Is souping the new juicing?

DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Kimberly Wright said she has good reason to take care of herself.

"I'm a two-time cancer survivor and a two-time stroke survivor, and I'm currently dealing with thyroid challenges," she said.

Wright considers soup her go-to meal every day of the week.

"It's quick, it's efficient and you control what goes into it," she said.

Wright isn't alone -- souping is hot. There are recipes on line, books, and companies offering pre-made soup concoctions customers can take with them. Fans are sipping flavors like beans and greens, parsnip apple, and organic carrot coconut lime.

"There are a lot of companies marketing souping as kind of like a cleanse or a detox, so taking one or more days per week and having just soup during the day," said registered dietitian Alissa Rumsey.

Rumsey says people's bodies typically do just fine detoxing on their own. But, she says, soups tend to have more fiber than the previously popular juicing trend. She believes the right soups can add important vitamins and proteins to someone's diet.

"The companies that are putting out these souping products, they're using mostly plant-based foods, so a lot of vegetables, a lot of beans, legumes, nuts -- they're also using a lot of spices instead of sodium," Rumsey said.

And that's a good thing, because too much sodium can easily sneak into soups.

Rumsey also says it's possible to go overboard -- or under -- in a way.

"These souping days are really too low-calorie. Most of them clock in at less than 1,200 calories a day, and for most people, especially people who are active, that's just not enough," she said.

She said it's simply not sustainable.

Wright agrees, and usually sticks with one soup per day. She is sold on souping and makes her own, so that she can always try new combinations.

"With that variety, it never gets old to me," Wright said.

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