Many people looking to lose weight turn to liquid meals like soups and smoothies in hopes that they are lower in calories than solid foods. Soups and smoothies can certainly be part of a healthy weight loss diet, but they need to be prepared carefully using low-calorie ingredients.
Here are some quick answers about soups, smoothies and weight loss:
– Soup can be low in calories if you choose broth-based soups rather than creamed soups. Stick to veggie, chicken or bean soups.
– Smoothies are lower in calories than a meal, but higher in calories than a drink. Use low-calorie ingredients like spinach, berries and almond milk.
– Portion control is key for both soups and smoothies. Pay attention to serving sizes to keep calories in check.
– Adding tons of mix-ins and toppings can jack up the calories in soups and smoothies. Go easy on croutons, cheese, avocado, granola, etc.
– Homemade soups and smoothies are usually lower in calories than store-bought or restaurant versions.
– Soups and smoothies can leave you feeling hungry later on compared to solid meals. Make sure to include protein, fat and fiber.
– Replacing just one or two meals per day with soup or smoothies is a more sustainable approach for weight loss compared to an all-liquid diet.
Are soups good for weight loss?
Soup can be a healthy part of a weight loss diet if you pay attention to what goes in it. Broth-based soups using lots of veggies are typically low in calories, while cream-based soups and chowders are higher in calories.
Here are some tips for making soup work for weight loss:
Choose broth-based soups
Broth-based soups made with chicken or vegetable broth tend to be lower in calories than cream-based soups. Adding cream, whole milk, cheese and coconut milk all boosts the calorie count.
Stick to clear broths, tomato juice or vegetable purees as the base. Some good options are chicken noodle, minestrone, gazpacho, egg drop soup, vegetable beef and bean soups.
Avoid chowders like clam chowder and broccoli cheese soup, and cream soups like cream of mushroom. These soups get a large percentage of calories from cream and whole dairy products.
Load up on veggies
Packing soups with low-calorie, high-volume veggies is a great way to create a filling soup for few calories. Some good veggies to use are mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions and peppers.
Lean towards non-starchy veggies which have fewer carbs and calories than starchy veggies like corn, peas and potatoes. Go heavier on starchy veggies in small portions.
Use lean proteins
Chicken, turkey, seafood, eggs, beans and tofu are all great lean protein sources to include in soup. They will help you feel fuller compared to broth alone.
Avoid fatty meats like pork sausage, bacon and beef chuck. These meats add a lot more calories for a small serving size. Stick to leaner cuts or smaller amounts.
Limit grains, pasta and rice
While small amounts of whole grains can fit into a weight loss soup, going overboard on noodles, rice and other grains packs in extra refined carbs and calories.
Limit portions of pasta, rice and grains to 1/4-1/2 cup per serving or use veggie noodles instead of regular pasta. Avoid soups that use bread like French onion soup.
Go easy on oil and fat
Butter, oils and other fats quickly drive up the calories in soup. Use spray oils or small amounts of olive oil or avocado oil instead of pouring on the butter or cream.
Saute veggies in broth instead of oil when possible. Skim off excess fat after cooking meat. Blend in nuts, seeds or avocado for creaminess rather than heavy cream.
Watch the salt
Packaged broths and soup starters can be sky-high in sodium, which can cause water retention. Make your own broth, use reduced-sodium products or add salt sparingly.
Pay attention to portion sizes
Measure out proper serving sizes of soup rather than just ladling it into an oversized bowl. 1 cup is a reasonable portion size, but check labels since servings vary.
Resist the urge to eat multiple helpings of soup in one sitting or to nibble directly from a large pot on the stove. This can lead to overeating.
Are smoothies good for weight loss?
Smoothies can help with weight loss if you choose low-calorie ingredients and watch your portions. But they typically pack more calories than you might expect for a drink.
Here’s how to make smoothies work for weight loss:
Use low-calorie liquids
The base ingredients really determine the calorie content of your smoothie. Some good slimming options are:
– Unsweetened almond milk – 40 calories per cup
– Unsweetened soy milk – 80 calories per cup
– Skim or low-fat milk – 90 calories per cup
– Coconut water – 45 calories per cup
– Green tea – 2 calories per cup
– Water – 0 calories
Stay away from using fruit juice, whole milk, sweetened yogurt and frozen yogurt, which all contain more sugar and calories than the options above.
Load up on fruits and veggies
Fruits and veggies provide fiber, vitamins and antioxidants with minimal calories, making them ideal smoothie additions for weight loss.
Some good choices are spinach, kale, swiss chard, berries, banana, pineapple, mango, peach, apple, carrot and beets.
Limit high-sugar fruits like grapes, cherries, dates and figs, which have more concentrated calories and carbohydrates.
Include lean protein
Adding a scoop of protein powder, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu or a raw egg can provide the protein your body needs to help you feel satisfied.
These add nutrition and creaminess with minimal additional calories. Protein takes longer to digest, helping regulate appetite and blood sugar after drinking your smoothie.
Avoid calorie-laden mix-ins
Ingredients like nut butters, chia seeds, flaxseeds, coconut flakes, cocoa powder and granola can quickly send your smoothie calories soaring. Use judiciously in small amounts.
Stay away from ice cream, sherbet, frozen yogurt or cream as mix-ins. These add tons of sugar and fat that outweigh the benefits of the fruits and veggies.
Watch your portions
Smoothies can pack up to 600 calories or more per serving depending on what you put in them. A tall 24-ounce smoothie can contain the equivalent calories of two or three meals.
Measure your ingredients and stick to a 12-16 ounce portion to keep calories in check. Avoid mindless sipping over long periods of time once you’ve hit your limit.
Satisfy hunger
Due to their liquid form, smoothies don’t always satisfy hunger as well as solid food. Include healthy fats from nut butters or avocado and protein to help.
Drinking smoothies alongside a snack or small meal can help fill you up. Smoothies work best replacing one meal, not two or three meals.
Should you replace all meals with soup and smoothies for weight loss?
You may be tempted to swap all your meals for soups, shakes and smoothies to accelerate weight loss. However, this extreme approach is hard to maintain long-term.
Here’s why you should take a more moderate approach:
Nutritional deficiencies
Sticking to only liquids could mean missing out on important nutrients only found in solid foods like protein, fiber, iron, zinc and vitamins B12 and D. This can lead to fatigue, weakness and other issues.
Lack of chewing
Not chewing solid food can interfere with the digestive process. Chewing signals the body to start releasing key digestive enzymes and prepares the stomach for food.
Blood sugar crashes
All-liquid diets with no solid foods provide a rapid spike in blood sugar, followed by a steep crash. This rollercoaster can leave you feeling shaky, moody and fatigued.
Loss of muscle mass
Cutting out protein-rich solid foods means you’ll get very little protein to maintain muscle mass. Losing muscle slows metabolism making weight loss harder.
Boredom
Drinking the same shakes, smoothies and broths every day gets very monotonous. Food variety and chewing provide sensory enjoyment and satisfaction.
Social isolation
Not being able to join friends and family for regular meals can lead to feelings of deprivation and isolation that are hard to sustain for long.
Nutrient absorption
Liquid meals don’t retain their nutrients as well. Blending fruits and veggies reduces their ability to provide full benefits. Fibrous cellular structures are broken down.
Sustainability
An all-liquid diet is difficult to maintain in the long run. Once you start eating solid foods again the weight usually comes back.
The takeaway
For long-term weight loss success, take a balanced approach. Substitute one or two meals per day with soups or smoothies, not all three meals. Make sure the rest of your diet provides sufficient protein, fiber and nutrients. This creates a deficit without deprivation.
Choosing the right soups and smoothies for weight loss
Focusing on nutritious ingredients is key to keeping soups and smoothies in line with your weight loss goals. Here are some smart choices to build meals around:
Best soups for weight loss
| Soup | Calories per serving |
|---|---|
| Chicken noodle soup | 175 |
| Lentil soup | 150 |
| Minestrone soup | 185 |
| Black bean soup | 175 |
| Egg drop soup | 60 |
| Chicken tortilla soup | 210 |
| Vegetable soup | 110 |
| Tomato basil soup | 175 |
Focus on broth-based soups using lots of veggies and lean proteins like chicken, beans, or tofu. Limit grains and starches.
Best smoothies for weight loss
| Smoothie | Calories |
|---|---|
| Chocolate peanut butter | 250 |
| Green protein power | 210 |
| Berries and greens | 150 |
| Tropical carrot | 220 |
| Almond joy | 225 |
| Vanilla almond | 160 |
Choose low-calorie bases like almond milk. Load up on leafy greens, fruits and veggies. Add just a touch of healthy fat like peanut butter or avocado. Include protein from Greek yogurt.
Tips for using soups and smoothies for weight loss
Here are some additional tips to make soups and smoothies as effective as possible for dropping pounds:
– Drink them slowly to prevent overconsumption of calories. Don’t gulp them down.
– Add some healthy fat like olive oil, avocado or nut butters to soup or smoothies to slow digestion and fill you up.
– Spice up soup with metabolism-boosting ingredients like ginger, turmeric, cayenne and cinnamon.
– Make sure smoothies have some fiber from leafy greens, berries or chia seeds to prevent blood sugar spikes.
– Try adding vinegar or lemon juice to soup for an appetite-suppressing acidity.
– Use portion-controlled mugs or cups for smoothies rather than letting them overflow big glasses.
– Avoid adding empty calorie toppings like croutons, crackers, nuts or whipped cream to soup.
– Soups freeze well, so make big batches and freeze individual portions for grab-and-go convenience.
– Use psyllium husk or ground flax in smoothies to get extra belly-filling fiber.
– To avoid bloating from veggies, puree smoothies instead of leaving ingredients chunky.
– Don’t go overboard on fruits in smoothies. 1 cup of fruit per day is plenty. Fill the rest with greens.
Sample meal plan with soups and smoothies
Here is an example 1,200 calorie meal plan using nutritious soups and smoothies for weight loss:
Breakfast:
1 cup green smoothie – Berries, greens, nut milk
Lunch:
1 serving minestrone soup
1 slice 100% whole grain bread
Dinner:
3 oz grilled salmon
1 cup roasted broccoli
Snack:
1 serving chickpea salad
This meal plan provides a good balance of soups and smoothies along with fibrous veggies, lean proteins and smart snacks to support weight loss without deprivation.
The bottom line
When made with nutritious ingredients and proper portions, soups and smoothies can be a healthy part of a balanced diet for weight loss. They provide an option to cut calories without sacrificing nutrition. For best results, don’t completely replace meals long-term. Use soups and smoothies in moderation alongside fiber-rich whole foods. This provides a varied, sustainable approach to dropping pounds.
