Chicken Soup for the Time-Deprived

When I was a kid my Dad's method of conveying contempt for the lack of flavour in canned chicken soup was to exclaim that it tasted as though a chicken might have walked through it. This discussion took place very infrequently--on the rare occasion that my mother would venture into the world of ready-made, canned foods. She, of course, was the World War 2 type of homemaker that made everything--and I mean everything--from scratch. If chicken soup were on the menu, then she started with a chicken. I can also remember my grandmother making chicken soup, and she started with a live chicken.

What brought all this to mind was my daughter-in-law asking what I thought of the chicken-soup powders and instant chicken bouillon mixes. I had to admit I hadn't thought about them much and, in fact, wasn't even sure what was in them. She said she thought they were very convenient, especially as a base for other soups and casseroles but was a bit worried about what they contained. And believe me, as I soon discovered, she had good reason to be concerned. The ingredient list (and I compared a number of brands and they're all pretty much the same) is as follows:
Corn syrup solids, dextrose, flour, sugar, cornstarch, chicken fat, hydrolysed soy and corn protein. Those are the first seven ingredients. As you know, ingredients are listed by order of weight, so the amount of dehydrated chicken, coming as it does at number nine, following "flavours", and just before guar gum, doesn't auger well for the chicken's relationship to the soup. I don't think a chicken even walked through it!

What I find alarming about the ingredient list, aside from the dearth of chicken, is that corn syrup solids heads the list. There is a great deal of research (some of it showing conflicting results) that these syrups, particularly high-fructose corn syrups, which most of them are, are associated with the increased incidence of obesity. Another concern around these types of mixes is the sodium content, and my comparative shopping yielded another puzzlement: While the powders came in at around 100 mg of sodium per 250 mL of prepared soup, one of the samples I examined (boasting 25% less salt), actually contained 527 mg of sodium. Go figure.

All of this raises the question "At what cost convenience?" While it's certainly true that adding some boiling water to a powder takes significantly less time than boiling a chicken, there are many so-called "convenience" foods that don't even save much time. There must be a point at which even the most time-deprived cook will admit it's not worth the health, and nutrition costs, never mind the money, to save a few minutes. As for the chicken broth, there are canned and packaged versions that are more expensive, but at least had a nodding acquaintance with a hen.

It's not that I underestimate the value of convenience. These days with both partner frequently working outside the home, time is money. But I think we need to do a careful assessment of the situation. I'm reminded that at the end of both World Wars people didn't have the option, or the cash, to send out for a pizza or stop off on the way home from work to pick up a fully-cooked meal. But when you think about it, you could easily broil some pork chops and nuke some potatoes and frozen veggies in half the time and at half the cost it takes to have the pizza delivered or stop off at the supermarket for a ready-made meat loaf. Just for the fun of it, time yourself and see how long it takes to whip up some pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Being a nutritionist I tend to put more importance on the control you have over home-made foods rather than time spent on preparation. When you make it yourself you can be sure that there's no shortening with all the trans fatty acids, no excess salt, no monosodium glutamate, no excess fat and sugar. What a deal! I don't mean to come across as the grumpy old lady I may seem--but honestly, if you're going to shell out big bucks for food, you should be saving a lot of time and nutrients. I remember when I was a young, working mother I'd feel guilty if I occasionally resorted to packaged macaroni and cheese. Today that package seems like it entails a lot of work compared to the ready-made frozen product that is popped into the microwave.