Eat Soups and Salads to Help You Lose Weight!

Image: eatingwell.com

Start your meal with one of these healthy soups and salads.

 

Did you know that eat soups and salads when during your meal time could reduce your weight? Yes,  consume both of its will help you lose weight. Filling up on that foods first can help prevent you from overdoing high-calorie fare later. Research out of Penn shows that eating firs-course salad can reduce overall calorie intake at a meal by up to 12 percent. At another study also showed that people who started lunch with vegetable soup ended up eating 20 percent less than those who skipped it. Try this recipes and start to make your self healthy.

1. The Wedge

Forget iceberg; the traditional Wedge salad is better with Romaine lettuce and a healthier ranch-style dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 heart of romaine, quartered lengthwise and cores removed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Preparation

1. Place 2 romaine quarters on each of 4 salad plates. Sprinkle with chives, bacon and blue cheese. Drizzle with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

Nutrition

Per serving: 111 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 2 g mono ); 17 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 1 g fiber; 481 mg sodium; 97 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate, calcium, potassium.

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat

How to make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons champagne, or white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon, basil or dill

Preparation

• Whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, champagne (or white-wine) vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in herbs.

 2. Spinach Soup with Rosemary Croutons

Rosemary has a strong flavor, but offers only a subtle hint in this spinach soup. If you like, any seasonal greens you have on hand can be substituted for the spinach.

Ingredients

Croutons

• 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes country-style sourdough bread
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

Soup

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
• 6 cups fresh spinach or chard leaves, tough stems removed

Preparation

1. To prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss bread cubes, oil, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl until well combined. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, to prepare soup: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Pour in broth (or water). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach (or chard) and continue to simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes more. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches), leaving it a little chunky if desired. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)
4. Serve the soup garnished with nutmeg, if desired, and topped with the croutons.

Nutrition

Per serving: 176 calories; 7 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 8 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 2 g fiber; 301 mg sodium; 202 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (35% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv), Folate (16% dv)

So starting now make new habit the way you start your meal, lets start with soup and salad first and keep it all time to help you healthy and of course its help you to reduce your calorie consume and at the end you'll be lose weight..bon appetit:)