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As the temperatures start to drop, we start craving soup. This healthy Tuscan tomato soup recipe is a favorite since it’s super simple to make with a few pantry staples like canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and day-old bread!

Our take on a Tuscan tomato soup (also known as pappa al pomodoro) adds chickpeas for extra plant-based protein and texture. If you are looking for a delicious but healthy homemade tomato soup that is thick and creamy without the need for heavy cream – you’ll love our Tuscan tomato bread soup.

We were honestly so shocked by the creaminess of this soup because it tastes like it has cream, but it is actually dairy-free. Blending half of the soup in a blender and adding the bread to the soup base creates a creamy texture without any heavy cream.

Check out the details for our healthy Tuscan Soup, a few helpful FAQs, followed by the full, delicious recipe.

The Ingredients Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

To make our healthy Tuscan soup, you’ll need:

• Canned Tomatoes: we recommend using a higher quality canned tomato like San Marzano tomatoes if you can since they add so much flavor to this simple soup. We prefer whole, peeled tomatoes. 
• Onion, Garlic and Carrot: this combo of veggies adds tons of flavor to this soup. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. 
• Broth: use a flavorful broth for best results. Use vegetable broth for a vegan version of this soup or else you can use chicken stock. For those that need to limit their sodium intake, use a low sodium broth. 
• Chickpeas: add some plant-based protein and texture to this simple soup by tossing in a can of drained chickpeas. If you don’t have chickpeas, you can substitute with white beans or butter beans. 
• Basil: fresh basil is a perfect pairing with tomatoes. We use fresh basil but you can also use dried basil – we recommend adding about 1 teaspoon dried basil. If you don’t have basil, you can also use a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. 
• Bread: cube up day-old or stale bread to thicken this soup. We used a sourdough loaf, but any soft white bread will also work well for this Tuscan soup recipe. You just want to avoid using a whole grain or seedy loaf as the grains and seeds do not break down into the soup.

The Details Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Here are the detailed instructions for our healthy Tuscan soup:

• Saute the Onion and Carrot: start by adding olive oil, diced carrots, and onion to a large dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. 
• Simmer with the Other Ingredients: Meanwhile, add the canned tomatoes to a large bowl and crush them by hand. Add them to the pot with broth, chickpeas, and basil. Simmer and then add the day-old bread. Simmer until the bread is softened. 
• Blend Half: add ½ of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup). Stir back into the rest of the soup. Serve with parmesan cheese, olive oil, and more fresh basil leaves.

Tuscan Soup FAQs Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Is this Tuscan soup healthy?

Yes! This healthy tomato basil soup recipe is made without heavy cream but is instead thickened with bread which reduces the total calories. Tomatoes are a good source of several essential nutrients like vitamin C which supports a healthy immune system and potassium, an electrolyte, which is beneficial for blood pressure regulation. 

The red color of tomatoes comes from a red pigdment and antioxidant called lycopene. Processed tomatoes (like canned tomatoes) are much higher in lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Those who eat more lycopene rich foods may have a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.

How many calories in tomato soup?

This healthy tomato soup recipe has about 175 calories per serving. Traditional canned Campbell’s tomato soup has only 90 calories per serving. Our version of tomato soup is a little higher in calories since it also has chickpeas which bumps up the protein and fiber content.

Can you make this soup with canned tomatoes?

Yes! We love making tomato soup using canned tomatoes because you can make it anytime of the year, not just the summer when tomatoes are at their best.

Can you make this soup ahead?

If you like to meal prep or make ahead of time, you can just prepare the soup as directed then allow it to cool to room temperature for storage. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pot on the stove. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave.

Full Recipe: Healthy Tuscan Soup Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 8 serving(s)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large raw carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves raw garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano)
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 10 basil leaves, chopped fine
• 1 ½ cups day old bread, cubed or torn into pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
2. In a separate bowl, crush tomatoes by hand. Add them to the pot with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Add the broth, chickpeas, and basil. Bring back to a simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Add the bread cubes; simmer for another 10 minutes until the bread is soft. You can use a potato masher to break down the bread if needed. Add sea salt and black pepper.
5. Add ½ of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth (make sure to leave the lid ajar for venting out the steam). Add back to the pot and stir to combine.
6. Serve with parmesan cheese, extra olive oil, a dollop of heavy cream (optional), and more fresh basil.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

• Calories: 175
• Protein: 7 gram(s)
• Fat: 5 gram(s)
• Carbohydrates: 26 gram(s)
• Fiber: 6 gram(s)
• Sugar: 7 gram(s)

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love Photo Credit: Get Healthy U

If you are looking for more tomato based soups, here are a few of our favorites: detox vegetable soup, hamburger soup, or this hearty white bean soup. We also rounded up 14 fall soups that everyone will love that are also hearty and delicious.

21 Healthy Quinoa Recipes You’ll Want to Make ASAP Photo Credit: Shutterstock

On the hunt for the best quinoa recipes? We don’t blame you! Quinoa—an edible seed and plant-based protein—is known for being a nutritional powerhouse and easy to incorporate into any meal needing a healthy boost.  

Check out our favorite quinoa recipes that are so delicious, you’ll forget how healthy they are!

21 Healthy Quinoa Recipes You’ll Want to Make ASAP

14 Health Benefits of Cucumbers (And a Few Refreshing Recipes) Photo Credit: Depositphotos

From healthy skin to improved memory, check out the top 14 health benefits of cucumbers!

And if you’re lucky enough to have a load from your garden or farmers market on hand, you’ll definitely want to check out some of our favorite cucumber recipes, too.

14 Health Benefits of Cucumbers (And a Few Refreshing Recipes)

Highest Rated Low-Calorie Smoothies Photo Credit: Depositphotos

Whether you need an on-the-go breakfast, an energizing afternoon pick-me-up, or a refreshing beverage to cool down on a hot day, all are great reasons to whip up one of these highly-rated smoothies!

Smoothies are naturally packed with nutrients and a great source of fiber since you’re including whole fruits and/or vegetables.

Highest Rated Low-Calorie Smoothies

The physical state of every person is crucial. If you have problems with your health, you cannot live a normal life as they cause multiple complications. For example, schoolers cannot focus on their education as their physical state doesn’t let them study well and follow the pace. Thus, physical education steps up. One is supposed to be healthy physically. It’s necessary to take care of physical activity to remain healthy all the time. When youngsters suffer from various ailments, the best grades will never come regularly.

As a result, many students ask – What writing agency can write an essay for me? They commonly use https://domyessays.com/ because they know how skilled and effective its writers are. Yet, you can simply improve your physical state and thus use its help rarely. This informative guest post explains how physical activity can boost school performance and how an ordinary student can sustain his or her physical condition regularly.

The Positive Effects of Physical Activity

If you undertake physical fitness on a regular basis, you surely sustain your own health. There are more than physical benefits for us. Not all people understand that being in shape also improves our mood and develops our brain. The importance of certified physical education in schools and colleges is huge. We will highlight the main benefits that can help students become more effective learners.

Improvement of Cognition

Not all people know that physical education classes are implemented to develop various kinds of cognitive functions. Multiple studies proved that regular physical exercise can develop our brains in many positive ways. Here are the common cognitive functions one can develop if one is physically active:

• Thinking
• Speaking
• Movements
• Creativity
• Concentration, etc.

You should agree that all these and some other functions are crucial for learning aims. When you devote your physical fitness to cognitive and brain health, you become a more effective learner. You can think clearer and more creatively. You gain a better focus on your tasks and thus rarely make mistakes.

Enhanced Mood

Your health and academic life are tightly related to one another. When you work out physically, and you like that, your brain starts to produce additional levels of such natural hormones as endorphin, dopamine, and serotonin. These are the most famous mood regulators that can improve our mood a lot. When you are in a good mood, you surely study better, get a better focus, desire, etc.

We need to underline one crucial fact. You get those hormones only if you really like what you’re doing. If you go to the gym and you hate that, you will never be in a good mood. It will lower and lead to problems with learning. Select the sport that can bring you pleasure.

Increased Memory Capacity

One of the main benefits of physical activity for learners is the chance to sufficiently expand their memory capacities. Regular workouts help your mind hold more information and remember it for a long time. Thus, the process of learning will be more effective.

Physical Activity Linked to Higher Grades

Undertaking physical fitness on the brain is helpful for academic success. We have already mentioned vital benefits you can enjoy if you work out physically and enjoy that process. These benefits help to focus on what you must do, increase your memory capacity, and make you more energetic and productive. As a result, it helps to perform your duties better and thus earn higher grades when you complete your academic projects.

Tips on How to Boost Your Physical Conditions

Physical activity and physical education are crucial for schoolers. When a youngster is physically active and not exhausted, he/she enjoys vital benefits to earn higher grades. It is necessary to figure out how to boost your physical condition. Here are our recommendations:

• Select the sport you like. First of all, select the kind of sport that suits your talents, preferences, and physical abilities. You are supposed to like it.
• Spend enough time on it. Secondly, schedule your time to work out at least thrice per week.
• Do not overwork. You should not exhaust your body. Even 15 minutes of intensive running or gymnastics may be sufficient for you.
• Consume healthy food. Refuse junk food and consume only natural products.
• Sleep well. A person is supposed to sleep 8-10 hours per day to restore the body.
• Drink enough water. An adult person should drink about 5-8 full glasses of water every day to stay hydrated.

The Bottom Line

Physical activity in the classroom is of enormous importance. Teachers should sustain the physical conditions of their students if they want to keep them healthy and involved in the educational process. There are many benefits that help to improve school performance when you are physically active. Parents are expected to encourage their children, too.

The post How Physical Activity Affects School Performance appeared first on GymGuider.com.

Go into nearly any commercial gym, and you’re likely to find a Smith machine or two in a corner somewhere. More often than not, you might find it deserted in favor of lifting platforms and highly-muscled folks deadlifting 500 pounds. Indeed, the popularity of barbell exercises from the back squat to the clean & jerk has made the humble Smith machine seem obsolete.

But if you’re training alone and aiming to push yourself through failure on the bench press, you might want to reconsider the next time you ignore the oft-neglected apparatus. The Smith machine bench press is an outstanding exercise that offers significant yet untapped upper body gains.

Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock

Countless lifters from years past have made the Smith machine bench press a staple in their routines. Here’s how to do it, why you should try it, some alternatives, and common mistakes to avoid.

• How to Do the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Smith Machine Bench Press Variations
• Smith Machine Bench Press Alternatives
• Benefits of the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Muscles Worked by the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Who Should Do the Smith Machine Bench Press
• Common Smith Machine Bench Press Mistakes
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Smith Machine Bench Press

The Smith machine bench press is performed similarly to your standard bench press, but there are some unique differences. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1 — Setting Your Base Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Place an adjustable bench in the Smith machine rack. Lie down flat on your back with the bar lined up approximately midway between your collarbone and your belly button. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor and that you’re able to unrack the bar.

Coach’s Tip: Remember to take advantage of the safety bumpers. Line them up at approximately chest height when you’re lying on your back.

Step 2 — Setting Your Grip

Tuck your shoulder blades back and down, engaging your lats with your arms fully extended in front of your body. Grip the bar evenly between each hand, taking care to stay dead center on the bench and the machine. Maintain this grip width with your shoulders back and down for the duration of the set.

Coach’s Tip: If your Smith machine bar doesn’t have any markings, create your own. Try draping a lifting strap in the middle of the bar before you set up.

Step 3 — Arch Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Keep your hands on the bar and create a tight natural arch through your thoracic spine. Pull your upper back toward the bar, keeping your lats engaged. Plant your feet flat on the floor where your body has moved to create the arch to maintain this new position.

Coach’s Tip: The bar should now be directly above the highest part of your chest due to your arch. 

Step 4 — The Descent Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Maintain five points of contact — both feet on the floor, your butt, upper back, and head on the bench. Begin a slow and controlled descent through the first repetition, making micro-adjustments to your grip to accommodate your body type and mobility. Stop once the bar reaches your chest or you feel your hands, wrists, elbows, or shoulders starting to lose position.

Coach’s Tip: The Smith machine bench press may not reach your chest on each repetition, and that’s okay! The full range of motion (ROM) is going to be unique to your body.

Step 5 — Press Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

With your feet flat on the floor, create huge leg tension by pushing into the ground. Maintain your arch and use this leg drive to stay as tight as possible. Push the bar back to the starting position, making sure to stop before you untuck your shoulders.

Coach’s Tip: Think of performing a quad extension to engage your leg drive.

Smith Machine Bench Press Variations

The Smith machine bench press is a great asset for building your upper body strength. There are also a handful of useful variations to complement your chest workouts further — here they are.

Close-Grip Smith Machine Bench Press

[Read More: 5 Bench Press Programs to Build a Bigger, Stronger Chest]

1. Set up your close-grip Smith machine bench press in the same way as your standard setup.
2. Adjust your grip an inch or two closer than normal on either side.
3. Perform repetitions, emphasizing your triceps by keeping your arms tucked closer to your body.

Paused Smith Machine Bench Press

[Read More: The Best Online Workout Programs For Coaching, Cardio, Value, And More]

1. Set up on the Smith machine as you normally would, getting tight before you unrack.
2. Lower the bar under control, reaching your chest or the point where you feel you would begin to lose position any lower.
3. Pause the bar for one to two seconds before driving it back to the starting position.

Incline Smith Machine Bench Press

[Read More: The Best Back Workout for Men, Women, Strength, and More]

1. Set up on the Smith machine and adjust your bench to the first or second inclined position.
2. Sit down on the bench. Set your grip by placing your shoulder blades back and down and grabbing the bar.
3. Drive your body into the bench by pushing with your legs.
4. Descend the bar until it touches your chest or where you feel like you’d lose position. Drive the bar back to the starting position and perform for repetitions.

Smith Machine Bench Press Alternatives

If you’re looking to swap out the Smith machine bench press for some helpful alternatives, look no further than the Smith machine push-up, chest press machine, and Smith machine JM press.

Smith Machine Push-Up

[Read More: Build a Titanic Torso with These Bodybuilding Chest & Back Workouts]

1. Set the height of the Smith machine bar to accommodate your strength or repetition goals. The higher the bar, the less load you press.
2. Set your shoulders back and down to find your grip, place your hands evenly on the bar, and lean your body weight into the machine.
3. Control your descent by slowly bending your elbows. Use the ball of your foot to create a pivot point on the ground. Press yourself back to the starting position once your chest has reached the bar.

Chest Press Machine

[Read More: Get Freakishly Strong With the 5×5 Workout Program]

1. Choose the chest press machine of choice: either flat, incline, or decline. Converging machine orientations work best here.
2. Adjust the seat so the hand grips align roughly with your armpit height.
3. Push yourself into the bench using your feet, grip the handles tightly, and drive out until your elbows are fully extended. Control the descent back to the starting position, and perform for repetitions.

Smith Machine JM Press

[Read More: How to Do the Lat Pulldown for a Wider Back and Better Pull-Ups]

1. Set up on the Smith machine similar to how you would do your close-grip bench press.
2. Initiate your descent by bending your elbows, but keep your arms tucked close to your body. 
3. Each repetition will be a combination of a skull crusher and a close-grip bench press. The bar path should be roughly over the top of your nose.
4. Lower the bar as you would with a skull crusher, keeping your upper arms in place but bringing your forearms down with the bar toward your face. Maintaining that same position, press the bar up as you would with a close-grip bench press.
5. Reset and repeat for reps.

Benefits of the Smith Machine Bench Press

Although the Smith machine bench press gets a lot of negative attention from those would would prefer a barbell, it is extremely beneficial. This lift allows you to perform one of the best upper body exercises using an extremely stable machine. This makes building muscle extremely straightforward — and less risky when you’re training alone.

High Stability

Free weights are a huge asset in the gym. They are easy to use for progressive overload as you increase strength and build muscle over time. However, before a free weight is as effective as it should be, you first need to groove the pattern. Learning to stabilize an exercise is a prerequisite to safely and effectively executing it for your goal.

With the Smith machine, the bench press pattern itself is maintained in a very specific position. The restricted range of motion makes the exercise extremely easy to execute without running into stability plateaus. This higher level of stability makes it a lot easier for you to simply hop in and sprint towards gains.

[Read More: The Ultimate 10-Week Powerbuilding Workout Routine for Mass and Strength]

It should be noted that if you’re a powerlifter, you might want to avoid using this as a training tool since you’ll want to train as specifically as possible for the barbell bench press. That said, if you’re in the offseason and want to train without a spotter — or concern for stability — you’re in luck here.

Upper Body Strength With Less Fear

The Smith machine bench press is a subtle twist on your standard bench press. Both recruit a ton of muscle mass and are some of the most highly loadable upper body exercises in the gym. 

The higher you’re able to load an exercise the more top-end strength you’ll unlock. Add in the high stability benefit of the Smith machine and your upper body strength can skyrocket.

Credit: Image Source Trading Ltd / Shutterstock

If you’re training alone, this is a tremendous asset. When you don’t know anyone who can spot you in the gym, the Smith machine comes with built-in safeties. A quick twist of your wrist, if you start failing a rep, can save you from a disaster. This way, you can load up feeling confident that you can safely miss your lift.

Muscle Gain

Similar to building strength, the Smith machine bench press makes it easy to chase major muscle gain. Squeezing out those last few repetitions — the ones that are the hardest and really challenge your progress — is a bit more intimidating on a free bench. 

You’re going to need to push yourself, preferably with an experienced spotter, to accomplish progressive overload. The Smith machine helps reinforce your technique, safety, and confidence in training hard enough for muscle gain.

Muscles Worked by the Smith Machine Bench Press

Like any horizontal upper body pressing exercise, the Smith machine bench press primarily targets your chest, triceps, and shoulders. 

Chest

The chest is the clear motivator behind nearly every horizontal pressing exercise. Your chest (or pectoralis major) is a fan-shaped muscle that attaches between your collar bone, sternum, and upper ribs to a..