Soup: Your Waistline’s Best Fall Friend
Halloween. It’s the kiss of death, and we all know what follows: The Fall Feeding Frenzy. Maybe you’re not tricking or treating, but it’s likely that Halloween sweets will somehow make their way to your mouth like you owe them money. And then of course, Thanksgiving looms in your not-so-skinny future. It’s up a dress size from there—holiday parties, Christmas cookies, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and the enemy of all hips: Egg Nog. By early December you’re likely planning your New Year’s resolution diet once again, but come on, has that really ever worked?
Weight management is a complicated discussion that can’t be fully explored in a 400-word article. But simply, there’s no magic pill. Binging during the holidays and then globbing up your arteries on the South Beach low-carb or gimmick diet is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. You’ll pay later, and it won’t be pretty. Eating whole foods or unprocessed, organic foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, enough water and having a positive attitude really is the only way to stay healthy and maintain weight. While we can’t expect to avoid holiday eating altogether—it is fun after all—there is a little secret to manage over-stuffing that is healthy and nutritious. Are you ready? It’s soup. Yep, I’m serious. I’m not talking about the cabbage soup diet or any fad diet. I mean opting for soup in all reasonable situations, especially at home.
Soup is mostly water. It makes you feel more full and less likely to overeat if a meal starts with soup. Unless you’re gorging on creamy bisques, you’ll be getting a low calorie meal that makes you feel fuller than if you ate something else.
Try adding soup to every meal, especially at the beginning. It will fill you up pretty fast. At home, make a huge batch for the week. Use simple stuff: seasonal veggies, greens, broth, spice, and a bit of salt to pull out the flavors. Try it pureed (after it’s cooked); sipping on a thick puree soup will make you feel fuller and it taste amazing. Purees also exposes all the nutrients, kind of like a liquid vitamin. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how full and satisfying a pureed celerycauliflower or tomato zucchini soup is. Hungry later? Eat more soup. Soup is warming and seasonal, and it will help you eat less of the stuff that’s bound to make you regret it.
Try a few of our favorite soup recipes Organic Broccolini & Spinach Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Sage, Wild Creek Cress Soup.
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Photo: TheBittenWord.com
