Who does not love cereals or soups?
Both are immensely popular among people, specifically kids, as healthy and tasty food.
However, the majority think of them as food of the same category. Whereas there are people that think they are entirely opposite.
“Is cereal a soup?” has been debated for many years. It is just like the question, “ Is a hot dog a sandwich”?
Even though the answers to both questions are still not clear, the debate is quite interesting. However, before debating, you must know clearly about cereal and soup.
Soup is a liquid food made by simmering ingredients like fish, meat, chicken, or vegetables. Considering this, cereal may not count as a soup unless you eat your cereal full of boiled chicken, fish, or vegetables.
On the other hand, cereal is one of the most popular breakfast items worldwide. However, many people don’t realize that it can also be eaten as a soup.
There are many different recipes to make cereal soup, and each one has its unique texture and flavor.
So people can make their breakfast time more delicious and nutritious by trying one of these recipes.
To get the final opinion on the debate, you need to find answers to how cereal or soup is made, what ingredients are used, and their possible health benefits.
Not sure where to get started? We have prepared an ultimate guide about cereals and soups to help you decide your take on “ Is cereal a soup or not”?
How is a soup made?
When the temperature drops, nothing comforts you better than a bowl of homemade soup. Soup is usually made by simmering vegetables, fish, or chicken on a low heat and then seasoning with your favorite spices and aromatic herbs.
Later, you can top it up with crispy fried onions or use fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of broth-based soups. However, while making soup, you must keep in your mind that a little bit goes a long way!
What are the different types of soups?
Soup is loved by all people regardless of their age groups. It is a liquid food that combines vegetables and meats with lots of stock, water, or milk.
Due to its immense popularity, people have come up with different soups versions. However, all these recipes can be divided into two categories such as:
Thick soups
- Bisque
- Cream
- Potage
- Chowder
Clear soups
- Broth
- Bouillion
- Consomme
Thick soups include cornstarch, vegetables, cream, flour, and other ingredients that increase not only their taste and flavor but also the overall thickness of the soup. The perfect texture of the soup is entirely dependent on its thickness.
On the other hand, clear soups have no thickness but are power-packed with essential nutrients.
They are classic soups that are a perfect fit for patients’ recovery meals as well as comfort food for healthy individuals on chilly nights.
They may include beef, chicken, fish, turkey, mushrooms, and vegetables that make them mouthwateringly delicious.
Tips on how to make your soup healthy
Here are a few expert tips to make your soup more healthy:
Skip or reduce the cream
Try to follow recipes that have no mention of cream in their ingredient list. However, if you still want to try creamy soup recipes, consider reducing the amount you use by replacing half of it with healthy alternatives – skim or coconut milk.
Also, you can thicken the consistency of your soup with mashed potatoes or beans, skipping the dairy products entirely.
Choose lean meat
Are you a huge fan of sausage or ground beef soups? Well, you can swap them with healthier meat like ground turkey or chicken. Also, use a lower-fat cut of chicken, such as breasts instead of thighs.
Going with leaner meat options will also reduce the overall flavor of your soup. However, stress no more. Add additional herbs and seasonings to enhance the flavors of your soup.
Add healthy vegetables
Vegetables are often considered healthy. However, not all of them are as healthy as others. Therefore, bulk up your soup with healthy additions such as kale, spinach, Brussels, sprouts, and turnips.
How is a cereal made?
Cereals have undoubtedly become a favorite breakfast food for people worldwide. A bowl full of cereal can help you provide all the essential nutrients to kick start your day. It is not only a healthy breakfast option but also the easiest to make.
Fortunately, many ready-to-eat breakfast kinds of cereal are available in the market. All you need to do is grab your favorite breakfast cereal and mix it in a bowl full of milk. Isn’t it the easiest?
However, to level up your cereal game, you can add other ingredients such as fruits, nuts, and nut butter to enhance the flavor of your cereal.
What are the different types of cereals?
Like soups, cereals can also be served hot or hot. All ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are made of one of the following:
- Wheat
- Oats
- Barley
- Rice
- Rye
- Sorghum
- Corn
- Quinoa
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Maize
How to choose the healthiest breakfast cereal?
Choosing a healthy breakfast cereal is undoubtedly a daunting task. Popular breakfast cereal brands such as Kellogg’s, General Mills, and Quaker are racing to see who can produce the most colorful, delicious, and high-calorie breakfast cereal.
And they are winning. Breakfast cereals have undoubtedly become the most bought household item worldwide.
However, the question is, how do you choose the healthy breakfast cereal among more than a hundred options? Here are a few expert tips for choosing the right breakfast cereal for yourself:
Ignore the packaging
Breakfast cereal companies spend billions of dollars on flashy packaging to get customers tricked and buy their products.
Unfortunately, the health claims on the front are often bogus and the only important factor to consider is how much sugar is used in the cereal. The more the sugar, the more unhealthy it is.
Ignore the ingredient list
The ingredient list is often long and confusing. Usually, it is full of scientific words that most people are unfamiliar with.
Therefore, while looking for a breakfast cereal, ignore the ingredient list. However, don’t forget to check the sugar content.
Go for whole-grain cereals
The best way to kick start your day is with a healthy breakfast, and what can be better than a bowl full of whole grains?
Whole grain cereals are rich in fiber and nutrients. Therefore, a bowl full of whole-grain cereal will keep you full and satisfied until lunchtime.
What makes cereal not a soup?
According to Merriam-Webster, cereal does not meet the dictionary’s definition of soup. While it qualifies as a liquid food and does contain solid pieces, it does not include chicken, fish, or vegetable stock.
Moreover, soups are often made by boiling and simmering their ingredients. However, cereals are just mixed in a bowl of milk.
Some people make the serving temperature a part of the debate. While some soups are served cold, soup is usually considered a hot meal.
On the other hand, cereals are not consumed hot unless you count oatmeal, which becomes a starting point of a whole other debate.
Another factor that sets soups apart from cereals is the sweet-savory divide. While soups are often savory, cereals tend to fall into the sweet category even if you opt for healthy cereals with lower sugar content.
Plus, many melding of flavors, food interactions, and culinary techniques need to occur to convert a potful of ingredients into a soup.
On the other hand, adding milk to a bowl of dry cereal makes a delicious and nutritious breakfast, but cereal is still considered cereal when eaten dry.
So ask yourself, “Is soup without stock, milk, or water still a soup?” The answer will help you decide your take on the never-ending debate.
What makes cereal a soup?
People who think cereals and soups belong to the same food category often argue that soup does not need to be hot to qualify as soup.
Like cereals, soups can also be served hot or cold. Gazpacho, cold cucumber soup, chilled avocado soup, and more make this argument strong.
Therefore, soups are not bound by temperature, making cereals part of the same food category as soups.
Moreover, both soups and cereals have the same base – milk. Potato soup, clam chowder, and broccoli cheddar soup use milk as a base, just like cereal does.
Conclusion:
Whether you insist you eat soup for breakfast each time you pour a bowl of Frosted Flakes or Honey Nut Cheerios or are against classifying the sweet cereal as a soup, you are not wrong.
Based on our understanding and research, there is no right answer to the question, “ is cereal considered a soup?.”
However, there is a comfort in a bowl waiting for you, no matter what you decide to call it. Soup or cereal – both are delicious and nutritious!