Cut Calories with Soup

DIETING TIP: Start your meal with a low-cal soup and it may help you reduce calories. This is what nutrition experts at Pennsylvania State University found out in a research. After serving lunch to 60 normal-weight men and women once a week for five weeks, the researchers reported that when participants started with a soup of broth and vegetables, then waited 15 minutes before the main course, participants consumed 20% fewer calories than when they did not start with soup.

The nutritionists tried different versions of the same soup - chunky vegetables, chunky pureed vegetables and pureed vegetables- and found that they are equally filling.

"Essentially any broth-based, veggie filled soup would be good, ideally one with 100 to 150 kcal per 1-to 1.5 cup serving," says Ph.D. candidate Julie Flood, co-author of the study presented at the 2007 Experimental Biology meeting. "Steer clear of cream-based soups,as the calorie counts tend to be fairly high."

Combine the following ingredients to make 1.5 cup servings (129 cal per serving).

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup boiled potatoes
1/3 cup steamed cauliflower
1/4 cup steamed carrots
1 tsp salted butter (for flavor)
Spices (rosemary, thyme.. - to add flavor without calories)

I have tried this myself and after the soup you'll be a little full so I end up eating less rice. You'd actually feel lighter and I have better digestion too..