Quick weight-loss solutions that make extraordinary promises should be avoided, according to the American Heart Association, because they can damage your health and they are not sustainable. While soup cooked in a healthy manner can play an integral part of any successful weight loss diet, it should not be the only thing you eat.
Effects
A healthy soup can effectively help to curb your appetite when eaten as an appetizer before a large meal. According to Helpguide, it's the number of calories that you consume and not the source of the calories that puts weight on. Instead of consuming the entire entrée that may be loaded with fat and calories, start out with a bowl of broth-based soup to curb your appetite. You can better regulate your intake and be in a better position to take home half your dinner from a restaurant. Or save half of your dinner for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Making homemade soup provides a plethora of opportunities for creating heart-healthy, low-calorie meals, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Spices and herbs such as thyme, oregano and bay leaves can replace salt while enhancing the flavor of the soup. Ingredients such as dry or canned beans, fresh or frozen vegetables and lean cuts of meat can provide low-fat, healthy ingredients in a homemade soup.
Considerations
In addition to fat and calories, the sodium content of soup should be monitored to prevent high blood pressure. According to WomensHealth.gov, sodium levels in various soup brands can vary widely. Make a habit of checking food labels for the sodium content in canned soups. For example, one can of tomato soup may have 700 mg of sodium in one serving, while another brand can have as many as 1,100 mg in the same portion.
Types
In addition to salt, oil and creams can turn a healthy soup into a calorie nightmare. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, consider using flour and skim milk to make creamy bases for soups. Fish can replace fatty meats to give the soup its protein content without the added fat. Additionally, fish and seafood such as cod, haddock, salmon and shrimp provide essential omega-3 fatty acids, important to a healthy diet.
Warning
The American Heart Association reports that diets such as the Cabbage Soup Diet make unrealistic and unsubstantiated claims that violate basic nutritional guidelines - that a healthy diet should consist of a balance of a variety of foods. Additionally, there are no super foods, such as cabbage, that can burn fat. Fat is burned by consuming fewer calories than you burn. Nutritional deficiencies could develop if you subsist on a strict diet of soup.
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