If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the concept that many diet-friendly foods are not very filling, which can often lead to you overeating on the wrong foods. Soup is a comforting meal as well as being convenient, and can also be very good if you’re calorie counting. It’s a great way of sneaking in fibre, vegetables and pulses into your diet too, boosting your vitality and wellbeing as well as helping you to lose weight.
Research has shown that eating vegetable based soups, whether hot or cold, as the first course of a meal helps you to limit your intake of total calories throughout the meal. Low calorie, high fibre soups are best, such as a vegetable and bean mix or a minestrone soup. You should avoid creamy and high-fat soups wherever possible, as these don’t offer the same benefits. A broth or tomato based soup, depending on the recipe, has just 75 to 125 calories, so it makes a great choice for lunch or a light evening meal which is filling while being diet-friendly.
Soups and stews are hearty, comforting meals which are loaded with health-boosting ingredients and can really aid a healthy diet. They’re also a great choice if you’re stuck for time but don’t want to reach for a fat and salt laden ready meal. A good tip is to make a large batch of food at the beginning of the week and then freeze it in individual portions, which you can defrost and heat during the week for a healthy and fast meal. Homemade is best, as you can limit the amount of fat and salt that goes into it, whilst also ensuring that you pack it with plenty of veggies and legumes. It is also the cheaper option, as you can make a large batch for a fraction of the price of store-bought soups and stews.
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