Weight loss: Can having soups and salads every day really help you lose weight?

One of the most important rules to losing weight is to have calorie-restricted meals and prefer light and filling foods. While many prefer to have smaller, frequent meals in a day, a tried and tested, and pretty-vouched strategy to losing inches off the waist is to have soups and salads instead of heavy, often calorie-laden meals.

From celebs to real-life weight loss stories, many people prefer having soups and salads as their main meal. While they are definitely healthy alternatives, without a doubt, can opting for these meals regularly really help you see the difference?

How helpful are they really, when it comes to weight loss?

Soups and salads often thought to be side dishes weigh well on the health quotient and for the right reasons. Not only do the two dishes extract the goodness of vegetables and a good way to ensure you add in the needed servings of veggies in your daily diet, but they are also quite light on your stomach, making it the perfect meal to have and avoid unhealthy bingeing. Had regularly, it can also help cut down cravings and untimely bad snacking habits.

There are also some soup and salad-based diet plans for weight loss, which are designed to restrict dietary choices, without curtailing foods or imposing calorie restrictions too much.

Apart from the fact that soups and salads are a popular choice for weight watchers, they are known to carry a lot of benefits for someone who's watching his or her waistline. For one, soups and salads tend to generally have ingredients that are rich in important nutrients, including antioxidants, protein, vitamins and low on carbs, they are also quite hydrating. A balance of nutrients and ample water intake are keys to good weight loss. There's also rich fibre content present in these meal options which aid digestion, take care of stomach trouble and most importantly, help you achieve satiety (i.e. make you feel fuller for longer). The more satiated you are, the less likely would you be getting cravings or falling out of your calorie restriction limits.

If you are a non-vegetarian, you can also add lean meats, fish and fat-loss aiding sources, such as chicken breast to make your meals even more wholesome! Not to forget, they are quite easy to prepare and can be made in a variety of ways.

However, all being said, it's important to remember this very well that salads and soups are only part of a balanced diet and not a complete meal in itself. Therefore, attempting to try out a diet that only boasts of depending on soups and salads can not just devoid you of other nutrients you may need to lose weight, but also make you more prone to experiencing deficiencies. Remember, soups and salads alone do not make a healthy choice. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, you need a balanced intake of all food groups to lose weight in a holistic manner. Relying on just one form of nutrition won't help you lose weight well, or even if it does, the results may not be beneficial in the long run.

Some nutritionists also opine that while soups and salads make for a lighter meal and are low on carbs, they may not be the most helpful choice at all times. The body needs nutrients to keep moving, and depending on the lifestyle you lead, higher carb consumption may be required. For the same reason, having soups and salads as your last meal of the day (ideally, had 2-3 hours before bedtime) is preferable, instead of having them for breakfast or lunch.

Now, salads and soups are also something that offers you the benefit of adding multiple toppings of your choice. While they do make your meal yummy, some toppings, or not moderating the portions can derail all the progress you make. For example, adding too many sauces, honey, butter, sugar or using too many breadsticks in your soup can be bad. The main emphasis of these light meals should be on the veggies (or fruits) you add, not the toppings. Hence, keep a check on what you add and only eat according to portion size so that you do not overdo it.

If you do prefer having soups or salads as a part of your everyday dietplan, do ensure that you make use of choice, fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits. Spices and dressings can be added as well, which can speed up your progress.

If you prefer having vegetable soups, use nutritious vegetables and avoid the use of excessive cornflour. Processed and instant soups should be avoided too.

Also, make sure you have a portion of proteins with whatever you are having. This is very crucial for good weight loss.

Adding nuts and seeds to your soups and salads will also enrich the taste and nutrition of your meal.