Yet again, a new year has started and you must have taken your resolutions. One of the common New Year resolutions that we get to hear is #losingweight. One in 100 people does carry on their weight loss resolution and lose a few inches. However, for many, the struggle for losing weight is too much as they crave for good food, and cannot sacrifice their taste preferences. People, who rely on their taste buds for getting healthy, it gets a little difficult and thus they cannot lose weight. For these people, soups are the best way to adopt healthy eating habits and start their process of weight loss.
Superfoods for weight loss

Winter is the best time when you can prepare these weight-loss soups as they keep you warm and healthy. These soups can help you in eating less and burning more calories, while in some cases they can even reduce the amount of fat present in your body. There are some new age superfoods like barley, quinoa, moringa, coloured bell peppers, pumpkin, basil leaves, walnuts etc., which are loaded with fibre, flavonoids and antioxidants along with other essential micronutrients. These superfoods are only tasty but provide various health benefits like reducing the risk of diabetes, cholesterol, cancer and especially gut-related disorders.

Tips to make weight loss soups at home

Whenever you want to make homemade soups, you must ensure that the vegetables are pureed. Sheryl advises, “You can add vegetable broth to increase the nutrient content of the soup. Do not strain the soup to keep the fibre intact.” Keep the salt low and add a dash of lemon to increase the flavour and palatability.
She further says, “You can add a handful of boiled barley, quinoa to increase the satiety value as well the health quotient of the soup.” Some examples of healthy soups are tomato basil soup, roasted bell pepper soup, red pumpkin soup, broccoli walnuts soup, moringa soup.

Mistakes you should avoid

“One of the common mistakes people do while making soups is the use of oil. The amount of oil used in cooking veggies increases the calorie count and thus it is suggested to cook vegetables in less oil for a short time (till they are crunchy) to get the most of your vegetables,” says Sheryl Salis, Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator. to have one leafy vegetable every day as they are found in abundance this season. They are a good source of fibre, essential nutrients such as folic acid etc.

Other tips for weight loss

Make gradual and sustainable changes to your lifestyle when embarking on your weight loss journey. “Watch your portions and mind your moderation, as it’s the key to a healthy life. Also, you should eat till half full and do not stuff yourself completely,” says Sheryl.

When asked about what else one must do for weight loss, pat comes her reply, “Zip the lip and move the hip.” You must fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with superfoods like quinoa, moringa, walnuts etc.

To help you prepare soup at home, here are 2 popular recipes that you can try and be healthy. Let us know in the comment box if you liked the recipes:

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 medium finely chopped carrot

50 gm finely chopped cabbage

1 small finely chopped green chilli

1/2 teaspoon powdered black pepper

10 finely chopped green beans

1 bunch finely chopped coriander leaves

2 teaspoon cornflour

1 pinch salt


Instructions

Step 1: Take a bowl and mix the cornflour with 1/4 cup of water and keep aside. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium flame. Pour 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.


Step 2: Add the finely chopped carrot, beans, cabbage, coriander leaves and green chillies. Cook till tender. Add the cornflour and bring to a boil. To accentuate the taste of this dish, you can top it with some grated cheese. If you want to make it a bit spicy, you can also add spices as per your taste preference. Remove and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle pepper powder and salt, serve hot. (
Tip: You can avoid corn flour while preparing the soup.)

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

1 sliced onion

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

5 cups veg stock

4 diced tomato

1 pinch ground salt

2 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoon jalapenos

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup sliced cabbage

1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Heat ghee or butter in a saucepan over moderate flame. Add sliced onions in the saucepan and sauté them over medium flame till they are golden in colour. Once done, add the garlic and jalapeno. Continue to sauté for another two minutes. Add coriander and dry mustard. Stir well.

Step 2: Now add the vegetable stock and tomatoes. Make sure that that the saucepan is uncovered and simmer the ingredients for about 10 minutes. Then add cabbage and cook for another five minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve the warm soup with garlic bread.