Who doesn’t love chicken soup?

It’s everyone’s comfort food, the dish your mom would make when you were sick. Well here’s a reason to love it even more: some studies show that if you take it for 8 days, you’ll lose weight.

It’s low fat, is packed with nutrients, and after a big bowl of broth, you’re full even after only a small amount.

Recipe for Chicken Soup

(approximately 26 servings)

2 Tbs. oil, best if you use olive oil
4 parsnips cut into 1/2 inch pieces (this is about 1 lb. of parsnips)
4 ribs celery sliced
1 turnip cut into 1/2 inch pieces (3/4 of a pound)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
16 cups reduced fat, low sodium, chicken broth
7 cans (5 oz. each) of chicken, or 5 cups (1 1/2 lbs) fresh chicken (cooked)
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen carrots
1 box (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped collard greens
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped onions
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tbs dried dill.

Heat oil in a large pot using medium heat. Add the parsnips, celery, turnip, jalapeno peppper, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook all the vegetables for approximately 15 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Add the broth, chicken, carrots, broccoli, collard greens, onions, lemon juice and dill. Brink it to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Breakfast Options

Aside from the chicken soup, you’re allowed to choose one of the following menus for breakfast. You can repeat them as often as you like, although variety is encouraged for nutritional balance.

• Breakfast 1: 1 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt, 1/2 cup chopped fruit salad, sprinkled with wheat germ.
• Breakfast 2: I cup ricotta cheese with 1/2 tsp. of sugar and a dash of cinnamon, 2 pieces white-grain bread (toasted) and 3 dried figs
• Breakfast 3: 1 and 1/2 cups Total cereal, 1/2 cup nonfat milk, and1/2 cup calcium enriched orange juice
• Breakfast 4: 1/2 cup prune juice, 1 small whole-wheat bagel topped with 1 oz of fat-free cheddar cheese (melted)
• Breakfast 5: 1 1/2 cups cooked Wheatena Cereal, 1/2 cup nonfat milk

The Verdict: It’s an amazingly nutritious meal, and delicious too, especially if you have this 7 day soup diet during the rainy season. Hot chicken soup, a warm blanket, a cheesy romance novel—life is good. Nevertheless, it isn’t recommended that you extend this beyond 8 days. You still need more protein in your system, plus you get really sick of soup by that time. But compared to the Russian Airforce Diet or even the Metabolism Diet, this is more palatable.

Categories: short term, low maintenance, regimented, body

Feedback: “Honestly I didn’t feel I was on a diet, since I love chicken soup. Breakfast is heavy enough so you don’t get those mid morning cravings. The only problem I encountered was bringing the soup to work. I’d had to carry a thermos, and find a way to heat it. Chicken soup doesn’t taste good cold.” – Eunice, (STATE)

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