Soup diet: how to do it (with 3-day menu)

The soup diet consists of consuming foods rich in fiber and low in calories, in addition to only including vegetable soup and low-fat proteins at lunch and dinner, promoting weight loss.

This diet was created for patients at Hospital do Coração, in São Paulo, who needed to lose weight before undergoing heart surgery, avoiding the risk of complications after these procedures. Because it promises to eliminate around 4kg per week, this diet became known as the Hospital do Coração soup diet.

However, this diet is very restricted in nutrients important for health and should not be followed for more than 7 days. Therefore, when deciding to go on a weight loss diet, it is advisable to always consult a nutritionist who will assess your general health status and plan a diet according to individual nutritional needs.

How to make

To follow the soup diet, you should only have one bowl of soup for lunch and dinner, which should be prepared with vegetables and low-fat proteins, such as chicken, fish or lean cuts of red meat.

For breakfast and snacks, you should only consume 1 fruit or 1 glass of unsweetened natural juice. In addition, you can also eat eggs and drink tea for snacks.

However, this diet is very restricted in calories and nutrients important for health, which can cause dizziness, loss of muscle mass and weakening of the immune system. Therefore, the soup diet should be followed for a maximum of 7 days and under the guidance of a nutritionist.

Allowed foods

The foods allowed on the soup diet are:

• Fruits in moderation, such as apple, pear, melon, tangerine, orange and kiwi;
• Vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots, watercress, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and zucchini;
• lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, eggs and lean cuts of red meat;
• Low-fat dairy products, such as white cheeses, skimmed milk and skimmed yogurt;
• Tubers in moderation, such as potatoes, cassava, yams and baroa potatoes;
• liquids, such as water, teas and unsweetened coffee.

In addition, you can also consume natural herbs and condiments such as rosemary, cinnamon, green scent, black pepper and coriander.

See with nutritionist Tatiana Zanin how to prepare a soup to lose weight:

Foods that should be avoided

Foods that should be avoided on the soup diet are:

• Legumes, such as beans, lentils, chickpeas and black-eyed peas;
• Proteins with a lot of fat, such as bacon, sausage, picanha and ribs;
• Cereals, such as rice, pasta, oatmeal and bread;
• Foods rich in sugar, such as ice cream, cake, soda, pudding, jelly, cookies and chocolate;
• Foods rich in fat, such as fries, pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs;
• Alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine and sparkling wine.

Furthermore, it is not recommended to practice high-intensity physical exercise during this diet, and only light activities such as walking, stretching and yoga are recommended.

Soup diet menu

The following table shows an example of a 3-day soup diet menu:

This menu is just an example, where the types and quantities of food vary depending on age, general health and individual preferences. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a nutritionist, who will carry out a general assessment and plan a diet according to individual needs.

Vegetable Soup Recipe

This is an example of a vegetable soup that can be used during the diet.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 zucchini;
• 2 carrots;
• 1 cup of chopped green beans;
• 1 chopped tomato;
• 500 g diced chicken breast
• 1 chopped onion;
• 1 pack of green scent;
• 1 bunch of celery or celery;
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic;
• Salt and black pepper to taste;
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Preparation mode:

Season the chicken with salt, garlic and pepper. Wash the vegetables well and cut into cubes. Saute the onion in olive oil and add the chicken, letting it brown for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the pan and cover everything with water. Add seasonings to taste and cook over low heat until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are cooked. See other soup recipes to lose weight.

Care and who cannot do it

Due to the low amount of calories, this diet can cause dizziness, tiredness and discomfort in some people.

The soup diet should not be followed by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Furthermore, people with binge eating, anorexia or bulimia, as well as the elderly, children and adolescents should also not follow this diet.