- Cardiff dietitian recommends eating a ‘rainbow’ of vegetables for National Vegetarian Week
- GLORIOUS! Soups highlights 5 vegetarian ‘rainbow’ soups to eat through the week
- On-trend purple Russian Beetroot Soup is high in inorganic nitrates, which helps reduce blood pressure
The world has gone mad for rainbow and unicorn-inspired food. So, with National Vegetarian Week just around the corner (May 15 to 21), GLORIOUS! Soups has teamed up with a dietitian at Cardiff Metropolitan University to highlight the health benefits of eating a ‘rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables through the week.
GLORIOUS! is highlighting five of its vegetarian soups, each of which reflects a colour of the rainbow and has its own health benefits. This includes the very on-trend purple Limited Edition Russian Beetroot Soup, which contains inorganic nitrates that can help reduce blood pressure.
Dietitian and lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Vicky Gould, said: “Eating a ‘rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables is fantastic advice, as different coloured fruits and vegetables contain their own specific combinations of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. By eating a variety of colours you ensure your body gets everything it requires for optimum health. Trying GLORIOUS! Soups’ vegetarian range for National Vegetarian Week is a delicious way of helping you get your five-a-day. Plus, each soup in the range will provide different health benefits.”
Red: Goan Tomato and Lentil GLORIOUS! Skinnylicious Soup
This thick tomato and lentil soup is designed to satisfy your hunger, but with only 1.3% fat per portion your waistline will be happy too. Vicky Gould said: “Tomato is the star ingredient in this red GLORIOUS! soup, and is a great way to kick off National Vegetarian Week. Tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called lycopene which is one of the most powerful antioxidant chemicals that can be found in foods. Tomatoes also contain high levels of the antioxidant vitamins; vitamin A, C and E. Evidence shows that by consuming all these vitamins in synergy they can help reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers.”
Orange: Fragrant Thai Carrot GLORIOUS! Skinnylicious Soup
With just 1.7% fat per portion this is another Skinnylicious soup that will fill you up at lunchtime whilst keeping you slim. The delicious combination of carrot, ginger, lime and coriander will give a zingy and fresh boost to your lunch hour. Vicky Gould commented: “The orange pigment found in the carrots in this GLORIOUS! Soup is called Beta-Carotene which is a natural compound that gets transformed into Vitamin A by our bodies. Vitamin A is especially important for eye health so there is something in the old saying “carrots help you see in the dark!” Vegetarians can struggle to get enough vitamin A in their diets so eating food rich in Beta-Carotene is a real boost.”
Yellow: Brazilian Super Grain GLORIOUS! Super Soup
This high protein and high fibre zingy soup with mixed grains and vegetables, coconut milk and a squeeze of lime is given its distinct yellow colour thanks to the super healthy combination of butternut squash and turmeric. Vicky Gould said: “As yellow vegetables go you can’t get much better than squash as it is packed with carotenoids. These are converted to vitamin A in the body which helps us make essential hormones and keep our eyes healthy. Turmeric contains a natural compound called Curcumin, which has been found to be a powerful antioxidant, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. Research is ongoing but this could be useful in helping to prevent many chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.”
Green: Vietnamese Super Green Super Soup
The GLORIOUS! Vietnamese Super Green Super Soup is a high protein light soup containing spinach, broccoli, green lentils, petit pois, aromatic ginger, lime and lemongrass. Vicky Gould commented: “The pigment chlorophyll gives green vegetables their colour, but many green vegetables are rich in other nutrients too. Spinach and broccoli, for example, are packed with fibre and protein which means it packs a punch in terms of giving you a post-workout boost. Iron is a really important mineral that we need to keep for keeping our red blood cells healthy and able to deliver oxygen to our bodies – this soup is light yet full of iron-containing green vegetables.”
Violet: Limited Edition GLORIOUS! Russian Beetroot Soup
This rich and creamy beetroot soup with a dollop of sour cream is bang on trend in terms of its colour – but it also has huge health benefits, as Vicky Gould explained: “Beetroot is a great example as the red/purple pigment it contains has been linked to reducing the risk of cancer due to its antioxidant properties. Beetroots are also high in inorganic nitrates which have been found to help reduce blood pressure, which is important for reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.”
Claire Roper, GLORIOUS! brand and category innovation manager, said: “Whether you’re already vegetarian or you’re ‘going veggie’ for National Vegetarian Week why not challenge yourself to eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the week? Tucking into our five rainbow soups throughout the week will add a burst of colour to your lunch hour and a health boost to your day.”
Throughout National Vegetarian Week, GLORIOUS! Soups is encouraging people to post pictures of themselves eating its ‘rainbow’ soups throughout the week using the hashtag #GloriousRainbow. The best picture will win all five of the ‘rainbow’ soups listed above.
