Many individuals aspire to be healthier. The most successful way to achieve improved health is through addressing small areas which could be improved, one at a time (instead of trying to overhaul your life, which usually ends in failure/relapse).
In an attempt to be healthier, many people address their diet as the first point for improvement (often with a simultaneous gym routine). This can be tricky when an individual is used to overeating, or the regular consumption of junk food. One great way to slowly but surely improve the nutritional value of your diet, along with a reduction in overall calories consumed, is to replace traditional meals with lightweight soup recipes.
It is important not to get confused between a healthy, balanced diet with included soup recipes, and the fad-like celebrity endorsed ‘soup diets’. The former is a reliable and proven way to lose weight and keep it off. The latter is a short term solution which often ends in regained weight due to a massively slowed metabolism.
Most people eat three main meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although this is considered as the norm, eating six small meals per days can actually aid in weight loss, due to an increased metabolism. When the body receives a constant supply of food, it decides that it doesn’t need to store as much as fat. Although eating more seems counterproductive to losing weight, this simply isn’t the case (as long as the total calorific value of the six meals is equal to the equivalent three meals). For example, instead of eating 3 large meals of 800 calories each, eat 6 small meals of 400 calories each.
Eating six meals a day sounds like it may involve a lot of cooking, but this needn’t be the case when using soup recipes in your diet. Instead of cooking six meals every day, create a large batch of soup, and then store it for later use. By creating a large pot of healthy, nutritious soup, you can create several convenient meals in one go. Once you have created your batch of soup, and let it cool, store it in Tupperware, and either keep it in the fridge for a few days, or the freezer for a few weeks.
Eating healthy doesn’t need to be a chore. With some forward planning and preparation, converting to a healthy diet can be extremely convenient, and best of all, enjoyable. When you start acquiring the body you desire, the sense of satisfaction and self-accomplishment will be overwhelming!
Spiced Citrus Bean Soup
Beans go way back in time as some of the oldest plants people raised for food. They are easy to grow, cheap, abundant and provide many health benefits. It’s a known fact that legumes lower cholesterol levels, have high amounts of folic acid, iron, potassium and other nutrients the human body needs to function well. Put beans together with oranges, which are rich in Vitamin C, calcium and beta-carotene, in one recipe and it becomes soup that’s begging to be eaten for its wonderfully healthy taste.
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
Onions – 2, sliced
Carrots – 450 g, roughly chopped
Garam masala – 1 tablespoon
Fresh root ginger – 1 finger-length, grated
Orange – 1, juice only
Vegetable stock – 1 L
Reduced-fat coconut milk – 200 ml can
Mixed beans – 410 g can, drained and rinsed
Chopped coriander – 2 tablespoons
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan.
Add the onions and carrots.
Cook for 15 minutes, until soft.
Add garam masala and ginger.
Cook for 1 more minute.
Pour in the orange juice and stock then bring to a boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes, until carrots are tender.
Add the coconut milk and stir.
Blitz the soup using a hand blender or food processor.
Add the beans and bring to a simmer.
Season with coriander.
Serve hot.
For more information about healthy soup recipes, you can visit the author’s website.