Rocco DiSpirito lightens up classic chicken soup

Chicken noodle soup may have a reputation for helping us beat the winter sniffles, but that doesn't make it health food.

Processed varieties, for example, can be loaded with calories, fat and sodium. And don't even get me started on the lack of flavor and hunks of tough chicken.

In my recipe for chicken noodle soup, I sidestep all these liabilities. I simmer the soup with real chicken and fresh vegetables, like carrots and onions, which are a great source of vitamins. The more veggies you add, the more nutrients you get.

Like many chicken noodle soups, mine is based on broth instead of cream, which saves on fattening calories. And I add thyme for flavor, negating the need for excess salt.

Soup is one of those foods classified as “low energy dense.” This mean you can eat a lot of it and fill up without consuming a lot of calories.

Rather than add carb-rich noodles, I've used Shirataki noodles.

They're made from konnyaku, a dough of Asian yam (konjac) flour and water. Shirataki noodles are a superb pasta substitute; each serving has 20 calories or fewer, plus 2 grams of fiber. They're low on the glycemic index, too, so they won't send your blood sugar through the roof.

These noodles also are gluten-free. If you can't find them in the store, go to miraclenoodle.com. But don't substitute with tofu Shirataki, which are not as good.

Each 1½ cup portion of this soup has an incredibly low 93 calories and 3 grams of fat. If you're feeling really hungry, go ahead and eat two portions and you'll still be under 200 calories! Traditional versions can have up to 560 calories and 18 grams of fat per serving.

Ÿ Rocco DiSpirito is author of the “Now Eat This!” and “Now Eat This! Diet” cookbooks.