Soup Habits For Effective Weight Loss

This winter season we come up with 5 soup habits one must adopt to lose and manage weight this season.

When you can feel the chill in the air and stockings are finally out, when cozy blankets are all you need and sweater-weather is knocking on your door, you know it's officially soup season. Is. As winter approaches, there's no room for mocktails and soft drinks on the table, but the celebration calls for a hot bowl of soup. An appetizer that is not only a treat for your taste buds but also comes with a lot of health benefits. Soups can come in all sorts of ways, from creamy and tangy to blunt and light. Where this appetizer is not only beneficial for boosting your immune system and hydrating your body, but can also be an effective weight loss technique. Who knew your favorite winter appetizer could actually help you lose weight? Here's the catch, soup will never help you shed those extra inches and some can actually contribute to the increased weight. To keep you healthy, your taste buds happy and your weight under control, here we have 5 soup habits one must adopt to lose and manage weight this season. Ride off this blissful steam in these chilly winters and learn about the best soup recipes for weight loss.

#1. Texture

If you are the kind of person who is drinking your soup from a cup instead of eating it in a bowl then you are doing it all wrong. Drinking puree style soup does not require chewing and hence does not provide any gratification which leaves a person hungry. Not only this, the vegetable leftovers are thrown away while making this type of soup which is a rich source of fiber. Reducing the consumption of this fiber will increase your weight rather than reduce it and hence drinking soup puree will not help in your weight loss journey.

Add some texture to your soup if you're looking for soup to help shed those extra inches. When we talk about texture, we don't mean those fried bread crumbs and croutons but veggies. Including vegetables like beans, carrots and other lean proteins will increase your protein and fiber intake, add more nutrition to your soup and keep you full and satisfied for longer. Doing so will help reduce your snacking and bingeing episodes which will lead to lower calorie intake and hence aid in the process of weight loss.

#2. From Creamy to Clear

Like to fill your soup with a spoonful of cream, butter cubes and cheese? Well, you should definitely quit doing that and switch to clear ones from consuming creamy soups. Creamy soup is high in sodium, calories and saturated fat which ultimately leads to weight gain. Adding cottage cheese, cream and butter to it will not help you lose weight at all, but it does contribute to excessive fat deposition. To stay fit and lose some weight, one should turn to clear broth soups. These soups are low in calories, high in nutrition and ultimately help you track your weight loss goals along with providing enough energy to your body.

#3. Choose High Protein Soups

For years people have been swallowing that protein powder through milk, water or sometimes even dry scooping. To your surprise, one wouldn't need those expensive synthetic powders to get adequate levels of protein as soups can help. Many people often make the mistake of opting for low-protein soups such as tomato soup to satisfy their taste buds. Opt for high protein soups such as chicken soup, bean soup, lentil soup or chickpea stew.

These protein-rich soups are low in calories and satisfying too. These high protein soups help to make you feel full for longer and hence keep you satisfied. Protein intake also helps maintain lean body mass during periods of calorie deficit. It also helps in increasing the thermal effect of food and due to which it takes little energy to break down the food and hence helps in reducing weight.

#4. Non Starchy Vegetables

Low in calories, high in antioxidants, packed with nutrients like vitamins and minerals, these non-starchy vegetables are not only good for weight loss but also for your overall health. Foods rich in starch like potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and squash are known to increase a person's weight. As starch is digested quickly, it raises your glucose levels. So soon after having a meal you feel hungry which results in overeating. Being one of the most common causes of weight gain, it is important to include vegetables that have low starch levels so that the process of digestion lasts a little longer and keeps you full and satisfied.  

#5. Limit Soup Consumption

While eating soup is a healthy habit and can help with weight loss, overdoing it can actually have the opposite effect.

Consuming soup for almost every meal thinking it is a healthy habit can lead to various health problems. Soup is one such food item that is known to be sodium-rich. For example, by eating soup for every other meal, you are consuming too much sodium which ultimately results in heart disease, colon cancer, kidney stones and high blood pressure.

Not only this, due to the consumption of excess amount of sodium, water gets stored in our body, resulting in swelling, puffiness and weight gain.