When Should You Drink Soup?
In our diet, soup is both highly nutritious and easily digestible. An American nutritional survey of over 60,000 people found that those with better nutrition were precisely those who drank soup regularly. However, since soup distributes evenly in the small intestine, nutrients are easily digested and absorbed, posing a potential risk of weight gain.
Many assume drinking soup is simple, but only scientifically timed soup consumption ensures nutrient absorption without fat accumulation. What should we pay attention to?
Difference between drinking soup before or after meals: Timing matters. The saying “drink soup before meals for slimness and health; drink after meals for weight gain” holds truth. Drinking a few sips before meals lubricates the mouth and esophagus, preventing irritation from dry, hard foods, aiding food dilution and mixing, promoting digestion and absorption. Most importantly, pre-meal soup increases satiety by allowing food to adhere closely to the stomach wall, suppressing the appetite center and reducing hunger. Studies show that drinking a bowl of soup before a meal can reduce calorie intake by 100–190 kcal. Conversely, drinking soup after meals is unhealthy. First, the stomach is already full, so additional soup causes nutrient overload and obesity. Second, the final soup dilutes the previously well-mixed chyme, impairing digestion and absorption.
Drinking soup at noon avoids weight gain: Which meal is best for soup? Experts suggest “lunchtime soup absorbs the least calories,” so to avoid weight gain, choose lunch. Dinner should avoid excessive soup, as quickly absorbed nutrients may pile up in the body, easily leading to weight gain.
Choose low-fat ingredients for soups: To prevent weight gain, avoid high-fat, high-calorie ingredients like old hen or fatty duck. If using them, skim off excess fat during stewing. Lean meats, fresh fish, shrimp, skinless chicken or duck, rabbit meat, winter melon, loofah, radish, konjac, tomatoes, seaweed, kelp, and bean sprouts are excellent low-fat soup ingredients—use them more often.
Slower soup consumption prevents weight gain: American nutritionists note that extending meal time allows full enjoyment of flavors and earlier sensation of fullness. The same applies to soup. Slow sipping gives ample time for digestion and absorption; when you feel full, you’ve eaten just right. Fast sipping means you realize fullness only after consuming more than needed.
Two Weight-Loss Soups
Radish Milk Soup: Wash and thinly slice white radish, blanch in boiling water. Heat oil in a wok, stir in scallion and ginger until fragrant, add cooking wine, clear broth, radish, and dried shrimp, bring to boil, then add milk, salt, monosodium glutamate, and a dash of sesame oil. The soup turns milky white, fragrant and delicious, with tonifying and stomach-strengthening effects. Radish contains abundant fiber, contributing to weight reduction.
Fish Head Tofu Soup: Use one bighead carp (or grass carp) head, briefly blanch in boiling water. Boil water in a pot, add fish head, salt, and cooking wine, cook until done. Cut tofu into small pieces, add to the soup, boil for about 2 minutes, then add soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, sprinkle garlic, scallions, ginger, red pepper, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve. This soup is rich in nutrients, delicious, and low in fat.