Soup and weight loss

This winter, avoid the traditional hibernating weight gain by eating a healthy hearty soup instead of a large frozen pizza. It’s easy and inexpensive; just use your leftovers and vegetables in your fridge! Here are a few simple steps to make a well-balanced and tasty soup!

Step 1: Sauté your vegetables

• Sauté onions and garlic in large pot with a little canola oil on medium heat.
• Add cut up firm vegetables like celery, carrot, or beets.
• Add softer veggies.
• Add leaf veggies like kale or spinach at the end.

Step 2: Add broth

Take the lowest salt option for chicken/beef/vegetable liquid broth or cubes. Add extra water to cover veggies.

Step 3: Get creative: add your spices and herbs     

• Italian herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary with most vegetables, especially tomato.
• More exotic spices such as cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and curry with a butternut squash or root veggies.
• Coriander, chili, or left over salsa sauce for some Mexican flavour.
• Saffron and white wine for a tasty fish soup.
• Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to enhances legumes.

Step 4: Add carbs

Carbohydrates are necessary part of a meal because they are your primary source of energy. Since they absorb a lot of water, double or triple the recommended water. If you don’t add enough water, your soup might turn into a stew!

• Whole wheat pasta;
• Barley;
• Brown/wild rice;
• Quinoa;
• Sweet potato;
• Potato

Step 5: Add protein

• Left over beef, chicken, lamb, pork, sausage, turkey;
• Pre-cooked legumes: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, split peas;
• Fish: tilapia, cod;
• Seafood: scallop, shrimp;
• Tofu: soft or hard.

Let it simmer, and enjoy the aroma and a healthy bowl of soup! Top it off with cheese, croutons or yogurt.

Get inspired and check out soup ideas from my colleagues:
– Carrot cilantro potage
– Minestrone soup
– Onion, lentils and candied garlic soup
– Tofu, curry, and coconut Thai soup

Do you have a secret soup recipe?

 By: Alyssa Fontaine

Soup and weight loss is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
Copyright © Nautilus Plus 2015