A soup diet is generally a short-term eating plan designed to help individuals lose weight quickly. Instead of one official soup diet, there are several soup-based diets. While some involve only eating soup for the duration of the diet, others also include a limited list of allowable foods. As the idea is to lose weight quickly, most of these diets are only meant to last for 5-10 days. This article reviews different types of soup diets, pros and cons of these diets, and whether a soup diet is effective for weight loss.
Types of Soup Diets
There are many types of soup diets, with some of the more popular ones listed below. Just keep in mind that there’s currently no research on the effectiveness of these specific diets.
Broth-Based Soup Diet
Broth-based soup diets generally last for 7 days. However, some can last as long as 10-14 days. Over that time, proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg).
On a broth-based soup diet, cream-based soups are restricted, as they’re higher in calories and fat. Instead, you’re encouraged to consume homemade or canned broth-based soups that include vegetables and protein.
While some programs recommend only consuming broth-based soups, others may allow for small amounts of low calorie options like lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and nonfat dairy.
Read also: Navigating Risks on the Bean Diet
Bean Soup Diet
One of the more popular bean soup diets is from Michael Greger, MD, author of “How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease.”
The diet encourages eating Dr. Greger’s Champion Vegetable Bean Soup up to twice a day. In addition to the soup, you’re allowed to consume any oil-free, plant-based foods, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
While there’s no calorie restriction, the diet recommends limiting intake of calorie-dense foods like dried fruits and nuts for optimal weight loss results. Unlike other soup diets, Greger’s is meant to be a lifelong shift to a plant-based diet. Proponents of this diet claim you can lose 9-16 pounds (4-7 kg) in just the first week.
There’s currently no research on Greger’s bean soup diet. However, plant-based diets have been linked to benefits for weight loss and heart health.
Feel Good Mediterranean White Bean Soup
Every January, many people make white bean soup on repeat, pretty much all month long. It’s also a great produce “saver” for when you’ve got a bunch of veggies you don’t know what to do with. You can throw in whatever veggies you have lying around in the pot with the white beans and broth.
Read also: Comforting Keto Soup Recipe
- White beans: You’ll need 3 15-ounce cans of white beans. You can use navy beans, cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or any white beans. You can also use pre-cooked dried beans for this recipe. For 3 cans of beans, it is recommended to use 2 ¼ cups dried beans.
- Onion: Any variety works, but yellow or white onions are the most common. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Garlic: Minced garlic or garlic paste, fresh garlic or frozen garlic, it all works in this white bean soup so you can use what you have.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use low sodium or regular. If you use low-sodium, you may need to add more salt.
- Herbs: Fresh or dried work here. If you’re using fresh, you’ll want about 2 tablespoons total compared to 2 teaspoons total for dried.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional): This is for topping at the end, but you can leave it out to keep it vegan.
- Add more Protein: For extra protein, toss in 1 cup of diced chicken or chicken sausage.
- Boost the Flavor: Add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a pinch of chili flakes, or ½ teaspoon of cumin to give the soup a deeper, spiced flavor. Toss in a parmesan rind while simmering for a rich, cheesy undertone.
- Hearty Add-Ins: Bulk up the soup with 1 to 2 cups of diced Yukon gold or red potatoes, 1 to 1½ cups of cooked pasta like ditalini or orzo, or 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
- Veggie Boost: Toss in 1 cup of diced zucchini, 1 cup of chopped green beans, or 2 cups of chopped kale if you don’t have spinach on hand.
- Make it extra creamy by stirring in some cashew milk.
Allow the beans to simmer with the broth. Since the canned white beans are already cooked, it may seem unnecessary to add them to the soup until the very end. However, they actually absorb all the flavors of the soup and soften to lend a creaminess to the soup. Stir the soup while it simmers. The canned white beans are very tender so they naturally make the soup thicker.
Don’t skip sautéing your veggies: This step isn’t just about cooking; it’s about getting those deep, sweet flavors from your onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Be smart with seasoning: Go easy with the salt and pepper at the start.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the soup for up to 3 months. It is recommended to freeze it individual portions for easier thawing. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and microwave until heated through.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. Nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Read also: Easy bean salad recipes for protein.
Cabbage Soup Diet
One of the most popular soup diets, the cabbage soup diet is a 7-day eating plan that involves eating a chicken- or vegetable-broth-based soup that contains cabbage and other low carb vegetables.
In addition to cabbage soup, you can also have one or two other low calorie foods, such as skim milk or leafy greens. If following the meal plan closely, the diet claims you can lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) over the 7 days.
Chicken Soup Diet
The chicken soup diet is a 7-day weight loss diet that involves eating chicken soup for every meal except breakfast. For your morning meal, you can pick from five low calorie options, which include foods like nonfat milk and yogurt, fat-free cheese, whole-grain cereal or bread, and fresh fruit.
For the rest of the day, the diet recommends consuming frequent small portions of homemade chicken soup throughout the day. By eating small, frequent portions of soup, the diet claims it will help reduce cravings and encourage feelings of fullness.
The soup itself is low in calories and carbs, as it’s made with broth, cooked chicken, aromatics like garlic and onion, and plenty of non-starchy vegetables, including carrots, turnips, broccoli, and collard greens.
Keto Soup Diet
Designed for those following the ketogenic (keto), paleo, Whole30, or another low carb diet, the keto soup diet claims it can help individuals lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in just 5 days.
As with the general keto diet, the soup version is a low carb, high fat, moderate protein eating plan. The program provides 1,200-1,400 calories per day, limits carbs to 20 grams per day, and restricts nuts, dairy, and artificial sweeteners.
The plan recommends eating the same breakfast each day, which consists of eggs, butter, bacon, avocado, and unsweetened bulletproof coffee. One low carb, high fat snack is also allowed, such as celery with keto-friendly tuna salad. The rest of the day, you eat four cups of the keto soup, split between lunch and dinner.
The soup recipe includes ingredients like chicken, bacon, olive oil, chicken stalk, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and other low carb vegetables and herbs.
Sacred Heart Soup Diet
Similar to the cabbage soup diet, the Sacred Heart soup diet is a 7-day eating plan that consists almost entirely of a broth-based soup with non-starchy vegetables. While other low calorie foods are allowed, the diet is very specific as to which foods can be included each day.
When followed closely, the Sacred Heart soup diet claims to help you lose 10-17 pounds (4.5-8 kg) in 1 week.
Potential Benefits of Soup Diets
In addition to helping you lose weight quickly, soup diets may offer additional benefits, including:
- Increased vegetable intake. Vegetables provide essential vitamins and beneficial plant-compounds. Plus, increased intake has been linked to a reduced risk of weight gain and obesity.
- Increased fiber intake. As they’re often high in vegetables, and sometimes contain beans, whole grains, or fruits, these diets can provide a decent amount of fiber, which may help reduce appetite.
- Increased water intake. These diets can improve water intake throughout the day. In addition to supporting numerous essential functions in the body, research suggests increased water intake may aid in weight loss efforts.
- Easy to follow. As with other trendy diets, soup diets generally have strict guidelines that make them easy to follow.
- Encourage plant-based eating. Some, like the bean soup diet, can help you transition into a more plant-based eating pattern. Eating a plant-based diet has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity and supporting weight loss.
However, keep in mind that just 1 or 2 weeks of increased vegetable, fiber, and water intake is unlikely to have any meaningful benefits for long-term weight and health, unless following the diet helps you make lasting lifestyle changes.
Downsides of Soup Diets
With the exception of Greger’s bean soup diet, one of the biggest downsides to soup diets is that most of them aren’t meant to be followed for more than 5-10 days.
Therefore, unless you have a more sustainable diet to transition to, you’ll likely regain any weight you lose on the diet.
Furthermore, studies suggest that when you greatly restrict calorie intake or lose a sustainable amount of weight quickly, there’s a reduction in your metabolic rate. This means that your body begins to burn fewer calories per day than it did before. As a result, after going off the diet, your lowered metabolism may make it harder to maintain your weight loss.
Additionally, as soup diets like the cabbage soup diet and Sacred Heart diet are quite restrictive in the types and amounts of foods allowed, there’s a concern for nutrient deficiencies. While eating a restricted diet for just 5 to 10 days is unlikely to result in serious nutrient deficiencies, especially if taking a multivitamin, significantly reducing calorie intake can lead to side effects, such as dizziness, weakness, or fatigue.
Effectiveness of Soup Diets for Weight Loss
Observational studies have found individuals who regularly consume soup tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and are less likely to have obesity, compared with those who don’t eat soup at all.
The reason why soup is linked to lower body weight is unknown. Some studies suggest that soup may help increase feelings of fullness. Thus, regularly eating soup may help reduce the number of calories you eat per day. It’s also important to consider other factors that could explain this relationship, such as cultural or genetic differences between individuals who regularly eat soup and those who don’t.
Overall, more rigorous and long-term studies are needed to confirm the potential weight loss benefits of eating soup. One other thing to note is that soup consumption hasn’t been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase your risk for developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
As for specific soup diets, there’s currently no scientific evidence on their effectiveness for weight loss. Yet, as most soup diets result in a significant reduction in calories, following them will likely help you lose weight. And the fewer calories you eat on a soup diet, generally the more weight you’ll lose.
Just keep in mind that as with other low calorie diets, most of the weight lost over the 5-10 days is likely due to water rather than fat loss. Furthermore, as the diets are generally for only a week or less, you’ll likely regain the weight you lost unless you’re able to transition into a more sustainable weight loss eating plan. As the bean soup diet recommends transitioning into a plant-based eating pattern, it may have better long-term success than the others.
Conclusion
Soup diets have become popular for their ability to help you shed a significant amount of weight in just 5 to 10 days. However, most of the weight lost on these diets is largely due to a loss of water rather than fat. Furthermore, as these diets are only designed to be followed for a short period, you’ll likely regain any weight you were able to lose.
Instead, as eating soup may help curb your appetite and reduce calorie intake over the day, you’re likely better off simply incorporating soups into a balanced, less restrictive weight loss eating plan for long-term success.
Regularly consuming soup has been linked to a lower body weight. However, there’s insufficient research on the benefits of soup diets for weight loss. Still, due to the low calorie nature of these eating plans, you’ll likely lose some weight in the short term.
As most soup diets are only designed to last for 5 to 10 days, they aren’t sustainable weight loss solutions. Furthermore, the severe and rapid reduction in calories and weight can slow your metabolism, making it even harder to maintain your weight loss.