What sounds more cozy and satisfying on a cold day, or when the sun goes down and finally cools down at night, than a comforting bowl of savory soup? In addition to the warmth and comfort that soup can offer, it is also a “secret weapon” for better health AND weight loss!

A study was conducted in a laboratory in which twenty-four slim women ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner under supervision in the laboratory one day a week for a total of four weeks. On three of the four days, these women ate one of three different types of “snacks” seventeen minutes before sitting down to lunch. A type of “snack” before lunch was a measured portion of chicken and rice stew. The second type was the same amount of chicken and rice casserole served with a glass of water. The third type was a bowl of chicken and rice soup, containing exactly the same measured amounts of both the casserole and the water that had previously been served separately.

The average number of calories these women consumed at lunch after the pre-lunch soup snack was significantly lower than on the other days when only the casserole or the casserole plus a glass of water was eaten before the meal. Furthermore, these women did not compensate for the lower calorie intake at lunch with a larger dinner later that day.

The result of this study suggests that eating soup can help a person feel full and satisfied while eating fewer calories. This is just one of the reasons soup is considered an essential component of the Turtle Diet’s “Seven Journals for Success.” Regularly enjoying broth-based soups packed with colorful vegetables and heart-healthy legumes is an easy way to increase your intake of fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, and low-fat protein, all in one satisfying bowl. Also, eating a hot liquid concoction, one tablespoon at a time, forces a person to slow down the act of eating. This allows your stomach to get the “I’m full” message sooner, so you’re less likely to overeat.

You’ll find several great recipes for delicious, nutrient-dense soups in my book, The Turtle Diet. The following is just one of many “How low can you go?” recipes you’ll find in Appendix C. All of these recipes are meant to be not only nutritious, but also quick and easy enough that anyone can make them regularly in their own kitchen. Making this minestrone soup recipe, for example, requires just a few minutes of gathering the ingredients, cleaning and chopping the vegetables, opening a few cans, and tossing everything into a pot.

Once the soup has simmered for about an hour, you will have a week’s worth of individual servings to place in serving-size containers and place in the refrigerator or freezer. Throughout the week, it will be a breeze to toss one of these containers into a lunch bag, to take with you when you leave the house. The frozen container will help keep the contents of your lunch bag cold until you are ready to pop it in the microwave to heat and eat.

So for your health and for your weight loss… EAT LOTS OF SOUP!

THE TURTLE DIET RECIPE FOR MINESTRONE SOUP

Place all of the following ingredients in a large pot:

1 can fat-free chicken broth plus 32 ounces water (you can eliminate the broth and use three chicken, vegetable, or beef bullion cubes instead, if desired)

2 cans of stewed tomatoes, including liquid

1 can Great Northern Beans, Chickpeas, or Cannellini Beans, including liquids 1 can Kidney Beans, including liquids

2 cans of green beans, cut, including liquid

1 can (12 ounces) vegetable juice (such as V-8)

2 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, cut into small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 whole bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, quartered and placed in broth 1 teaspoon oregano

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Add salt only after the soup has been simmering for about 30 minutes, after you’ve tasted it, as liquids already added contain salt.

Simmer for 1 to 2 hours until vegetables are tender.

During the last half hour of simmering, add 1/4 cup (dry) small elbow pasta. During the last 5 minutes of simmering, add 2/3 cup green peas.

Entire recipe = approximately 1,500 calories.

Sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, if desired (adds 50 calories).