soup-related stories
Asian Diet for Weight Loss
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
That's Fit: Can you describe how one can transition from an "American" diet to an "Asian" diet?
Bussell: The number one question people have about following these principles is "what about breakfast?" Most of the foods that comprise the Western breakfast menu are very unhealthy. Pancakes and waffles are basically desserts. Cold cereals are very processed, even the "whole grain" cereals are still very removed from their natural form. Humans are the only animals that have different foods at different times of the day. I cannot imagine a lion saying, "I only have Gazelle after 12 p.m." What is good for us at any time is good for us at all times. In Asia, breakfast looks a lot like lunch and dinner. They'll have rice, vegetables, fish, etc. Eat when you are hungry; and eat until your stomach is halfway full with food, one-quarter filled with liquid (soups and tea) and leave one quarter empty for processing. You should never go hungry, just keep yourself fueled with good food. Some people need two meals a day, some people need five.
Unfortunately, many classic American dishes are too heavy on the meat. Chicken and vegetables would fit into this style provided there are a lot of different vegetables and not too much chicken. Rice and beans are good, but you should have some vegetables on the side. Soups are good as long as they don't have too much salt and are not cream-based. A hamburger is not a bad combination -- it just has the wrong proportions. If we put a lot more vegetable toppings, trimmed the meat to two to three ounces, and had it on thin and sprouted-grain bun, then that would adhere to the principles. Corn on the cob is great. Fruit salad is good as long as it is not served too cold. Veggie kebabs are great. Meat and veggie kebabs would also be fine as long as there was not too much meat. Serve them with rice and green tea or water and we've got ourselves an Asian Diet meal.
A More Nutritious - More Filling Soup
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
On a chilly winter day, hot soup often hits the spot. My problem with soup is that it rarely fills me up. Mind you, I'm a little lady and I still don't find a bowl of soup satisfying. I can't imagine how hungry a big guy would be without adding a large sandwich on the side.
I have a solution, though! For a long time, I've been adding other ingredients like cooked vegetables to canned soups to keep the calories low, the meals hot and my tummy full. It's really easy and quick and actually allows soup to become a meal in itself.
I've added my Easy to Make - Soup Dinner recipe to the online recipe book at Fitzness.com on page 32. I hope you'll give it a try!
Running in Sub Zero Temps and Cooking Quinoa - Why Does This Brit Do It?
That's Fit Club, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.
Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Everlast and Everlast Woman are giving gorgeous workout T-shirts to each featured member! To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!
Name: Matt Dunn
Age: 31
Occupation: Software Engineer
How often do you exercise? Five times a week.
What type of exercise do you do? Mostly running -- I'm currently training for my first and second marathons this spring.
Soup Diet Raises Skepticism
Any time there's a gimmick to a weight loss plan, I immediately get skeptical. Not fair, really. I should read about the plans with an open mind. Call me silly, but I'm jaded after all the crazy diet plans that have been created over the years. Good Housekeeping has a plan they're calling The Amazing Soup Diet. Basically, they have a seven-day meal plan. You start your week by making a big pot of a basic vegetable soup recipe. Then they give you healthy meal suggestions for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, you add some ingredients to the basic soup to give it some variety. For snacks, you can have a small portion of the basic soup at anytime; you can also snack on raw vegetables.
The Good Housekeeping staffers who tried it are very positive about the plan. I, however, remain a jaded skeptic. I love soup as much as the next person, but that's a lot of soup to eat. More importantly, I think any plan that requires you to eat certain things is a bad idea. To successfully lose weight and maintain the loss, you need to learn healthful eating patterns and establish an exercise routine -- and those habits have to last a lifetime. However, unlike other crazy diet plans, there's nothing in The Amazing Soup Diet that's unhealthful or potentially harmful ... and the soup does sound tasty.
For diet tips that really work, click on the Shrink a Size banner.
Eat Like a Registered Dietitian
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Self magazine has a great blog called Eat Like Me. It's written by RD Cristin Dillon-Jones and follows her day-to-day eating habits and meals. The meals are all very reasonable, and there are plenty of tips to be found. My son and I love soup, so I'm going to be trying out Dillon-Jones' Minestrone soup recipe soon.
Cook some comfort in a bowl
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
I heard about a taco soup, so I ventured forth without a recipe in hand. I made the broth with tomato sauce and organic beef broth. Then I added two cans of rinsed and drained black beans and a can of drained corn. I also added a packet of taco seasoning -- but it would be healthier to use seasonings that aren't as high in sodium. Once the soup was heated through, I ladled it over some crushed blue corn chips and topped it with a little cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, lettuce, and a little dab of sour cream. It was completely delicious! And other than the indulgences of chips and sour cream, it was quite healthful.
If you're feeling the chill, try out one of these simple soup recipes from Fitness magazine. Or check out Jacki's post on 12 great ways to supplement your soup.
Create a more colorful plate
Before we started cutting back on excessive spending and junk food, our Friday night tradition was to go out for burgers and beer, loading up on those ginormous restaurant portions we love to talk about here at That's Fit. Now, we still go out for burgers (or sometimes, just the beer), but it's not a weekly event. Which is how I found myself home last night, furiously cooking up a couple of new recipes to clean out the leftovers in the fridge.
One of them happened to be this kale and chickpea soup. When I'd added the kale, the last ingredient, I could not get over how colorful the soup was. The orange sweet potatoes, the red peppers, the green kale, and the white beans, onions, and garlic made it one of the most visually appealing dishes I've ever made.
Campbell's V8 soup - A review
Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
Butternut squash soup is a Fall favorite of mine, and I often make enough to freeze so that we can enjoy it into the winter months. So when I saw a commercial for Cambell's V8 soup -- which includes a butternut squash variety -- I was intrigued. Can Campbell's match my homemade recipe? Is it really a healthy option?It was on sale, so I figured, "Why not?" I bought a box and served it to three family members for lunch yesterday. Here are some of their thoughts:
- "Sweet and creamy."
- "Pretty good."
- "I'd eat it again."
- "Not as good as yours." (That one from my husband. Smart guy.)
12 ways to supplement your soup
- Crumbled blue tortilla chips
- Low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
- Phyllo dough, cut into strips and baked
- Popped popcorn
- Tortillas, cut into strips and baked
- Toasted almonds
- Toasted whole grain bread cubes
- Organic cheese or soy veggie shreds
- Sliced radishes
- Toasted pine nuts
- Thinly sliced organic green onions
- Shredded carrots, zucchini or jicama -- a native Mexican vine with an edible tuberous root
Any of these tempt your tastebuds? Got any others to share?
Cook with your squashy harvest
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Alas, our farm days are over for this growing season. Our CSA farm closes up shop this week, a bit early due to the wet, wet summer; you should see the poor tomato plants. But the rain didn't ruin everything, as we have big, beautiful butternut squashes, just waiting to be cooked and gobbled up.Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A as beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, along with B vitamins, so you really can't lose by making the most of your winter squash.
One of our favorite dishes is a simple pizza with tomato sauce, roasted butternut squash, shallots and sage leaves, topped with prosciutto and feta cheese. How's that for a fun way to eat your squash?
Soup up your soup with this veggie
I'm not personally a fan of canned soups -- too much sodium for me -- but RealAge says there's a way to make these soups healthier, once you find a low-sodium variety, that is. The secret? Throw some veggies in the mix. The specific veggie RealAge recommends: Fennel.Fennel, a spice, herb, and veggie all rolled into one, works well in all kinds of soups -- chicken noodle and tomato are two. Loaded with anitoxidants, fennel can also help knock out foodbourne bacteria like E.coli and Salmonella.
Next time you're pressed for time and find yourself grabbing for the can, make sure you have some fennel on hand. Find it in your produce section -- looks like celery stalks -- or grab some spicy fennel from the spice aisle.
Drinking water for weight loss: Is it a 'waist' of time?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
If you're looking to slim down, one of the first tips you'll probably get is to drink more water. But for those of us who diligently down our 64 oz a day, here's some bad news: Recent studies out of the UK suggest that drinking water to slim down could be a waste of time. In a study of 1,000 young women, researchers found no link between waist size and drinking habits -- regardless of what participants regularly drank, be it soda, juice, coffee, tea or water.
However, there was a link between waist size and water consumption in food -- meaning that women who ate foods high in water content -- think fruits, veggies, soups, rice, etc -- tend to be smaller. Read the full findings here.
Still, I would take these findings with a grain of salt. Not only does your body require water to function, I think it's great for weight loss because it helps flush out your system and can take the edge off your hunger. I swear by it anyway -- what about you?
Chinese cuisine: The 5 best choices
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Recently I told you about the five worst things you can order at a Chinese restaurant. But if you love a good Chinese feast, don't despair. I come bearing hope. There are healthy (well, healthier) options. According to eDiets, these are the five best things you can order at a Chinese restaurant:
- Soup. Hot and sour, egg drop ... most Chinese soups are (relatively) low-cal and high in protein. But avoid the soups with noodles.
- Veggies. Order any of the veggie dishes -- steamed veggies in particular are low in calories and are very filling.
- Dim Sum, Steamed dumplings are a great choice, especially veggie or tofu dumplings.
- Steamed anything. Steamed fish, chicken, tofu ... are you seeing a pattern here? Steamed is best.
- Stir-fry. Order a stir-fry loaded with veggies and lean meats or tofu, and ask the chef to go easy on the oil.
Another tip: Order healthy green tea with your meal instead of soda or alcohol.
Healthy recipe: Avocado gazpacho
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
For all the love I have of tomatoes, I really can't stand a traditional gazpacho soup, or any tomato soup for that matter. It is just too... tomato-y! Gazpacho is so healthy, though, with all of those fresh, raw veggies.Well, I found a gazpacho recipe that will satisfy even the pickiest gazpacho eaters, as long as they like avocado. Mothering's Avocado Gazpacho recipe is the perfect answer for my gazpacho issues: it is basically traditional gazpacho, with avocado instead of tomato.
And the beauty of this cold soup is that you toss all the ingredients into a blender, press a button, and you're done. I have to think that with the healthy fats in avocados that this recipe adds a new layer of nutrition, too.
No-cook meals are hot, hot, hot
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
When the temperature soars, the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove. Personally, I have many days when I'm perfectly comfortable in my own home then, after cooking dinner, I feel prickly and hot and miserable. If I didn't think it was so important to feed healthful foods to my family (not to mention avoiding the high costs of eating out), I'd skip it altogether.Shape Magazine comes to the rescue with great ideas for healthy meals with no cooking required. With so many fresh fruits and vegetables available at this time of year, there's no shortage of no-cook ingredients available to you. Some of the ideas include chilled soups and stuffed fruits or vegetables.
