How to Calculate Calories in Homemade Clear Soup: A Nutritional Guide - Nutrition

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Caloric Calculation


Caloric calculation for clear broth: I used 1/4 onion, 1/4 carrot, 8 celery stalks, 1/2 tomato, 2 grams of bonito flakes, 2 grams of kombu powder, 1 gram of beef bouillon powder, a pinch of five-spice powder, 2 slices of ginger, 10 grams of miso, 10 grams of green curry (excluding coconut milk, which is 30 calories for 15 grams), 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of black vinegar, and 1500 ml of water.
After straining all the ingredients, I made approximately 1000 ml of clear broth.
How should I calculate the calories if I only drink the broth?

Sun Xiansheng, 30~39 year old female. Ask Date: 2020/08/18

Dr. Cai Xiuwen reply Nutrition


Hello! Use 1/4 onion, 1/4 carrot, 8 stalks of celery, 1/2 tomato, 2 grams of bonito flakes, 2 grams of kombu powder, 1 gram of beef bouillon powder, a pinch of five-spice powder, 2 slices of ginger, 10 grams of miso, 10 grams of green curry paste (without coconut milk, 15 grams contains 30 calories), 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of black vinegar, and 1500 ml of water.
After filtering out all the ingredients, simmer to make about 1000 ml of clear broth.
Since the broth contains extremely low calories, it should not be included in caloric intake; however, it does contain vitamins and minerals and can be consumed in moderation.
This information is provided by Dietitian Tsai Hsiu-Wen from Nantou Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, wishing you peace and health.

Reply Date: 2020/08/18

More Info


Calculating the calories in homemade clear soup can be a bit tricky, especially when you are using a variety of ingredients that contribute different amounts of calories. In your case, you have a mixture of vegetables, seasonings, and flavor enhancers. Let's break down the components and see how we can estimate the caloric content of your clear soup.


Ingredients Breakdown
1. Vegetables:
- Onion (1/4): Approximately 11 calories
- Carrot (1/4): Approximately 10 calories
- Celery (8 sticks): Approximately 10 calories
- Tomato (1/2): Approximately 11 calories
2. Seasonings:
- Dashi (Bonito) Powder (2g): Approximately 6 calories
- Kombu Powder (2g): Approximately 2 calories
- Beef Bouillon Powder (1g): Approximately 4 calories
- Five-Spice Powder (a pinch): Approximately 1 calorie
- Ginger (2 slices): Approximately 2 calories
- Miso (10g): Approximately 25 calories
- Green Curry Paste (10g, without coconut milk): Approximately 20 calories
- Pepper (1 teaspoon): Approximately 6 calories
- Black Vinegar (1 teaspoon): Approximately 3 calories

Total Caloric Content Calculation
Now, let's sum up the calories from each ingredient:
- Vegetables Total: 11 (onion) + 10 (carrot) + 10 (celery) + 11 (tomato) = 42 calories
- Seasonings Total: 6 (dashi) + 2 (kombu) + 4 (bouillon) + 1 (five-spice) + 2 (ginger) + 25 (miso) + 20 (curry) + 6 (pepper) + 3 (vinegar) = 69 calories

Overall Total
Adding both totals gives us:
- Total Calories = 42 (vegetables) + 69 (seasonings) = 111 calories

Serving Size Consideration
Since you mentioned that you filtered out all the solid ingredients and ended up with approximately 1000ml of clear soup, we need to consider how much of this soup you would typically consume in one serving. If you drink the entire 1000ml, you would consume approximately 111 calories. However, if you only consume a portion, you can divide the total calories by the number of servings.

For example, if you serve yourself 250ml of soup, the caloric content would be:
- Calories per 250ml = 111 calories / 4 = approximately 27.75 calories

Nutritional Value Beyond Calories
While the caloric content is important, it’s also essential to note that your clear soup is rich in vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and seasonings. Even though the caloric content is low, the soup can provide hydration and essential nutrients, making it a healthy addition to your diet.


Conclusion
In summary, the total caloric content of your homemade clear soup is approximately 111 calories for the entire batch (1000ml). If you consume smaller portions, you can easily calculate the calories based on the serving size. Additionally, while the calories are low, the nutritional benefits from the vegetables and seasonings make this soup a valuable part of your diet, especially if you're looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Always remember to balance your meals with a variety of food groups to ensure you’re getting adequate nutrition.

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