Chicken noodle soup is a classic comfort food that many of us grew up eating. It’s warm, soothing and filling – the perfect food when you’re feeling under the weather But is this beloved soup keto-friendly? How many net carbs are actually in a bowl of chicken noodle soup? Let’s take a closer look
What Are Carbs?
Before we dive into the carb count, let’s quickly go over what carbs are. Carbohydrates are one of the three main macronutrients along with protein and fat. They are found in many common foods like bread pasta, vegetables, fruits, milk and sweets.
During digestion, carbs break down into glucose, which is the main source of energy for the body. There are three main types of carbs:
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Fiber – Indigestible carbs that promote gut health
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Starch – Long chains of glucose found in foods like potatoes, wheat and corn.
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Sugar – Simple carbs like sucrose, fructose and lactose.
When counting carbs for a low-carb or keto diet, we look at net carbs, which is total carbs minus fiber. Fiber doesn’t impact blood sugar levels, so we can subtract it.
Nutrition Info for Chicken Noodle Soup
Now let’s look at the nutrition facts for a typical bowl of canned chicken noodle soup (about 1 cup or 245g):
- Total Carbs: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Net Carbs: 7g
- Protein: 3g
- Fat: 2g
As you can see, a 1 cup serving of chicken noodle soup contains 8g total carbs. Once we subtract the 1g of fiber, we’re left with 7g net carbs.
That’s a moderate amount of carbs coming from a single bowl. The carbs are mainly coming from the noodles and vegetables used to make the soup.
To put this carb count into context, a standard keto diet aims for around 20-50g net carbs per day. So a bowl of chicken noodle soup would account for 14-35% of your total daily carb limit on keto.
Tips for Lowering Carbs
If you’re following a stricter keto diet, with around 20g net carbs or less per day, a bowl of chicken noodle soup may be too high in carbs to fit into your plan.
Luckily, there are a few simple substitutions you can make to lower the carb count:
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Use spiralized vegetables instead of noodles – Zucchini, carrots and cabbage make great low-carb “noodle” replacements.
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Skip the noodles entirely – Stick to chicken and veggies only.
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Choose lower-carb vegetables – Onions, celery, spinach and mushrooms are all keto-friendly options.
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Use bone broth instead of stock – Homemade bone broth has more collagen and is lower in carbs than store-bought stocks.
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Avoid pre-made soup – Canned and dehydrated soups often contain added sugars and thickeners that boost the carb count. Making soup from scratch allows you to control exactly what goes in it.
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Limit your portion size – Stick to 1 cup or less per serving to keep net carbs in check.
With a few simple tweaks, you can enjoy delicious keto chicken noodle soup that fits into your daily macros. Just be mindful of your ingredients and portion sizes.
Other Low-Carb Soup Options
If chicken noodle soup doesn’t work for your keto diet, don’t worry – there are plenty of other deliciously comforting low-carb soup recipes to choose from. Here are some of my favorites:
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Broccoli Cheese Soup – A creamy, cheesy soup that’s perfect for cold weather. Just avoid starchy thickeners.
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Loaded Cauliflower Soup – Roasted cauliflower makes a great base for a low-carb soup loaded with bacon and cheddar.
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Taco Soup – Ground beef, salsa, cheese, avocado and zucchini noodles make this taste just like taco night!
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Buffalo Chicken Soup – Shredded chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese and ranch create a fun buffalo flavor.
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Italian Wedding Soup – Meatballs, spinach and broth make a hearty, veggie-packed soup.
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Chili – With meat, beans and low-carb veggies, you can definitely make a keto-friendly chili.
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Egg Drop Soup – Simple and light, this soup is basically just broth with whisked eggs stirred in.
Don’t skimp on the delicious soups just because you’re cutting carbs. With a few adjustments, you can keep enjoying comforting bowls of soup on a keto diet. Chicken noodle soup is possible in moderation, but there are also many other tasty low-carb options to choose from. Get creative in the kitchen and find some new favorite keto soup recipes!
How to make (good old-fashioned) chicken noodle soup from scratch
Believe it or not, chicken noodle soup from scratch is pretty straight-forward to make. It does take time to cook a good base broth for the soup, but much of that time is hands-off. For a detailed description of each step, scroll down below to read the recipe card.
This recipe calls for egg noodles. If you are on the keto diet, then you can leave out the noodles to make it keto-friendly, but then its just chicken soup. The total carb count will then be under 5 grams per serving. You can enjoy the soup as is or substitute noodles with low-carb noodles. You can add extra chicken meat and non-starchy vegetables like seaweed, mushrooms, cabbage, bean sprouts, peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or leafy greens like spinach and kale.
Properly prepared homemade chicken soup is good medicine. It is the first thing I think of making when I or my loved ones are under the weather. Research has shown that chicken soup does help to fight colds and the flu. Various compounds in chicken soup boosts immune function, clears congestion and lowers inflammation. The water, salt and gelatin in the broth also help to keep the body hydrated. This soup recipe calls for parsley in the broth thereby raising the Vitamin K level to 163% per serving. Vitamin K also helps boost immune function.
You can simply season a hot bowl of chicken soup with salt and pepper at the table. A squeeze of lemon juice is also delicious, if you have it. Try adding snips of fresh dill when available. I snip dill fronds over the soup bowl with a pair of scissors. For a spicy shot of probiotics, eat soup with kimchi. Or sprinkle sliced chives or scallions on top.
Total carbs 10g, net carbs 8g
Preparing soup from scratch is a neglected art. But its worth it. There are so many benefits to making soup from scratch. For starters, it is easy on the budget. You can make a giant batch of soup to be shared with friends and family, and still have leftovers to freeze for another day. Another reason is that you can use high-quality, organic ingredients and avoid artificial ingredients. Making soup from scratch results in a collagen-rich bone broth that aids digestion and is good for gut health. Fresh, homemade soup is loaded with nutrients presented in an easily digestible form. Homemade chicken broth is extremely nutritious containing the vitamins and minerals of bone, cartilage, herbs and vegetables as electrolytes.
Keto Chicken Noodle Soup | The BEST Low Carb Chicken Soup Recipe For Keto
FAQ
How many carbs are in a bowl of chicken noodle soup?
| Nutrients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cholesterol | 109 mg |
| Sodium | 338 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
How many carbs are in a full can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup?
| Protein (g) | 7.93 |
|---|---|
| Total lipid (fat) (g) | 4.58 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference (g) | 21.04 |
| Energy (kcal) | 155.55 |
| Fiber, total dietary (g) | 1.83 |
Is chicken noodle soup high in carbs?
Yes, chicken noodle soup can be relatively high in carbohydrates, primarily due to the noodles.
How many carbs are in one bowl of chicken soup?
One cup of Bowl chicken soup is around 237.9 grams and contains approximately 72.8 calories, 5.3 grams of protein, 2.4 grams of fat, and 8.3 grams of …