Reddit mentions of Love Soup: 160 All-New Vegetarian Recipes from the Author of the Vegetarian Epicure

My sister bought us a cookbook called Love Soup; it's basically a hundred-odd soup recipes (all vegetarian), many hearty enough for a meal, many pureed or naturally smooth.

The vegi thing may be a turnoff if she's a serious carnivore, but it may also force you to try new vegetables/flavors you otherwise wouldn't cook with. The three soups from this book that we've made thus far are a cold avocado/cucumber soup, and asparagus bisque, and a (wonderful) cauliflower soup with goat cheese. It might be worth checking out.

Cut the salt:
Cut the bouillon cubes, ketchup, sun chips, tuna = find a low sodium tuna packed in water, Vegetable soups/stew = I can only assume that you will buy these in cans- which is major sodium and preservatives - I would suggest making your own with a store bought low-sodium broth base and lots of veggies: my favorite soup/stew book:http://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-All-New-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0393332578 (you can probably check it out from the library) -I will allow the hummus and bacon - but don't overdo it...Also- careful with canned beans- they pack a lot of sodium in there.

Get rid of the frozen pizza - those probably have more sat.fat and sodium than your bacon! (And they're pricey)

Not sure what what "Jar'd Vindaloo Curry" is- but if it comes in a jar- it probably isn't so great... I would suggest making it from scratch - try: http://www.currydishes.com/indian-recipes/chicken-vindaloo-curry.html

Ground Beef- try the leaner cut
Cut the fat: skim instead of 1% milk - time to make the switch
I also don't find nutrigrain bars very filling- but that is a personal preference.. To me- those are pretty much empty calories that will lead you to more bacon covered with hummus in the end. I would suggest something with higher fiber- like an apple and some almonds/walnuts.

Great thing to do: Make a lasagna with whole wheat pasta, frozen spinach (for your budget), ground turkey or beef, etc. : http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--3779/light-and-healthy-spinach-lasagna.asp (not a bad recipe) - then cut it up, and wrap individual servings- and throw them in the freezer- they will be good for about 6 months. Take one to work and you're good. You can freeze some of those soups too.

Best of luck- I find that even when I'm tired- making time to cook is the best thing to do... tasty and healthy foods are awesome.

Love Soup by Anna Thomas (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-Recipes-Vegetarian-Epicure/dp/0393332578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549567362&sr=8-1&keywords=love+soup) is organized into thematic chapters mostly by season, with some additional ones (e.g. big pot soups, a chapter on breads, salads, accompaniments, etc.).

Absolutely love this book, and if you're in the US near any markets you'll probably have access to the same kind of produce she talks about - up here in Canada we have different emphasis (e.g. less Mexican influence in produce & seasonings).

I know a soup book probably doesn't sound that exciting, but it's really lovely and includes a fair bit of narrative as well as recipes.