Is soup more nutritious than meat, or vice versa? This has been a long-standing debate online. Let's explore the issue through the following two questions.
Q: Are fish and meat soups devoid of nutrition, just being high in fat and salt?
A: The clear broths of fish and meat contain small amounts of soluble proteins, various amino acids, umami peptides, creatine, carnitine, and other small nitrogenous compounds, as well as potassium and soluble B vitamins, which are very easily utilized by the body. Indeed, soup is a high-moisture food, and its protein content usually does not exceed 2%; compared to milk, its mineral content is also far less. However, for most people, the main purpose of drinking soup is not to obtain its protein and other nutrients, but to savor the flavor. Therefore, healthy adults with normal digestion need not discard the "pulp" or solid bits in the soup.
For most healthy people, the key to drinking soup is to "remove oil and reduce salt."
As for the claim that "fresh soup is all fat and salt," this is somewhat of a generalization. The fat content in a defatted clear broth is very low, and in an unsalted fresh soup, the sodium content is also far lower than that in stir-fried dishes.
Q: For frail elderly people who can't even digest meat, can they drink fresh broth?
A: Fresh broth contains many soluble nitrogenous compounds. These umami molecules can stimulate appetite and promote the secretion of digestive fluids. For those who are frail with poor digestion and poor appetite, drinking some fresh broth can quickly replenish nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins. For patients who can only consume liquid or semi-liquid diets, adding clear chicken broth to congee is slightly more nutritious than eating plain congee alone.
However, it should be noted that for the frail, a defatted clear chicken broth is more suitable than a rich white broth or an oily broth. This is because the rich white broth contains emulsified fat microspheres, and a broth with floating oil contains a large amount of unemulsified fat, which can be a burden for those with indigestion. Once a patient's digestive and absorption capacity improves, they should not just drink clear broth, as the total amount of nutrients in the soup is too small to meet the needs of an adult.