Review: Great Value Brand Chicken and Stars Condensed Soup

As a mother, I am a big fan of soup. It is low calorie, easy to make, and can be paired with a half of a sandwich for a complete meal. A warm bowl of soup can be so comforting during the winter months. It can be packed into a thermos for a great tasting meal on the go. Campbell's makes the name brand version of this soup. This Great Value version is the Wal-mart store brand. I decided to give it a try because of the sizable price difference. Here are my thoughts:

The Idea

Chicken and Stars Soup is obviously a spin off of the old stand by Chicken Noodle Soup. This type of soup seems to be very popular with adults and children alike. I prefer the texture of the stars to the traditional noodles because they are easier to keep on the spoon. Kids usually love the star shapes and wonder how the manufacturers of the soup managed to do something so undeniably cool. It is a condensed soup that is combined with a can of water and heated up before serving. The result? A warm comforting meal with a low price tag.

The Convience.

Soup is a very simple meal to prepare. You can heat it in a saucepan on the stove and draw your children out of their rooms with the scent, or simply stick it the microwave. It also keeps well for a day or two if you need to reheat it. It also can be frozen. This product is also an easy one to store. It does not take up much room in the cabinet or pantry and can usually stand being dropped a few times by tiny hands that help you put away the groceries. You can always add to the nutritional value of soup by adding in more fresh chicken and vegetables.

The Nutritional Facts

Serving size is 1/2 cup with the serving per container being 2.5. Calories per serving is 60 with 15 calories coming from fat. Total fat is 1.5g with 0.5 being saturated, 0 trans fat, and 0.5g of mono-saturated fat. It contains 10mg of cholesterol and boasts a not so great 890mg of sodium. This, however I have found true of most canned soups on the market. I always serve soup with a tall glass of water. On the upside, it has 60mg of potassium and only 9g of carbs. It contains 1g of fiber, 1g of sugar, and 3g of protein. It has 10% of your daily value of Vitamin A, 4% of Iron, and 4% of Folic Acid. This is a great low calorie snack or meal.

The Difference

One thing that I noticed upon opening the can is that it is packed with product. I found the Campbell's version to contain more broth. The Great Value brand Chicken and Stars had a lot more pasta shapes and pieces of chicken. So far so good. When I mixed it with the recommended amount of water and simmered it on the stove, I noticed that it had a slightly different and pleasant aroma. I then, poured two bowls for my girls and a small cup for myself. Upon tasting it, I realized that the Campbell's soup had a bit of a plastic taste and the noodles were a little harder than this new discovery. My girls ate it fast, which is always a good sign. They said that they felt like it contained more pasta than other brands. When I asked them which they liked better, they chose the Great Value brand. I agreed. I found that the Great Value brand served up quality pieces of cubed chicken and more soft pasta stars than the leading brands. I would give the soup four stars for the price, taste, and quality. These are great to keep on hand considering the long shelf life and likability factor for most children. I will be purchasing this item again.