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Original poster

Do people REALLY only eat half a carton of fresh soup?

212 replies

sprigatito · 02/01/2026 20:00

I’m struggling to get my head around this! I’ve seen on MN several times lately that people eat half of a carton for a meal, and I know the calories are given that way on the packaging, so officially it’s a serving…but I’ve never met anyone in real life who doesn’t eat the whole carton! I’ve lost 4.5 stone this year and I eat soup most evenings for dinner. I don’t overeat generally. My soups are mostly homemade, but I do use fresh supermarket ones sometimes, and half a carton really would be a miserable little puddle in the bottom of the bowl! Is it really, honestly normal? And…why?

YABU: half a carton is ample. You’ve lost sight of what a normal bowl of soup looks like
YANBU: nobody actually does that. It’s soup, not golden syrup with extra chunks of pork fat.

OP posts:
Pepperedpickles · 02/01/2026 20:56

The whole thing. With two thick slices of nice white bread and a whole truck load of butter.

And yes I do need to lose some weight. Oh well.

LemaxObsessive · 02/01/2026 20:56

The only fresh shop bought soup I like are the M&S ones and they’re huge! It’s always half a carton but I rarely have soup for dinner.

billiongulls · 02/01/2026 20:55

Definitely a whole one

Allthesnowallthetime · 02/01/2026 20:54

Yes, with bread, as a lunch.

Or on a 5:2:day.

Even a full carton wouldn't feel like an evening meal for me, though.

Unicornsandprincesses · 02/01/2026 20:53

Unicornsandprincesses · 02/01/2026 20:53

The plastic ones from the fridge section? Half a portion with two slices of toast

Maybe even one slice these days. Depends how hungry I am

Unicornsandprincesses · 02/01/2026 20:53

The plastic ones from the fridge section? Half a portion with two slices of toast

Autumnleaves82 · 02/01/2026 20:53

I’ve only ever eaten half. At home 2 of us share a carton but I mainly use the cartons at work and they last me 2 days. It pretty much fills my bowl and definitely feels like a decent sized portion. Lots of people at work also have half a carton and I can’t say I’ve ever noticed anyone have a full carton.

EatSleepDreamRepeat · 02/01/2026 20:52

@Catwoman8 I've been back down the google rabbit hole for salt. Nearly 3g in a whole carton! I tend to eat weetabix for breakfast and home cooked tea so the odd one with bread would average out less than 6g salt a day. I'll stick to my big flasks of homemade I think 😋

BeardedBarley · 02/01/2026 20:49

I love the M&S soups if I’m on my own at home. No way could I have the whole thing. They’re very filling (to me).

KabukiNoh · 02/01/2026 20:48

A whole can or only half of one of the big tubs / Covent Garden style. But with big hunks of bread. And cheese. And pickles. And various other things that I won’t call picky bits to avoid distressing you all.

TimeForATerf · 02/01/2026 20:48

I start with half, then always reheat the second half and finish it.

i don’t have anything with it though, just soup.

dynamiccactus · 02/01/2026 20:47

gamerchick · 02/01/2026 20:16

It's more the salt content in them rather than the calories for me. Much better to make your own I think.

I do make my own but I have a big bowl. With bread.

But how calorific can a few vegetables, water and a bit of stock powder be :)

LOttyered · 02/01/2026 20:45

Half with 1-2 pieces of bread and butter.
but probably to lose weight more soup without bread would be better.

generally people have huge portions of everything.

EatSleepDreamRepeat · 02/01/2026 20:44

Catwoman8 · 02/01/2026 20:30

The calories are low, it is the salt content you have to watch with these.

Show quote history

Yes I don't buy pre made soup for exactly this reason. Its much too salty

TonTonMacoute · 02/01/2026 20:42

No way could I eat a whole carton, but I never eat it as my main evening meal. If you are eating whole cartons and are still losing weight then I wouldn't be worrying what others do or do not eat.

Usernamenotfound1 · 02/01/2026 20:42

Catwoman8 · 02/01/2026 20:30

The calories are low, it is the salt content you have to watch with these.

Show quote history

I have low blood pressure and need salt or I start fainting 🤣

so the salt content isn’t an issue for me as I eat a pretty low salt diet otherwise.

calories wise my soup of choice a full Caron is about 300, which seems reasonable. I’d rather have the full carton for 300 cals, than half with a single slice of bread for 300 cals.

i am a “volume eater” though and find I do best on bigger portions less often. I also grew up with constant criticism of how much I ate, being constantly hungry and given tiny portions so I didn’t gain weight. I can’t comprehend anyone older than 7 eating half a tin of soup.

SumUp · 02/01/2026 20:39

Usually half a carton, with a couple of big slices of bread for lunch. I would also serve half a carton as a starter, as part of dinner.

HarryVanderspeigle · 02/01/2026 20:39

Half a carton, but with a couple of slices of toast, or a cheesy bap. Also love chopping cheese into cubes and adding at the end so they go all melty.

Everydayimhuffling · 02/01/2026 20:38

I usually have half a carton, but I'm usually having soup for lunch. If I'm eating soup in the evening it's generally homemade and I would eat more than that.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 02/01/2026 20:36

I have half but with lots of bread

Octavia64 · 02/01/2026 20:36

My mum has half of one.

she’s 80 and barely eats. Lost so much weight in the last two years.

Owly11 · 02/01/2026 20:36

I hate eating loads of soup so it would be half for me plus bread, and if the soup was for an evening meal there would need to be pudding or cheese and biscuits too.

ShowOfHands · 02/01/2026 20:35

Most people I know would half. It's not a "puddle", it's a normal portion. I usually share with DH. We would have bread or crackers as well if that makes a difference.

LorettaY · 02/01/2026 20:33

my Mother does this. So if I’m visiting she says let’s have a half can each and accused me of greed if I want more! Honestly I couldn’t wait to move out away from this disordered thinking.

BuffaloCauliflower · 02/01/2026 20:32

The 600g Covent Garden ones is definitely two portions, plus a bread roll/slice of cheese on toast with. I don’t think I could fit the whole thing in one normal bowl