Hunger pangs are often difficult to ward off. They become especially challenging when you are on a weight-loss journey, and that is when you may end up consuming unhealthy foods like chips or fried snacks. However, a lot of people prefer soups and salads to satiate their cravings as they are considered a healthier alternative.
But, experts point out that soups and salads are not always a healthy choice and you need to keep some important things in mind before consuming them.
“I don’t recommend having soups or salads as the three main meals as they don’t make a balanced meal. It’s advisable to stick to them only for breakfast or dinner. For lunch, you should consume carbohydrates like rice, wheat, jowar or millet,” nutritionist Soumya B Hegde told indianexpress.com.
Do you eat salad for all three meals? (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
She added that soups and salads are “good for people who want to lose fat or weight quickly”. “Make healthy and thick soups like mushroom soup, broccoli soup or mixed vegetable soup. If you are aiming to make a healthy soup for weight loss, avoid adding sugar, honey, corn or butter as they have lots of calories,” she advised, adding that toppings like mayonnaise “will only add extra calories. The total calorie intake will increase, defeating the purpose of salads”.
However, to add taste to your salads, she suggested adding lemon juice and some salt. “You can also sauté your salads and add some paneer, tofu or soya chunks to add nutrition in them,” she added.
If you are on a weight loss journey, “quantify your nutrition by measuring the carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables as per your requirements”.
Dr Siddhant Bhargava, food, lifestyle and wellness expert, also took to Instagram to share how you can make your soups and salads healthy.
“Managing to eat right can be tricky, and knowing what makes meals 100 per cent healthy is trickier! Here’s how you can do right with your soup and salad combination,” he captioned the post.
Soups and salads “may be packed with vitamins and minerals, but unless made correct, this combination doesn’t work”, he said. Take a look.
He suggested the following ways to make healthy soups and salads:
- Make sure the vegetables are always cut fresh and you’re consuming them as close to cutting.
- Make sure your salad always has some source of protein (beans, dal, tofu, paneer, egg, chicken fish).
- Add a source of super healthy fats (nuts or seeds).
- Make sure you’re dressing is not store-bought.
- Your soup should be without sugar and filled with vegetables.
- No corn starch in the soup.
