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Why Soups are Best When It Comes to Weight Loss?
Soup diets have been around for the past several years. Various kinds of soup-based diets have come up over the decades to accommodate different tastes, eating styles and diet trends. Consuming soups help you to eat less, which makes it easy to lose weight. Besides this, the magical soups are healthy, nutritious, low on calories and fat and quite filling too.
You can add some tofu, chicken and slow-releasing carbs such as oats, leafy veggies and brown rice to these soups to add in healthy protein to the soups. By pairing the soup diet with healthy eating habits, you can see the results quickly. Replace snacks with any healthy soup option to see good results. Make it a point to include a delicious and warm bowl of soup in your daily eating plan for wellness and sustainable weight loss.
Things to Know When You Go on a Weight Loss Diet
Medical Conditions
Weight gain in some people may be due to genetics or certain medical conditions. Hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, sleep disorders like upper airway respiratory syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea or eating disorders like bulimia can be reasons for weight gain. Besides these, certain medicines like Progestins, Insulin, Antihistamines etc, can make it difficult to lose weight. So, talk to your doctor to know how to lose weight despite these hindrances.
Chart Out an Exercise Plan
Just eating healthy is not enough if you want to lose weight. You also need to do regular exercise. Limit your time spent playing video games or watching TV. Start with moderate exercise like walking, golf, dancing, light weight lifting, stretching etc and gradually move to more intense workouts like basketball, aerobics, swimming, basketball, jogging or running and bicycling (above 10 mph).
Set Realistic Goals
It is harmful to go on a crash diet. Experts recommend only 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week and not more than that. Always set realistic weight loss goals, which will help you achieve it. Ditching carbs or restricting your calories may give dramatic upfront results, but for lifelong success this will not help.
Healthy Indian Soups for Weight Loss
1. Mushroom Soup
Mushrooms provide fibre and protein and are rich in antioxidants. They also have good amounts of vitamin D. They are low in calories and have no cholesterol or fat. Besides, they add a unique flavour to meatless dishes. Recent studies show that mushrooms keep us full for a long time, which is quite a relief for people who want to lose weight. One of the best ways to include mushrooms in your weight loss diet is in soup form. This mushroom soup is oil-free and thickened with low-fat milk and cornflour.
Ingredients
- Chopped Mushrooms – 3/4th Cup
- Cornflour – 1 tsp
- Low Fat Milk – ¼ Cup
- Dried Oregano – ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
To Prepare Paste
- Chopped mushrooms – 1 Cup
- Low-fat Milk – 1 Cup
Recipe:
-
To Prepare Paste
- Combine milk and mushrooms in a pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on a high flame. Stir occasionally.
- Once mushrooms are cooked remove from fire. Blend the mixture when it cools to a smooth paste and keep aside.
- Mix together milk and cornflour in a bowl.
- In a pan add mushrooms, prepared paste and water (2 cups). Cook for 6 minutes on medium flame.
- Add milk and cornflour mixture, salt and oregano. Cook for 7 more minutes on medium flame. Stir continuously and cook until the soup thickens.
- Serve hot.
For the Soup
2. Lentil Soup
Lentils are the best choice when it comes to weight loss foods. They are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. It keeps you full for a long time. Lentils are also the best source of resistant starch, which is a type of fiber that increases the ability of the body to control appetite. Lentils are complex. It will not only satisfy your hunger, but also provides a steady energy source. A bowl of this soup is not only delicious, but also light, and healthy. This one pot dish is easy to make as well.
Ingredients
- Moong dal or Yellow Lentil – 1 Cup
- Chopped Carrot – 1
- Chopped Spinach – 1 Cup
- Chopped Tomato – 1
- Chopped Onion – 1
- Minced Garlic Cloves – 4
- Grated Ginger – ½ inch
- Black pepper and Salt to Taste
- For Garnish – Coriander Leaves
Recipe:
- Combine all ingredients and pressure cook until dal is soft. You can use vegetable stock instead of water, which will make the soup tastier.
- Once dal is cooked mash all the ingredients and add some water to adjust the consistency.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and add a dollop of butter/ghee on top before serving.
3. Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin is one of the widely used vegetables in the Indian kitchen. It is used to make a variety of dishes from subzis, kebabs, curries, halwas to soups. The nutritionally dense pumpkins are devoid of fat, sodium and cholesterol, which makes it ideal to use in the weight loss diet. A 100 gram of raw pumpkin has only 26 calories. The yellow veggie also has high fibre content, which is important for our digestive health. It will curb hunger pangs, and hence you need not snack in between meals. Pumpkins also have higher potassium content than bananas, which makes it a great post-workout food and will help your muscles to recover quickly.
Ingredients
- Chopped Onion – 1
- Chopped Pumpkin – 3 Cups
- Garlic – 3 to 4 Cloves
- Oil – 1 Tsp
- Water or Vegetable Stock – 3 to 4 cups
- Black pepper and Salt to taste
- For Garnish – Coriander Leaves
- Cream or Milk as needed
Recipe:
- Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and onions and sauté for about a minute.
- Add pumpkin and cook until it is caramelized.
- Add vegetable stock or water and mix well. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Once pumpkin is cooked puree the mixture until smooth.
- Add the blended mixture to the pan along with more stock and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Finally add milk or cream, and salt.
- Serve hot, with black pepper. Garnish with coriander leaves.
4. Cauliflower Soup
While losing weight, it is always good to include non-starchy and water-dense and low-calorie vegetables like cauliflower in your diet. Cauliflowers are low in calories (1 cup = 25 calories). Besides, it is also a rich source of fiber, which helps in slow digestion and keeps you full for long. This may automatically reduce the calories you eat all day, which is an important factor to control your weight. The veggie also has high water content, which is another reason why it is weight-loss friendly. Almost 92% weight of cauliflower is made of water.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower – 200 grams
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Cloves – 2 to 3
- Chopped Onion – 1
- Bay Leaf – 1
- Black pepper – ½ Tsp
- Salt to taste
- Ginger – ½ inch
- Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves
Recipe:
- Wash cauliflower and chop into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan add cloves and bay leaf. Sauté until it releases the aroma and then add chopped onion, garlic and ginger.
- Sauté for another minute and add cauliflower florets. Add water and cook for about 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
- Remove from fire and allow it cool. Blend the mixture into fine paste. Add black pepper and salt. Simmer for another minute.
- Serve hot.
5. Beetroot Soup
Weight loss is a perpetual struggle, and it seems impossible to lose that stubborn weight. Soup diet is one of the tried and tested remedy that is safe and can speed up the weight loss process. Beets have high content of antioxidants, folate, Vitamin C and essential minerals like manganese and potassium. It is also a very good source of dietary fibre that helps maintain healthy bowel function. Beets are a powerhouse of minerals and vitamins. It boosts overall immunity too. It is a healthy and delicious option to include in weight loss diet.
Ingredients
- Small Whole Beetroots – 3 small or 2 large ones
- Apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp
- Garlic Cloves – 1 to 2
- Salt to taste
- Cooking Oil – 1 to 2 Tbsp
- Some Coriander Leaves
Recipe:
- Wash and chop beets and beet greens.
- Heat oil in a pan, add chopped beetroot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add water, garlic cloves and apple cider vinegar. Simmer on medium flame for 10 minutes.
- Add chopped cilantro and beet greens and cook until beets are tender.
- Adjust seasoning and the magical soup is ready to serve.
6. Spinach Soup
1 cup of spinach is 7 calories and to lose weight your intake of calories must be less. Hence, spinach fits perfectly into your weight loss diet. Moreover, insoluble fibre in spinach will keep you full for a long time. In short, spinach will not only keep your calories in control, but will also provide enough fibre that your body needs.
Ingredients
- Masoor Dal – ½ Cup
- Butter – ½ Tsp
- Spinach – ½ Cup
- Black Salt as per your taste
- Salt – ½ Tsp
- Lime Juice and Black Pepper as per taste
Recipe:
- Add chopped spinach and dal in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Add ½ tsp salt and cook for 2 whistles.
- Once the cooker cools. Remove the lid and mash the contents. Adjust the consistency by adding some water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finally add black salt, lime juice and butter. Mix well and serve hot.
7. Minty Oats Soup
Oats is one of the low-cost options when it comes to weight loss as it keeps you full longer when compared to other foods. It is also the best breakfast option that will curb your hunger and helps in slimming down. Adding mint leaves to the Oats Soup will make this soup more flavourful.
Ingredients
- Sweet Corn Kernels – 1 Cup
- Mint Leaves – 1 Cup
- Rolled Oats – 1 Tbsp
- Finely Chopped Vegetables – 1 Cup (Carrot and Beans)
- Ginger and Garlic Paste – ½ Tsp each
- Black pepper powder and salt to taste
- Oil – ¼ Tsp
Recipe:
- In a pan add oats, vegetables, mint leaves and 3 cups of water. Cook until the ingredients are soft.
- Blend this mixture and season with salt and pepper powder.
- Just before serving top it with ¼ tsp of extra virgin oil and coriander leaves.
8. Rajma/Bean Soup
The abundant amount of protein and fibre in rajma makes it one of the best legumes to include in your weight loss plan. Rajma contains alpha-amylase inhibitor, which hinders absorption of starch and its breakdown. This will further help in losing weight. It also keeps you satiated for long. This filling and creamy Rajma soup is a great addition to your diet.
Ingredients
- Red Kidney Beans or Rajma – 1 cup
- Roughly chopped Tomato – 1
- Roughly chopped Onion – 1
- Ginger – 1 inch
- Garlic – 4 – 5 cloves
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil – 1 to 2 tbsp
Recipe:
- Soak rajma overnight.
- In a pressure cooker add some olive oil and sauté ginger, garlic and sliced onions. Fry until onions are translucent. Next add in some tomatoes and chili powder and turmeric.
- Add soaked rajma, salt and 3 cups of water. Cook for 20 minutes or until 8 whistles.
- Remove the lid when the pressure cooker cools down. Transfer the ingredients to a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
- Transfer the soup in a pan. Adjust seasoning and when the soup comes a boil, add in the lemon juice and your delicious weight loss soup is ready to serve.
The Other Weight Loss Friendly Indian Foods
Plant-based diets are associated with several health benefits. The Indian diet is predominantly plant-based, which includes nutritious foods such as lentils, vegetables, grains, fruits and dairy. Besides these spices like ginger, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and turmeric, are used in the Indian dishes, which not only add rich flavour, but also has powerful nutritional benefits. Some of the simple Indian foods that you can include in your diet for weight loss are as follows:
- Whole Grains – The bulky nature of whole grains will reduce your cravings as it will keep your feeling full for longer and this will reduce your appetite. The best part of consuming whole grains is that it does not contain many calories. Brown rice, Oats, and Barley are some of the whole grains that you must incorporate in your daily weight loss diet.
- Probiotics – Indian diet is incomplete without curds. Probiotics are known to improve digestion and keeps away any gastrointestinal issues. It also aids in weight loss.
- Ghee – Ghee has butyrate, a fatty acid that contributes to a healthy digestive system. Even vegans or those who are lactose intolerant can use it in the diet as ghee contains only traces of milk solids. It is otherwise pure fat.
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Stay Healthy by Eating Soup
As part of your diet, soups go a long way in helping with weight loss. They are very nutritious and there are numerous recipes for different kinds of soup. Above are low calorie Indian soups for weight loss with detailed recipes. In addition, there are also some things one ought to consider. First, before incorporating soups into your diet, it is proper to seek the advice of a dietitian or a professional. Next, with the aim of weight loss, find a good exercise plan. These and many more amazing tips are featured above.