Tuesday 6 January 2015

Soup Glorious Soup

Finding something to eat at lunchtime is always a bit tricky when dieting. When you're hard at work but skimping on the calories, you want to have a meal that satisfies your hunger, will get you through until dinner and not do too much damage to your waistline. A pretty difficult combo.

During the summertime I opt for a light salad but while the weather is cold, grey and miserable, such as today, my preferred option is soup. Firstly, when served hot it takes a while to eat which is always a bonus. Second, you get that warm comforting feeling in your tummy from a hot meal, without the bloating of a big dinner. And finally, it is fairly cheap and easy to do, whether you make your own or buy ready made.

Today I was lazy and went for the latter. My reward was a tin of Newgate Vegetable Soup, bought for not very much from Lidl. It claims on the packaging to be wholesome and tasty. I'm not completely convinced by either of those, but given it has been the best part of 4 hours since I ate and I've not felt hungry since, I can at least say it was effective.

Does not come supplied with Blue-Roll ears in supermarkets

If you are thinking that soup for lunch sounds like a good idea, here are a few pointers to help you along the way.

1. Soup only. Don't be tempted to have a bread roll with it. Yes it would be nice, but lets be honest, if you're dieting bread is not your friend.
2. Check the packaging before you buy. You'll be surprised at how many calories can be packed into a little tin of soup. Avoid the ones that have the word Cream in the title, and also be wary of some of the chunky varieties. My vegetable soup came in at a grand total of 164 calories, which translates as less than two slices of bread for a sandwich. More calorific options may prove counter productive.
3. Never think that a cup a soup will do the job. Water and granules is not lunch. You wouldn't consider instant coffee a meal would you? From a tin or carton will do, unless you've blitzed up your own.





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