re buying a big carton instead:
A few brands make a lower-sodium soup in 32-ounce family cartons, so you pour a serving rather than eating the entire container. So, these are measured per cup, which is why I put them in a different table.
| Soup | Sodium/Cup | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imagine Light in Sodium Creamy Butternut Squash | 200 mg | 2 | 3 |
| Pacific Foods Light in Sodium Butternut Squash | 240 mg | 2 | 0 |
| Imagine Less Sodium Creamy Garden Tomato | 280 mg | 2 | 3 |
| Pacific Foods Light in Sodium Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato | 310mg | 3 | 2 |
| Pacific Foods Light in Sodium Creamy Tomato | 320 mg | 3 | 2 |
These are the lowest-sodium soups per serving that I found in a normal supermarket, but for most of these soups, they don’t have enough protein to to be filling enough on their own, so they are often a good choice to pair with a salad or sandwich or as a start to a meal.
You can also add canned beans to many of these soups to add both protein and fiber! You’ll likely find that with most of these soup options, low sodium and high protein are rarely combined in the same can. Legume-based soups, like lentil soup, split pea soup, and chili, have protein and fiber. Broth-based and vegetable-based soups are more liquid, making them lower in calories but less filling.
The Healthiest Canned Soups
Best Overall: Amy’s Light in Sodium Split Pea
510mg sodium · 12g protein · 7g fiber · 200 calories per can
I love this soup! For just two hundred calories, you get 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, making it one of the best ratios on this entire list. Most canned soups are best as a starter, but this one works as a meal (especially paired with my no-knead bread!)
Split pea also holds up better to canning than most soups, because it’s supposed to be thick and soft, so taste-wise, this one works very well.
Amy’s Light in Sodium Minestrone
440mg sodium · 6g protein · 6g fiber · 190 calories per can
Amy’s Light in Sodium Minestrone is the lowest-sodium full can on this list, but it only contains six grams of protein which isn’t much for a meal.
Therefore, I’d treat this pick as a base rather than a full dinner, but if you want more protein, then add in canned white beans!
With 440 mg of sodium per can, this option is the one I’d point someone to first if they’ve been told to cut sodium and don’t know where to start. It also tastes great!
Most Protein: Amy’s Light in Sodium Chili, Medium
500mg sodium · 29g protein · 14g fiber · 510 calories per can
A can of this chili contains twenty-nine grams of protein, with just 500mg of sodium. If you want a shelf-stable meal that satisfies, this is it. It does contain 510 calories, which also makes it a full meal, which I think is the point when it comes to canned soup! (And if you want to make your own chili, I’ve got a great recipe for a three-bean chili that costs a fraction of this and you control the salt entirely!)
Most Fiber: Dr. McDougall’s Low Sodium French Lentil
560mg sodium · 16g protein · 18g fiber · 260 calories per carton
I love this soup as it contains 18 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein for just 260 calories. That’s half of a day’s fiber in one carton, which is hard to come by in other canned soups.
It does contain 560 mg of sodium, which is fine for most people, but if you are a on a low sodium diet, then something to consider. It’s also harder to find that some of the other soups on this list, but usually available at Whole Foods.
Amy’s Light in Sodium Lentil
460mg sodium · 9g protein · 6g fiber · 260 calories per can
This is the lowest-sodium soup on the list, with enough protein and fiber to be a full meal.
Amy’s Light in Sodium Lentil Vegetable
540mg sodium · 11g protein · 8g fiber · 270 calories per can
This one contains more fiber than any of the Amy’s cans at eight grams of fiber per serving, along with eleven of protein. This is essentially the Lentil soup, with more vegetables, and a little more sodium.
Best Creamy Soup: Amy’s Light in Sodium Chunky Tomato Bisque
470mg sodium · 5g protein · 4g fiber · 230 calories per can
For a cream-based soup, this one is pretty low sodium as most bisques contain well over a thousand milligrams of sodium per can. The trade-off is that it’s fairly low in protein, so this one is great with grilled cheese, a piece of good bread, or a handful of white beans blended in.
Amy’s Light in Sodium Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable
550mg sodium · 6g protein · 5g fiber · 220 calories per can
I love the taste of this soup! It’s got black beans, corn and tastes great. I usually add a little squeeze of lime juice and some sliced avocado on top for a full meal.
Amy’s Light in Sodium Butternut Squash
520mg sodium · 3g protein · 2g fiber · 180 calories per can
A serving of this soup only contains three grams of protein and two of fiber, so it’s really more of a starter or a side. Note this SKU appears under several names– Low Fat Butternut Squash, Low Sodium Butternut Squash, Light in Sodium– depending on the retailer, but it’s the same soup!
If you want a butternut squash soup that’s a little more filling, my roasted acorn squash soup blends silken tofu into it for more protein.
Dr. McDougall’s Lower Sodium Vegan Chicken Noodle Cup
360mg sodium · 6g protein · 2g fiber · 140 calories per cup
This one is technically the lowest sodium on this list, but it’s a little misleading because it’s a 1.4-ounce instant cup with just 140 calories, not a full can. It’s a snack, but it’s also great to keep at your desk and is a much lower-sodium pick for an add-hot-water soup compared to other options.
What I’d Skip:
- “Reduced sodium” versions you haven’t checked: Reduced sodium is a tricky label claim, as it means that it contains 25% less sodium than the brand’s regular soup, but not necessarily low sodium. For example, Progresso Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken Noodle is still 920mg per can.
- Campbell’s Well Yes!: These soups are marketed on wellness, but some of the varieties are high sodium; their Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice contains 1,170mg sodium per can.
- “Healthy Request” lines: These are similar to the reduced sodium claims as they are typically 25% less than their regular options, but doesn’t necessarily mean low sodium. Campbell’s Chunky Healthy Request Beef with Country Vegetables contains 820mg of sodium per serving.
- Cream-based soups generally: These tend to be higher in sodium and also higher in saturated fat, with very little fiber or protein in exchange.
- Anything where water is first on the ingredient list and salt is second: This means that you are getting a salty broth, with little vegetables, beans or grains!
- Anything under 5g protein: Low-protein soups are fine as a side or starter, but they’re not enough for a meal.
Five Ways to Make Any Canned Soup Healthier
Depending on your diet needs, here’s what I recommend to adjust your canned soup where needed. I often add a little acid to canned soup just to brighten, but that’s a flavor note and not really a nutrition one!
- Add a serving of canned beans: Canned beans contain protein and fiber, and it stretches one can into two meals– which also halves the sodium per bowl.
- Dilute a salty one: If you need very low sodium soup, then you can add a cup of unsalted broth to your can of soup, and then divide the serving size.
- Throw in frozen greens: A handful of frozen spinach or kale wilts into your soup within two minutes.
- Finish with acid: Canned soup is often flat and salty, and acid brightens it in a way more salt never will. A little lemon juice or a splash of vinegar!
- Add a cooked grain: This works with just about any grain, but especially leftover rice, farro or quinoa helps to make a thin soup more substantial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is canned soup actually healthy?
It can be! It really depends on the brand. Sodium is typically the thing that matters the most when it comes to assessing the nutrition of canned soup. The ones on this list are 360 to 560mg of sodium per serving.
What is the lowest sodium canned soup?
Of the shelf-stable options, Amy’s Light in Sodium Minestrone contains 440mg per can. Dr. McDougall’s Chicken Noodle Cup is lower at 360 mg, but it’s a small instant cup rather than a full can; and if you take a big carton and pour a cup, then Imagine’s Light in Sodium Creamy Butternut Squash is 200 mg of sodium per serving.
Does “reduced sodium” mean low sodium?
No; reduced sodium means 25% less than that brand’s regular version, which can still be very high.
How much sodium is too much in one soup?
The daily value is 2,300mg of sodium and the American Heart Association suggests an ideal limit closer to 1,500mg for most adults. Under 600 mg of sodium per serving is what I’d aim for.
Which canned soup is best for high blood pressure?
Amy’s Light in Sodium Minestrone at 440mg per can, or the Split Pea at 510mg if you want more protein.
Should I worry about BPA in canned soup?
Most major brands moved to BPA-free linings years ago, and several soups here come in cartons rather than cans.
Is it OK to eat canned soup every day?
With the soups on this list, yes! With 1,200mg of sodium per serving, that’s most of your sodium budget before anything else you eat that day, so something to consider in the context of your overall diet.
Or, if you have thirty minutes
If you’ve got time, homemade soup freezes well, costs a fraction of any canned or packaged soup, and you can control the salt completely. So, if you’ve got half an hour on a Sunday, these are what I’d make and freeze:
- Three-bean vegetarian chili: technically not soup, but one of my favorite soups to freeze!
- Lentil soup: 13g protein and 15g fiber a bowl
- Roasted acorn squash soup: If you love creamy soup, try this one.
- Tuscan kale soup
- Red lentil soup: Ready in about 30 minutes!
For the last several years I’ve eaten a LOT of vegetable soups thinking you can’t do better than that. Then the other day I read that many soups are unhealthy because they have too much salt and there was something about being overly processed so check the ingredients for I don’t remember but I think it was for chemicals.
As I’ve gone over this list of the 10 best vegetable soups I don’t think of seen anything about how processed the soups are. (I understand that ALL soups are processed to some extent.)
I’ll be 90 in May and hope these soups, along with exercise, will keep me around until I can enjoy Trump’s comeuppance.
Hi Richard– so many great questions here. Vegetable soups are great, the only downside is that they can have a lot of sodium. That may matter, that may not, it really depends on other foods, your lifestyle (ie, being active requires more) if you have any fluid retention concerns/heart concerns and also how much potassium you get in your diet as fluid balance is related to the balance of sodium and potassium, not just sodium alone. I like low-sodium soups, when possible. For processing, the degree of processing doesn’t tell you anything about the health of a food. It’s why I really didn’t comment on the fact that these soups are processed for this post as I don’t think it matters. There’s a huge delta between processed canned soup and say, processed candy bar or soda. For chemicals, that’s a cheap talking point as dose makes the poison and technically, we are made of chemicals, so when I hear fear-mongering around chemicals in food, it usually tells me that the person making these claims doesn’t understand chemistry. There are often additives to help with shelf life, but none that I am concerned about in these soups.
The reply to a 90 yr old powerhouse seemingly veered ofcourse via tunnel vision. Understandable, your article- & your perspective. However, “candy & soda” isn’t an ideal parallel. Methods, practices, mandates, efficiency, benefits & downfalls of processed (& processing) canned/carton/jarred SOUPS & their ingredients seems a more pertinent consideration. Snickers & Pepsi aren’t even remotely relevant or related to many/most of us concerned w/highly useful, vital diet-conscious & healthy optimal PreMade/Store Bought “packaged” soups. Liquid diets, as I’m presently dependent upon- is last resort b4 gastrointestinal feed tube plunged thru my abdomen. Almost prefer a 3rd nasal tube this Summer, instead… but talk about unsightly & inordinately inconvenient. SOUP IS LIFE (even if not made from scratch).
Thank you for this list! Helpful for people who have a packed schedule and just need some quick, healthier options.
I’ve been eating Progresso sw black bean and the same brand lentil sometimes I feel like it’s too much sodium .Thanks for your other suggestions