Losing weight can be a challenge for the busy on-the-go people we are, but it doesn’t have to be! With this amazing veggie soup, losing weight is easy, affordable, and ready for eating in just one hour in the instant pot or you can cook this on the stovetop as well! Let’s get started losing weight!
“For losing weight, what should I eat?”
Experts from all across the health industry encourage people to add more “fiber-rich” foods to their diet. But what even is fiber? According to healthline.com, fiber is “any type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest.” Fiber does many good things but for weight loss, the main two you want to remember are (1). Fiber-rich foods are lower in calories and (2). Fiber stays in the stomach longer, thus making you feel full longer so you won’t be tempted to eat as frequently.
Some of the most common fiber-rich foods include:
- Cabbage
- Apples
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Lentils
- Oats
Basically, any plant food is going to be rich in fiber and this soup is straight up veggies and lentils so you’ll be well on your way to a healthy fiber content for your meal! Now, let’s look at all the ingredients and how they specifically help you loose weight!
Coconut Milk: losing weight never tasted so good!
Researchers have discovered that coconut milk and coconut cream have healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides or, MCTs. Have you heard of MCT oil? That’s what the letters stand for. You’re welcome 🙂 According to WebMD, they promote weight loss by decreasing your appetite while INCREASING your energy so there’s a win-win for ya!
Garlic
This amazing vegetable helps you lose weight by activating your brown fat, causing it to burn calories! It’s also an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal fighter so if you’re getting sick, up your garlic!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (which are in fact, a fruit) boost your metabolism by telling your body to make more of an amino acid that helps your body to burn fat! I knew there was a reason I love tomato soup so much!
Green Lentils
Lentils are amazing for weight loss thanks to their high fiber content! Just 1 cup has 16 grams of fiber! Fiber helps us to feel full for longer so you won’t be as tempted to eat more which I’ve always struggled with.
Carrots
Carrots are awesome for weight loss thanks to their fiber. I’ve already mentioned some of the benefits of fiber but one I didn’t know is that fiber slows down the movement of food in our gut so THAT’s why you feel full longer. You won’t be as tempted to overeat or grab a snack an hour later.
Red Cabbage
This vegetable is freaking amazing! Much like everything else we’ve talked about, cabbage is low in calories, high in fiber, and has a high-water content. It’s also great for the brain in boosting memory and helping with concentration and who doesn’t need that? Cabbage is great for reducing inflammation too so, eat cabbage! Both green and red! Gobble it up!
Green Beans
Fun fact: 1 cup of green beans has 25% of your daily value for vitamin c! Green beans are one of the best known foods to help with weight loss because, again, as we see with all the veggies in this soup, they are low in calories, high in fiber, and they help you feel full longer.
Wait: I can be losing weight with POTATOES?!
Comfort food 101! Potatoes have been given a bad rap because they’re high in carbohydrates BUT not all carbohydrates are the same! I’ll need to do another post on carbohydrates but for now, it’s enough to say that potatoes are a GOOD carbohydrate. They help you feel satisfied so you don’t overeat and they are loaded with essential nutrients!
Onions
Onions are naturally antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal fighters but they also contain a flavonoid called Quercetin, which is known to increase metabolism and prevent the buildup of fat. Um, yeah, hand me some onions, please!
Jalapeno Peppers
Peppers do much of the same thing as the onions do, as well as add a lot of spice to your dish! Peppers also are a natural analgesic (Sorry, my days in the medical field are hard to break haha!) They are natural pain relievers. Super cool!
Spices for losing weight
For this soup, I used bay leaves, smoked paprika, garlic powder (Did you know it increases body temperature which helps burn fat?!), rosemary, onion powder, black pepper (Did you know it reduces fat storage?!), and salt. There are some guidelines listed for amounts but really you need to listen to your palate and adjust per your preference so don’t be afraid to veer off my recipe.
Putting It All Together-losing weight the easy way
This soup is very easy! Cut up your veggies, toss them in the instant pot, cover with water, add your spices, cook for 30 minutes. Add in the milk, stir well, and serve! Losing weight has never been so simple or tasty!
Conclusion
I’ve loved seeing the scale go down eating this yummy soup and how much time it has saved me too! Watch my video below to see how easy it is to make! Leave me a comment with how much you loved this recipe and until next time, I’ll see you in the kitchen! ~Sarah
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Amazing Veggie Soup for Losing Weight-30min in the Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Cutting knife
- 1 can opener
Ingredients
- 2 cup dry lentils
- 1.5 cups diced carrots
- 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
- 4 cups snapped green beans
- 6 cloves of chopped garlic
- 1 large yellow onion diced (approx 1 cup worth)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
- 5 cups chopped cabbage
- 6 cups diced potatoes
- 2 quarts water or veggie broth
- 1 14.5oz can of full fat coconut milk
Spices
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp freshly ground rosemary
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except coconut milk to an 8 quart instant pot. Stir well to combine.
- Make sure vent is in the sealed position. Press the Pressure Cook button. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
- When the timer is up, manually release the pressure valve (it will be very loud) Carefully remove lid. It will be very hot!
- Remove the bay leaves. Add in the coconut milk. Stir well. Remove from heat.
- Serve with fresh jalapeno pepper slices if desired. Enjoy!