I am a huge fan of Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup. The tiny meatballs and spinach instantly make my mouth water. On a recent trip to the grocery store, I noticed there were two different versions of the Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup. One version was the traditional and the other Healthy Request. But, is the Health Request really that much healthier.
I started my comparison with the ingredient label. All values are for the entire can.
Traditional versus Healthy Request
Calories
T – 220
H -240
Total Fat
T – 5 grams
H – 5 grams
Saturated Fat
T – 4 grams
H – 3 grams
Cholesterol
T – 20 milligrams
H – 30 milligrams
Sodium
T – 1680 milligrams
H – 960 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates
T – 32 grams
H – 30 grams
Fiber
T – 4 grams
H – 4 grams
Sugars
T – 6 grams
H – 6 grams
Protein
T – 14 grams
H – 14 grams
Vitamin A
T – 40% RDA
H – 20% RDA
Calcium
T – 8% RDA
H – 8% RDA
Iron
T – 8% RDA
H – 12% RDA
From the label ingredients you can clearly see that the traditional Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup offers less calories and cholesterol and more sodium and carbohydrates. The Healthy Request, on the other hand, offered less Vitamin A and sodium and more calories, cholesterol and iron. I truly did not see the huge difference in the labels, so I moved on to taste.
The traditional Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup does exhibit a depth of flavor that the Healthy Request Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup does not. The Healthy Request version seemed to be comprised of a watered down broth while the traditional felt hearty in the mouth.
The meatballs tasted the same in both varieties as did the small round noodles. As a matter of fact, all parts of the soup, minus the broth, tasted the same in both. I noticed no real difference.
The prices of each of these soups was the same as well. The Healthy Request was not priced higher than the traditional Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup, as is the case with many healthy alternatives.
The conclusion of my comparison is simple. While the Healthy Request Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup did have less sodium, that was the only advantage to eating this soup. The taste was not as full with the Healthy Request as the traditional and the 98% Fat Free claim on the front of the can was a joke. The traditional Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup has the same amount of fat as the Healthy Request. I will purchase the traditional Campbell’s Select Italian-Style Wedding Soup in the future. I like the deep broth taste and the feeling it leaves in the mouth. I am not willing to give up the great taste to save a little sodium.
