The scoop on Trader Joe's new microwavable soups

So I went to Trader Joe’s last night to pick up a few things and happened upon an endcap stocked with new TJ offerings, including a few varieties of organic microwavable soups in 15-ounce, Campbell’s-esque containers. I picked up minestrone and lentil soup ($2.29 each) and brought the minestrone in for lunch today, as the thought of soup on what was supposed to be a sort of snowy day sounded appealing.

But both the day (currently sunny) and the soup proved to be a disappointment. Not only was the broth extraordinarily watery, but there were only a few spoonfuls of pasta, beans and veggies in it, and the spoonfuls I did eat were pretty darn bland. (If TJ's lentil soup turns out to be any tastier, I’ll let you know.) Plus, so much for my attempts to eat healthy: Although the soup is high in fiber, protein and vitamin A, it’s also really high in sodium. A one-cup serving has 480 mg of sodium – 20 percent of what you’re supposed to get in a day – but there are two cups in each container, which means that if you eat the whole thing, you’ve already had almost half the sodium you’re supposed to have in an entire day. This isn’t just some sneaky thing Trader Joe’s does, either; I see this sort of thing on nutrition labels, especially on soups, all the time.

So, Trader Joe’s, you’ve let me down this time. But I will continue stocking my pantry with your Indian Fare, chips and cereal bars. And downing multiple tiny cups of your free coffee every time I visit.

Update: I had the lentil soup today (Friday) and it was a lot better than the minestrone. But still really, really salty.