In today's health-conscious world, many consumers are looking for ways to incorporate more veggies into their diets. Food manufacturers have caught on, often marketing products that claim to be JAM PACKED with vegetables! But there's a hidden truth behind many of these products: the use of concentrates. While they might sound healthy, concentrated juices strip vegetables of their essential nutrients and fiber, leaving you with a product that is far from what nature intended.
So, What Are Concentrated Vegetable Juices?
Concentrated vegetable juices are made by removing most of the water content from the vegetables, leaving behind a thick, syrupy substance. This concentrate is then often reconstituted with water when used in food. While this process might seem harmless, it has significant downsides.
- Nutrient Loss: Vegetables are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are crucial for maintaining optimal health. However, the process of concentrating these juices often involves heating them to high temperatures, which can destroy many of these delicate nutrients. What’s left is a substance that lacks the full spectrum of health benefits that the original whole veggie(s) provided.
- Bye Bye Fiber: One of the key benefits of consuming vegetables is their high fiber content. Fiber is essential for digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and can even aid in weight management. Unfortunately, the process of making concentrated juices removes most, if not all, of the fiber. This leaves you with a product that may taste like vegetables but lacks the fiber that makes them so beneficial! Why, concentrates, why??!!
Why Do Companies Use Concentrates?
Seriously! Why??!! Why would a company use this process if it strips the veggies of their nutrients & fiber? In short, it's cheaper! Big industrial food companies are always looking for shortcuts, often at the expense of health. Despite all this, companies using concentrates are still able to make appealing claims about their products being made with "real" vegetables & having multiple servings of veggies, even though most of the nutrients are long gone.
Our Approach: Whole Vegetables, Whole Nutrition
At Soupergirl, we do things differently. You will NEVER find concentrated vegetable juices in our gazpachos. Instead, we use whole, real vegetables to ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients, fiber, and flavor possible! Our soups are crafted to provide you with the full benefits of fresh, wholesome ingredients—without any shortcuts. Period!
So, the next time you reach for a product that claims to be packed with vegetables, take a closer look at the ingredients! If it contains concentrated vegetable juices, it's not as healthy as it seems. Choose products that prioritize whole ingredients and deliver the full spectrum of nutrition that your body needs.
Marilyn Polon (Soupermom), Co-Founder and CAO (chief anxiety officer) has been worried about Soupergirl since the company launched in 2008. Actually, even before that. Her career has also been random and fascinating. After twenty years as a speech therapist, Soupermom changed careers and became a volunteer coordinator. She then had a wonderful stint as a docent at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. She was then dragged out of retirement by her daughter who insisted that they start a soup company. Could that be any more random?
All of the company’s recipes come from Soupermom’s kitchen. Honestly, she’s a testament to the power of healthy eating. Her hobbies include really long hikes, walking, doting on her granddaughters, and coming up with new recipes for Soupergirl. She is also a guru of all things health related but gets the words to every single song she sings incorrect. All of them. Loudly. Lastly, her laugh is contagious.