Do soup diets work?

Do soup diets work for weight loss?

Only when soup is part of eating fewer calories overall. No soup burns fat. You lose weight when you use more energy than you take in.

One year-long US trial tested this in 200 adults who were overweight or obese. All of them were on a calorie-cut diet set by dietitians. On top, some had soup, some had snacks and some had nothing extra.

That’s the twist. Two soups a day led to 50% more weight loss than snacks with the same calories. But the group with nothing extra lost the most.

So soup is a good swap for richer food, not magic. Start with the calorie cut. The NHS suggests eating around 600 calories a day less than now.

Is the cabbage soup diet safe?

It isn’t a plan dietitians back. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) lists the cabbage soup diet as a fad diet to stay away from. It’s a diet built on one type of food.

Soup-only days also run very low. Three 400g cans of vegetable soup add up to about 470 calories.

The NHS says very low calorie diets (under 800 or 1200 calories), done with a dietitian’s support, are not suitable or safe for everyone. They’re usually only advised if your weight affects other health conditions and you need to lose weight quickly.

Fast loss may be muscle and fluid, not just fat, says the BDA. Losing weight quickly can also make gallstones more likely.

Aim to lose 0.5 to 1kg a week instead. See how much weight you can lose in a month.

Why does soup help you eat less?

A bowl gives you a lot of food for few calories. In a US lab study, 60 adults of a healthy weight had vegetable soup before lunch. Counting the soup, they ate 20% fewer calories, about 134.

Chunky, blended or broth with the veg on the side made no real difference. It was one meal in a lab, not a weight loss trial. But it’s an easy habit to try.

Don’t skip meals for it. The NHS says you might end up snacking more because you feel hungry. More ideas in low calorie filling foods.

Which low calorie soups are best?

In UK food tables, these shop soups range from 124 to 232 calories per 400g. Minestrone and low calorie soups are the lightest; cream soups are the heaviest. Brands vary, so check the label.

Homemade isn’t always lighter. A typical homemade lentil soup has about 484 calories in 400g, but far less salt. It’s a full meal, not a starter.

Salt is the catch. Adults should have no more than 6g a day, so most of these cans hold about a third of it. On a label, more than 1.5g salt per 100g is high and 0.3g or less is low.

Want more protein in a light meal? See high protein, low calorie meals.

How to make a weight loss soup

Pick one soup you like and make a big pot this week. For other light meals, see healthy lunches for weight loss.

When to speak to a GP

Have a health condition, a special diet for your health, or an eating disorder now or in the past? Talk to a GP first. See a GP if:

• Your BMI is overweight or obese and you want help to lose weight, or your waist is more than half your height. A GP can refer you to a programme.
• Your BMI is overweight or obese and you have pre-diabetes (blood sugar higher than normal), diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep) or heart and blood vessel disease.
• You have a family history of obesity and your BMI is overweight or obese.
• Your BMI is overweight or obese and you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder such as binge eating.
• You eat very little, make yourself sick or take laxatives after you eat, or have very strict food rules. See a GP as soon as you can.
• You have tummy pain that lasts longer than 30 minutes. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you have sudden, severe tummy pain, or pain that spreads to your back and you’re being sick. Do the same if you have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery. Call 999 too if your skin or the whites of your eyes look yellow.

Worried about how you eat? The charity Beat has a helpline on 0808 801 0677.