From The Past: October 14, 2008

I had two coupons last week. One was good when you bought any two cans of Campbell’s Select Harvest and the other was good on any two cans of Progresso Light soup.

Because the selection was limited, I bought two cans of Campbell’s Select Harvest Light: Italian-Style Vegetable and two cans of Progresso Light: Chicken Noodle.

Last night I ate one of the cans of Campbell’s Select Harvest Light: Italian-Style Vegetable. It is only 50 calories per serving. Since there are two servings per can, I was able to eat the entire can of soup and only consume 100 calories.

It was good; a little heavy on the Italian sauce, but good. I actually told Kevin it was like opening a jar of Prego and just eating the Prego sauce with nothing else. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Campbell’s makes Prego! So, my instinct was correct! I will eat the other can because it is there, however I do prefer a little less tomato sauce. Honestly, it surprises me to hear myself say that because I love Italian food. I guess it just doesn’t taste the same when it’s not poured over noodles or chicken!

Tonight I tried the Progresso Light: Chicken Noodle. It is 70 calories a serving, which is 140 calories for an entire can. It’s amazing that by just adding meat, you are also adding so many more calories. This soup was better than the last, but it was also totally different. I liked that it had large egg noodles and pieces of chicken (the other soup was meatless).

Although it needed some salt, I refrained from adding any because I wanted to experience it the way the people at Progresso intended. This soup was mainly liquid. After making sure every one of my bites included some juice, I still ended up pouring over ½ a cup of juice down the drain. Honestly, for the same calories I could have Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle.

I’m not saying either soup was bad; one had the texture and one had the flavor. Now, if I could have both of those ingredients together ….. I would have a high-calorie soup …. which is why I bought the light.

Update 2024: When I buy soup, I only buy Progresso Light. I have never added salt, crackers or anything else to it; I eat it exactly as-is. I enjoy it with a peanut butter sandwich on the side. I buy 35-calorie bread and use PBFIT Original Peanut Powder. It’s a great meal, especially on a cold night. https://amzn.to/3BG5dsu