Minestrone: the vegetables barely register, the oil does.
Minestrone is a pot of beans, pasta and vegetables, and the start of the pot is where the calories sit: oil, cured pork and cheese. Use less of each and a bowl goes from 436 to 318 kcal.
- 318 kcal a serving, down from 436 for the classic, with 19 g protein, 47 g carbs and 7 g fat
- 3 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 34 g a serving
- 6 servings, weighed at 3,200 g when finished, from 14 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same minestrone, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 6 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 436 | 318 | −118 |
| Protein g | 21 | 19 | −2 |
| Carbs g | 47 | 47 | 0 |
| Fat g | 19 | 7 | −12 |
| Saturated fat g | 5.2 | 1.8 | −3.4 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Start the pot with 15 g of oil, not 45 g
−44 kcal, −5 g fat, −0.7 g saturated fat a serving
The bacon renders its own fat. The extra 30 g was 44 kcal a bowl.
2. Use 60 g of Canadian bacon, not 100 g of raw bacon
−55 kcal, −5 g fat, −2.0 g saturated fat a serving
A leaner cut in a smaller amount saves 55 kcal and 2.0 g of saturated fat a bowl.
3. Finish with 30 g of parmesan, not 60 g
−19 kcal, −2 g protein, −2 g fat, −0.7 g saturated fat a serving
A little salty cheese goes a long way. The other 30 g was 19 kcal a bowl.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 19 g protein and 318 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 800 g of cannellini beans
+77 kcal, +5 g protein, +13 g carbs, +1 g fat a serving, making 24 g protein a serving
Another 400 g of drained beans adds 5 g of protein a bowl for 77 kcal, with fibre.
Add 400 g of diced chicken breast
+80 kcal, +15 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.4 g saturated fat a serving, making 34 g protein a serving
Raw breast simmered in the soup adds 15 g of protein a bowl for 80 kcal.
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed | 400 g | 462 | 30 | 75 | 5 |
| Pasta, dry, enriched | 100 g | 371 | 13 | 75 | 2 |
| Carrots, raw | 150 g | 62 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Celery, raw | 100 g | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Onions, raw | 200 g | 80 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| Zucchini, raw | 200 g | 34 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Kale, raw | 100 g | 35 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Tomatoes, crushed, canned | 400 g | 128 | 7 | 29 | 1 |
| Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw | 200 g | 154 | 4 | 35 | 0 |
| Garlic | 7 g | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Canadian bacon | 60 g | 66 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Chicken broth, low sodium | 1,500 g | 240 | 30 | 18 | 9 |
| Parmesan, hard | 30 g | 118 | 11 | 1 | 8 |
| Whole recipe | 3,462 g | 1,907 | 116 | 282 | 44 |
| Per serving (6) | 533 g | 318 | 19 | 47 | 7 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Minestrone is a good recipe to build because the bowl looks like vegetables and a broth. The beans, pasta and the fat that starts the pot are what you are logging, and a big pot divides into many servings.
What to weigh
Weigh the vegetables raw and the pasta dry. The soup stays a soup, so the pot weighs 3,200 g from 3,462 g of ingredients and a bowl is 533 g.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food, choose Create a recipe and name it, then choose Add ingredient. Search "beans cannellini" and pick the canned, drained and rinsed entry.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Enter the weight in grams. The sheet shows 462 kcal for the beans.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the pasta, vegetables, tomatoes, garlic, oil, bacon, broth and cheese, then enter 6 servings and the 3,200 g you weighed. One bowl comes to 318 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the bowl or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Cook the pasta in the soup only if you will eat it that day. Left in the pot it swells and soaks the broth.
- Start the pot with the bacon in a dry pan and measure the oil after it. A small amount of lean bacon renders enough fat to soften the onion.
- A bowl is about 533 g. Log by weight when you are measuring.
Go further
- Making the heavier version? Save a second recipe with 45 g of oil, 100 g of raw bacon and 60 g of parmesan.
- Swirling in pesto or a rind of cheese at the end? Log it as its own food.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Minestrone questions.
How many calories are in minestrone?
It depends on the oil, the bacon and the cheese. The sample comes to 318 kcal a bowl made lighter, with 19 g protein, 47 g carbs and 7 g fat, against 436 kcal with 45 g of oil, raw bacon and more cheese.
Is minestrone a good source of protein?
The beans carry most of it. The page shows two ways to add more.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes. Weigh them cooked, or pick the dry entry and enter the dry weight.
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Cook it once. Log it for good.
Build a lighter version of your own italian favourite in Nutrition.