Vegetable Soup As An Appetizer – An Easy Way to Eat Fewer Calories and Get Your Veggies In!

If you are like most people in the US, you aren’t getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet. The recommended daily serving is at least five! With the hustle and bustle of busy lives and access to so much fast food and convenience foods, it’s no wonder people aren’t eating enough of them. But that’s no excuse. You should still make a conscious decision to do what you can to ensure that you’re eating more fruits and vegetables.

Another reason so many people don’t eat more vegetables is because they don’t like eating them plain. Whether it’s the texture or the taste, plain vegetables just aren’t an option for some so instead they skip them altogether. That’s the great thing about vegetable soup, though – it makes eating vegetables easier because they’re combined with a broth and plenty of seasonings.

Not only is starting your meal with vegetable soup a good way to eat more vegetables, it also prevents you from over indulging on higher calorie foods when the main meal is served because the liquid (broth) and fiber-rich vegetables make you feel full quicker. Research has even shown that those who start a meal by eating soup first, actually consume 20% less calories than those who don’t!

Below is a quick and easy, very basic vegetable soup that is packed full of flavor and only takes about 30 minutes to cook.

Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe

1 cup whole kernel corn
14 ounces veggie broth or chicken broth
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
1 cup green beans
11.5 ounces tomato vegetable juice
1 cup water
1 diced potato
2 diced celery stalks
2 sliced carrots
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

In a large pot, add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

The great thing about vegetable soup is you can add as many or as few vegetables as you like. Of course if the idea is to eat more vegetables, then you’ll obviously want to go with adding more instead of less.

If you want an easy way to not only add more vegetables to your diet, but to also help prevent overindulging on higher calorie foods, try starting your meal off with a bowl of hearty vegetable soup. You might just find you come to enjoy the added dose of goodness!