How Soup Helps With Weight Loss
There are several reasons why souping is an effective strategy for losing weight:
1. Soup Has a High Water Content
The high water content of most soups helps fill you up so you naturally eat less. The water and fiber work together to give soup a lot of volume without piling on the calories.
2. Nutrient-Dense Ingredients
When you make soup at home, you control exactly what goes into it. Loading up on nutritious ingredients like lean protein, tons of vegetables, beans, lentils, and some healthy whole grains supplies your body with fat-burning fuel.
3. Promotes Satiety
Research shows that soup increases satiation and satisfaction. The combo of liquid and solid food fills up your stomach, signals the brain, and suppresses appetite between meals.
Tips for Souping to Lose Weight
Follow these simple tips to make sure your homemade soups help you drop pounds:
1. Focus on Plant-Based Soups
Plant-forward soups made with tons of veggies, beans, lentils and healthy grains supply fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. These nutrients support a healthy metabolism.
2. Add Lean Protein
Protein takes longer to digest keeping hunger at bay even hours after eating soup. Chicken, turkey, lean beef, beans, lentils, tempeh, and tofu are all great additions.
3. Limit Starchy Vegetables
Although vegetables are incredibly healthy, starchy veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and peas have more carbohydrates and calories. Use them sparingly or avoid for the biggest weight loss impact.
4. Choose Low Sodium Broths
Skip high sodium store-bought broths and opt for low sodium varieties or make your own bone broth at home to control nutrients.
5. Load Up on Herbs and Spices
Flavor soup with metabolism-boosting herbs and spices like garlic, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric instead of sugar and salt.
10 Healthy and Delicious Soup Recipes for Weight Loss
Here are 10 nutritious soup recipes bursting with vegetables, lean protein, fiber and healthy fats to help you lose weight.
1. Zucchini Soup with Turkey Meatballs
This slimming soup brings together zucchini, carrots, onions and herbs in a tomato broth base. Turkey meatballs amp up protein while adding delicious flavor. The vegetables provide belly-filling fiber to help drop pounds.
2. Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Traditional loaded baked potato soup can be fattening. This healthy version substitutes Greek yogurt for heavy cream. Potatoes provide carbs along with immunity-boosting vitamin C. Broccoli, cheddar cheese and bacon round out this satisfying soup.
3. Vegetable and Lentil Soup
Protein-packed lentils join forces with carrots, onions, tomatoes, spinach and curry powder. They create a spicy soup loaded with fiber, antioxidants, protein and healthy carbs to accelerate weight loss.
4. Chicken Fajita Soup
Bring the Tex-Mex flavors with none of the guilt! This hearty soup stars protein-rich chicken breast, poblano peppers, corn, zucchini and salsa. Top with avocado and cilantro for a fresh twist.
5. Italian Meatball and Escarole Soup
Lean ground turkey teams up with escarole in this Italian-inspired soup. Escarole is slightly bitter leafy green chock-full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Carrots, onion, garlic and savory herbs perfect this slimming soup.
6. Creamy Cabbage Soup
Cabbage soup is a classic diet staple because it's low in calories and high in volume and nutrients. Greek yogurt adds a creamy base to this version packed with savoy cabbage, carrots, celery and onions with a boost of metabolism-revving cayenne.
7. Pumpkin Black Bean Turkey Chili
Pumpkin provides a wealth of nutrients along with creaminess to this hearty chili. Fiber and protein-packed black beans join lean ground turkey, zesty spices, bell peppers and jalapeno for a fiery soup to fire up fat burning.
8. Chicken and Quinoa Soup
This savory soup features protein-packed quinoa and chicken breast along with bell peppers, carrots and peas. Quinoa supplies all the essential amino acids along with magnesium, iron, zinc and B vitamins making it super nourishing.
9. Mediterranean Chickpea Soup
Chickpeas pack over 15 grams of fiber and protein per one cooked cup! This Mediterranean diet-inspired version highlights chickpeas with tomatoes, zucchini, spinach and fragrant spices like cumin, cinnamon and turmeric.
10. Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken Soup
This lighter broccoli and cheddar soup uses skim milk and reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Chicken breast, broccoli, carrots, celery and onions ensure you get immune-boosting vitamins and filling fiber in every bowl.
The Many Benefits of Souping for Weight Loss
Following a soup-based diet with meals like the ones above offers many perks beyond the number on the scale going down. Enjoy these rewards by making soup a regular part of your healthy eating plan:
Increased Energy
All the nutritious ingredients like lean protein, whole grains, beans, vegetables and healthy fats supply steady energy. The nutrients keep your blood sugar balanced and hunger at bay so you can power through your days.
Healthy Immune System
Soups overflow with immune-strengthening and inflammation-fighting veggies. Get your fill of antioxidants from ingredients like tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, onions and pumpkin.
Improve Gut Health
The high fiber content of most weight loss soups combined with hydrating broth promotes good digestion and gut health. Feed the healthy bacteria in your digestive system with vegetables, beans and whole grains from soup.
Better Mood
Ingredients like pumpkin, fatty fish, nuts, turmeric and dark leafy greens have been shown to fight depression. Enjoying them often in soup may boost your outlook right along with your health.
Save Money
Whipping up a big batch of nutritious soup is very budget-friendly! Stretch costly ingredients like chicken breast and lean beef by making them go further in soup loaded with cheap veggies and grains.
Start Souping to Shed Excess Weight
As you can see, enjoying deliciously nourishing soups can do wonders for achieving weight loss success. Soup helps curb cravings and slash calories without leaving you feeling hungry. For best results, try having a bowl of veggie-packed soup before lunch and dinner every day. This healthy habit can accelerate fat burning while delivering major nutritional benefits with each satisfying slurp.
FAQs
What are the best ingredients to add to soup for weight loss?
Some of the best ingredients for healthy weight loss soup include lean protein like chicken, turkey and beans, tons of low-starch vegetables like leafy greens, peppers, cabbage, zucchini, etc., lentils, brown rice or quinoa, and metabolism boosting spices.
Does homemade or canned soup help you lose more weight?
Homemade soup packed with fresh vegetables, lean protein and spices is more effective for weight loss than canned soup which is often high in sodium and preservatives.
How much soup should you eat to lose weight?
Aim for 1 - 2 bowls of healthy homemade soup per day as a starter before meals or as a meal itself to get the most benefits for weight loss from souping.
Which is better for weight loss - smoothies or soup?
Soup is generally more effective for weight loss than smoothies because using whole foods and fiber-rich ingredients provides more nutrients, satiety and sustained energy release than blended smoothies.
What nutrients in soup help promote weight loss?
Key nutrients in weight loss soup include protein to curb hunger, fiber from vegetables and legumes to prolong satiety, vitamins and minerals to support a healthy metabolism, and spices to boost fat burning.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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