How soup can help with weight loss: Benefits and strategies

Is there anything more wonderful than food? It gives fuel to our bodies, flavour for our tastebuds, and makes us feel good.

Food is also a key part of any weight loss journey. From sushi to steak, salmon, chicken and more — we've turned a scientific eye toward many healthy foods. Now, it's time to seek answers for soup.

Whether you love a comforting bowl of broth, creamy pureed veggies, or a chunky vegetarian soup — we’re dishing the details on how eating soup regularly can support your weight loss journey.

Is soup good for weight loss?

We have some good news. Repeated research has found that soup can help with weight loss; for a variety of different reasons [1].

First, there’s the fact that eating soup helps to reduce your appetite. Researchers aren't sure why yet, but it’s believed to be related to soup helping slow down your stomach emptying [2]. 

Then, there’s the fact that soup is both a filling and a low-calorie food. Most soups have a low calorie density, which basically means that they contain fewer calories in a large amount of food than other foods do in a small amount.

A simple example might be comparing a bowl of soup to a small chocolate bar — they might have similar total calories, but the bowl of soup offers a bigger serve.

Low-calorie foods like this contribute to an overall low-energy diet [1]. This is a similar idea to volume eating, which is where you enjoy a large amount of low-calorie foods to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Finally, there are studies dating back to the 1980s that tell us that having soup often can help maintain a healthy weight [2].

Studies in the US, Europe and Asia have all found similar results — which is that people who eat soup tended to have lower body weight and a smaller waist circumference than non-soup eaters.

While these large population studies are good for making connections, they don’t prove soup was the main factor in the results.

Luckily, we also have evidence from other research looking specifically at soup and weight loss.

For example, a study involving a 10-week diet program found people who consume soup more than 4 times per week lost 20% of their body weight. In comparison, the people who had soup less than 4 times lost 14% of their body weight [2].

Putting all of this together, we can safely say that soup is good for weight loss.

To get the most benefit from soups, you need to focus on enjoying them as part of a varied diet and making healthy soup recipes for weight loss — which we’ll spill secrets on later. 

Is soup good for losing belly fat?

There is some evidence that soup could be helpful in reducing belly fat. But, it’s also important for us to see the bigger picture when we think about sustainable weight loss. Let’s start with the evidence.

In the large population studies we mentioned earlier, many of the results found people who eat soup had a lower waist circumference than non-soup eaters [2].

This suggests that soup can help trim your mid-section; including the waist, belly, and hips.

A separate study looked at people who had recently completed a weight loss diet and were now aiming to maintain their current weight [1].

This study involved 2 groups; one that received a normal diet for their weight class and one that received a low-energy diet. The low-energy diet included foods with high water content, such as soups, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

After 7 months in the program, the results were fairly small. The group on a normal diet gained 1% of their body weight, while the group on a low-energy diet lost 1% of their body weight.

What’s more interesting is that the low-energy diet group also had a reduction in their waist circumference and lower cholesterol levels.

Again, this suggests that a diet including soup could help you lose weight around your waist and stomach.

Does this mean soup can be used as a targeted weight loss strategy? No, but that’s why we wanted to share a bit more about how sustainable weight loss works.

A holistic approach to losing weight

We know that a lot of people feel sensitive about carrying weight in certain areas — whether that’s the hips, arms, stomach, or inner thighs.

While we completely understand the desire to target weight loss in certain areas, we have to tell you — it doesn’t work that way.

In general, losing weight is a whole-body experience. Making changes to your diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle can contribute to fat loss in all areas — including those that you want to see change the most.

While some of us have enough motivation to embark on this journey alone, others do better with ongoing support, which is where a holistic weight loss program comes in. 

Juniper’s Weight Reset Program is a medical pathway for long-term weight loss, designed by Australian health practitioners and dietitians. It combines medically-backed treatments with health coaching and progress tracking — giving you all the tools to make lasting change.

What is the soup diet?

We have to admit that the evidence for soup and weight loss looks good. But, there’s a big difference between enjoying soup as part of a balanced diet and going on a risky crash diet.

The soup diet, or ‘souping’, has been an on-and-off fad for many years. Similar to a juice cleanse, it’s been touted as a way to lose weight and give your body a detox. 

Also as a juice cleanse, it’s not a weight loss plan that health professionals recommend.

A typical soup diet involves eating only vegetable soup for all meals and snacks for 5-7 days [4][5].

There is no research to suggest a crash diet like this works for long-term weight loss and they can even be dangerous to your health.

There’s also no need to be so drastic. Much healthier diets that include soup alongside other meals work better.

For example, a study published in the US found that eating soup before a regular meal could help reduce your calorie intake by up to 20% [4].

Pros and cons of the soup diet

If there's one thing we like to avoid at Juniper, it's crazy diet culture. But, while fad soup diets may come with a range of cons, eating soup regularly actually has some pros. Here's what you should know.

The risks of a soup-only diet

The biggest problem with a soup-only diet is that you are likely to miss out on essential nutrients [5]. By focusing solely on low-calorie vegetable soups, the soup diet can easily skimp on protein, fibre, and fat [7].

Not only does this leave you feeling hungry most of the day, but it also has implications for your health as these nutrients are key for a healthy body and mind.

The benefits of enjoying plenty of soup

We want to be clear here that the pros we are discussing are for a balanced diet that includes soup, alongside other meals. It’s totally different to the crash diets that are sometimes on-trend.

There are actually quite a few health benefits for people who eat soup often, such as [3][5]:

• The high water content of soup can help you stay hydrated
• Soup is an easy way to pack in 5 serves of veggies per day
• Regular soup eaters are known to have a higher intake of important vitamins such as vitamins A, C, E, and K
• They are also more likely to have good levels of magnesium, iron, potassium, and other important minerals

If you're feeling motivated to whip up a big bowl of soup for lunch or dinner, it's a good idea to focus on a homemade recipe packed with nutrition.

Tips for making weight loss-friendly soup

We promised to spill the secrets of the best soup recipes for weight loss, so here it is. These 5 tips can help with a low-calorie soup that's easy to cook and good for you, while supporting your weight loss journey.

Pack in the protein

A healthy diet includes protein across 2-3 meals each day [10]. Luckily, there are lots of ways to get a dose of protein into any soup recipe. For example, adding ingredients such as [7][10]:

• Tofu
• Cooked chicken breast
• A poached or hardboiled egg
• Legumes, like cannellini beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas
• Adding skim milk powder to create a creamier soup

If time is of the essence, a store-bought BBQ chicken is a great option for lean protein. Simply remove the skin, shred the meat, and add to your soup while cooking [8].

Don’t forget about sides too — a serve of whole grain toast with a bowl of hearty soup can add another complementary source of protein to your meal [10].

Boost fibre and other nutrients

Another essential nutrient is fibre — helping manage your digestion, curb your appetite, and keep blood sugars in line [3].

Vegetable soup recipes with legumes (think black beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas) are both full of fibre and a good way to include iron in your diet [8].

Veggies like broccoli, green beans, kale, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts also add to the fibre content of the soup.

For soups that include grains — like pasta, noodles, and rice — it’s a good idea to find whole-grain options. These might include brown rice, barley, or whole-wheat pasta and noodles [6].

Focus on broth-based soups

While we did say that most soups are low-calorie foods, we have to add a few exceptions. Some creamy soups such as a bisque or cream of mushroom are high in calories thanks to their focus on full-fat dairy.

For weight loss, you’ll be better off sticking to broth soups — such as minestrone and most pureed vegetable soups.

If you are craving a creamy dish, you could swap the full-cream dairy for low-fat varieties and save up to 100 calories per serve [7].

Be careful with salt

Pre-packaged soups might seem like the easiest option, but the high salt levels make them less healthy than homemade. According to nutrition guidelines, you should be aiming for less than 5g of salt per day (or 1 teaspoon) [8].

In the ready-made soup aisle, that means searching for soups with 140mg or less of sodium per serve [6].

When making your own soups at home, consider replacing salt with fresh herbs and spices for a kick of flavour. Options include [6]:

• Basil
• Black pepper
• Coriander
• Curry powder
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Ginger
• Onion 

Smart swaps for healthy fats

Last but not least, keep an eye on the fat content of your soup. While butter and cream may taste delicious, they’re far from the healthiest recipe bases.

Luckily, there are lots of healthy fats which make easy swaps for almost any recipe. A few ideas include [8][9]: 

• Olive oil: Swap out the butter for extra virgin olive oil. To help keep portions in line, you can measure with a teaspoon rather than free pour.
• Skim milk: Use skim milk powder or evaporated milk in place of heavy cream. If you need to thicken it up, blend in some cornflour.
• Almond meal: Another great soup thickener is almond meal — adding a dose of protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E.
• Greek yoghurt: Skip the sour cream and opt for low-fat Greek yoghurt instead, which brings a healthier creamy taste and texture to your soup.

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