Filling Soup Recipes for the 5:2 Diet
Imagine a diet that not only improves your overall health and staves off age-related disorders, but helps you lose weight and keep it off. While it sounds almost too good to be true, the 5:2 Diet is all that and more!
Introduced in Britain in 2012, the 5:2 Diet can really work wonders. I've been following it diligently for five months and have dropped a nice amount of weight - not too fast, not too slow - and my energy level is through the roof. My skin looks clearer and tighter, too, and my blood pressure and pulse are back down into normal ranges.
Conceptually, it's a simple diet to follow:
- For 5 days each week, you eat "normally" - if you're good at gauging "normal," then no need to count calories. However, if you're prone to overeating as I was at first, track your food intake and aim for about 2000 calories per day (2500 for men).
- For the remaining 2 days each week, cut your calories back to 500 for women, 600 for men. While this seems drastic, it's the "intermittent fasting" (mixing up the caloric intake from day to day) that triggers the release of all the good anti-aging and health-promoting chemicals.
While there are different tips and tricks to coping with the 500-calorie days, one of my favorites is soup! With just a few ingredients and minimal preparation time, it's easy to whip up a batch of filling, healthy soup that runs about 50 calories per serving. You can even make some in advance and freeze into individual servings so you'll always have something quick and filling readily on hand.
Cauliflower Soup
I adore cauliflower! At only about 0.25 calories per gram, it's a low-calorie veggie that's packed with filling fiber and healthy nutrients. And in cooking, it takes on much of the flavor of your other ingredients, making it a highly versatile add-in.
I make this no-fuss soup regularly for my 500-calories days. It freezes well, too, so I'll stock up when cauliflower's on sale.
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 1 Head of fresh cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 cups Vegetable stock, I like the flavor of Pacific Organic Vegetable Broth, but any should work well.
- 1 tsp Orange zest
- 1 cup water
- Sriracha sauce, optional
Instructions
- Pour the vegetable stock into a medium saucepan and add 1 cup of water. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Add the cauliflower and the orange zest, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the stove and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Puree the soup either in the pan with a hand mixer, or transfer to a blended.
- To serve, pour 1 cup into a soup bowl and add a swirl of Sriracha sauce.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 cup | |
| Calories | 50 |
| Calories from Fat | 0 |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Low-Calorie Tomato Soup
While I adore smooth, cream-based tomato soups, they're best saved for the non-fast days! As a low-calorie substitute, try this pureed blend of tomatoes and herbs. Play around with different herb blends to change up the flavor. This recipe comes out to about 45 calories per one cup serving.
Ingredients
- 3 cans diced tomatoes
- 2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp tarragon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Greek yogurt, plain and nonfat (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the tomatoes into a medium saucepan and sprinkle with the tarragon, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat at medium until gentle bubbling starts, stirring continually to prevent burning.
- Add the stock and bring to a low boil.
- Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes.
- Puree using a hand mixer or blender.
- To serve, pour one cup of soup into a soup bowl and garnish with a tsp of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt.
For more information on the 5:2 Diet
- How to Survive the 5:2 Diet
Fasting for 2 days a week on the 5:2 Diet sounds frightening, but armed with a handful of survival tips, it's (almost) a breeze. - The 5:2 Diet: Dieting for Health and Anti-Aging
The 5:2 Diet is taking Britain by storm! Learn how this flexible eating plan can boost your health and help to forestall aging.
