Cook With Me: Soup Diet & Recipe

The soup diet was initially used in hospitals for patients that need to lose weight quickly before an operation. I have not used this diet myself but my dad uses it when he wants to lose weight for a holiday or to kick start his weight loss before improving his diet and increasing exercise. 

Disclaimer - I am not a nutritionist. I am aware this diet is high in fibre and low-fat therefore it is not for long term weight loss. It is however ideal for short term, quick weight loss. The soup can also be enjoyed as a part of a normal diet - I eat the soup for lunch or a small bowl as a quick snack.

There are many variations of this soup and you can add any additional vegetables or remove any ingredients that you like. This is just the recipe that my family follow if we are making this soup. The diet below is a 7 day plan and what you are allowed to eat each day. The only drink you are allowed is water (unless stated otherwise). I would however recommend adding some complex carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, bread) if you are exercising during the week to give yourself some energy. 

Ingredients

·  Tinned chopped tomatoes (with garlic - optional) x2

·  Celery

·  Spring onion

·  Chopped carrots

·  Beef steak tomato x2

·  Red pepper

·  Green pepper

·  Yellow pepper

·  Green beans/sugar snap peas

·  Knorrs packet vegetable soup

·  Knorrs beef stock cubes/stock pots x2

· Knorrs chicken stock cubes/stock pots x2 (Substitute chicken and been stock for vegetable stock if you prefer or if you are vegetarian)

Method

 TO START get all of your ingredients and equipment ready. The equipment you will need: a sharp knife and chopping board, a jug, a large saucepan with a lid and a fork.

I forgot to add the tinned tomatoes to the picture... Doh!

 VEGETABLES chop all of the veggies and add them to the saucepan. If you want chunky soup, chop the vegetables into large chunks (this is how I make the soup. I find the chunkier the soup, the more filling it is). If you prefer to have smooth soup, blend the vegetables together in a blender.

 SOUP boil the kettle and add the dry Knorrs packeted vegetable soup into a jug. Pour over roughly 550ml of boiling water and mix well. Add the Knorrs stock pots to the mixture and stir until fully melted. Pour this into the saucepan with the vegetables.

 BASE & COOK add the two tins of tomatoes to the soup and mix well. Cook on a low heat with a lid. Mix and check the soup regularly to ensure the bottom does not burn and it is cooked evenly. Don't worry if the vegetables are not covered in liquid - the vegetables will release water when they are cooked and the soup with become runnier. Cook until the veggies are not raw (personally I like to have a bit of crunch but if you want your soup softer, cook until the carrots are completely soft).

ENJOY to serve, use a ladle to dish the soup into bowls. Enjoy with croutons or bread (NOT if you are following the diet though, sorry!)

The 7 Day Diet Plan

DAY 1 

Soup & Fruit (besides bananas). You can eat as much soup and fruit as you like. You can drink cranberry juice, unsweetened tea and water on this day.

DAY 2 

Soup & Vegetables only. Whether they are raw, cooked or steamed you can eat as many vegetables as you like. You can also treat yourself to one baked potato.

DAY 3 

Soup, Fruit & Vegetables (no baked potatoes). This is a combination of the first 2 days so enjoy those veggies and fruit snacks.

DAY 4 

Soup, Bananas & Skimmed Milk - Drink as much skimmed milk as you like and you can also eat up to 8 bananas and as much soup as you need. This day should lessen your cravings for sugar.

DAY 5 

Soup, Beef & Tomatoes - You can have between 10 and 20 ounces of beef and up to 6 tomatoes.

DAY 6 

Soup, Beef 7 Vegetables - you can eat as much soup, beef and vegetables (besides potato) this day. Preferably 2-3 steaks and green leafy vegetables like cabbage.

DAY 7 

Soup Brown Rice & Vegetables - again you can eat as much of these as you like. Make sure you eat soup at least once this day.

DAY 8+ 

It is not recommended for long term weight loss. It can be incorporated into a healthy diet and used to kick start your weight loss journey.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you to lose weight if that is what you're looking for or just make some DELICIOUS soup. Remember in order to lose weight safely only follow this diet plan for a short amount of time the incorporate soup into a healthy diet as you progress.

Bye for now x