A bowl of soup on a chilly fall or winter morning is the ultimate comfort food. And filling that bowl with low-calorie soups for weight loss can reduce your BMI and aid your weight loss efforts.
Are Soup for Weight Loss a Good Way to Lose Weight?
There’s a reason soups are taken before the meal, rather than just by itself because you consume fewer calories if you eat soup before your meal. According to a study by Appetite(1), people who have a bowl of soup directly before their meal tend to consume 20% fewer calories than people who don’t. And if you’re looking to lose weight, opt for a fat burning soup or a detox soup rather than a creamier soup with more calories.
Did You Know!
Chicken noodle soup is the most popular soup in the US, followed by tomato soup.
4 Healthy Soup Recipes and Their Benefits
Here are some healthy soup recipes for weight loss.
1. Turmeric tomato soup
The energizing properties of tomatoes and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric will help fill you up, ensuring you consume fewer calories in your meal. Tomatoes also contain antioxidants which help flush out the toxins in your body.
How to Make It:
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan and add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves to it. Let it roast for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of turmeric and homemade sauce/puree of 5-6 tomatoes. Add in some dried basil and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Lastly, season with salt and pepper.
[Also Read How to Lose Weight Naturally]
2. Cabbage soup
Cabbage soup for weight loss is one of the most popular diet soups. Cabbage soup is very low in calories, so it’s a quick way to lose weight. It’s also rich in fibre, which satisfies your hunger without having to consume too many calories.
Some people adopt for a diet with only cabbage soup for a week for faster results, but the weight loss is likely to come back as soon as you stop the diet. Instead, make cabbage soup a part of your daily diet has more health benefits.
How to Make It:
Chop 2 onions, 2 peppers, 2 tomatoes, 2 carrots, and 1 head of cabbage. Take some oil in a saucepan and add onions and saute. Then add in the other vegetables and let them cook for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. You can season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
[Also Read: Benefits of Cabbage Soup to Burn Fat]
3. Mushroom and bean soup
Another soup that has low calories and more fibre, is the mushroom bean soup that is packed with nutrients and is delicious, too.
How to Make It:
Add some oil in a pan and add in 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Saute for a few minutes, then add chopped mushrooms and thyme leaves. Add salt to taste. At the same time, add 1 cup of vegetable oil to 3 tablespoons of tapioca flour and stir well.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the mix. Rinse and drain white kidney beans and add it to a blender with ½ cup vegetable broth. Blend till smooth then add the mix to the mushroom soup. Cook for 15 minutes.
[Also Read: Cinnamon for Weight Loss]
4. Vegetable detox soup
If you’re on a detox diet and need a soup to blend in your daily diet, this vegetable detox soup recipe for weight loss is perfect for you. It contains all the nutrients of the vegetables, the antioxidants in tomatoes and turmeric will help fight the free radicals.
How to Make It:
Take some oil in a pan and add in 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic and some grated ginger root. Saute well then add 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1 cup of broccoli florets, and 1 cup of celery. Now mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 2 diced tomatoes and add 1 cup of water. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to add taste.
Soups have a high water content that gives you are feeling of fullness.
A weight loss soup diet is a healthy and nutrition-filled way to lose weight, but only if the soups are homemade. Canned soups contain preservatives and are high in sodium, both of which lead to weight gain.
The opera composer Giuseppe Verdi had a bowl of noodle soup when he was in need of inspiration..
FAQs
1. Do I need to eat soup daily for weight loss?
Yes, eating soup once daily before a meal has a lot of health benefits, apart from reducing weight. This study(2) found that those who had a bowl of soup before their meal for 12 months were successful in reducing their BMI and waist circumference. The levels of HDL cholesterol in these individuals also decreased.
2. Is every soup good for weight loss?
While soups are generally healthy and good for weight loss, some are just healthier than the rest. If you’re taking a diet of soup for weight loss, healthy vegetable soup, like cabbage soup is recommended over a chicken noodle soup.
3. What if I don’t like vegetable soups?
While vegetables are a key ingredient in any weight loss soup, you can try flavouring it up by adding other healthy ingredients like beans or lentils.
