Eating healthy is a lifestyle that is extremely beneficial and is fast growing among many individuals in different countries. The need for a healthy diet has prompted many innovative healthy diets in today’s world, and one of them is the popular cabbage soup diet. The diet is made primarily from cabbage and mixed with other ingredients to make a healthy bowl of soup; it is loved and practiced by many people because of its fast weight loss benefit.
However, it is important to have a substitute for it because most people are not comfortable with this diet, it may taste too bland for them, and they may not be able to continue it, or maybe they don’t like cabbage soups.
In this article, we will be looking at other healthy alternatives for the cabbage soup diet but before we get into that, let’s find out what the cabbage soup diet is all about.
What Is The Cabbage Soup Diet?
The cabbage soup diet is a meal plan that involves consuming a lot of low-calorie cabbage soup as your primary source of food for about seven days with other food items it permits like some fruits, veggies, skimmed milk, etc. It is made with mild tasting and nutritious cabbage; the diet became popular due to the weight loss advantage. It is a short-term weight loss diet designed to shed about 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight in just a week. Although most nutritionists disagree with this concept, it is still practiced worldwide.
The origin of the cabbage soup diet dates back to the 1980s when it was popularly spread as a faxlore, but currently, it is a popular trend of diet that is believed to help shed short term weight over a short period.
Cabbage Uses in Recipes
As we all know, Cabbage is a healthy vegetable, and it has a mild taste that isn’t overpowering in a recipe. Most persons only use this in barbeque recipes, but it is a versatile ingredient used in preparing tasty, healthy, and warm soups.
These soups are very easy to make, and they act as comfort food keeping you warm during the cold seasons. Some of these cabbage recipes include:
- Stuffed Cabbage
- Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage
- Low-Carb Cabbage Enchiladas
- Noodles with Carrots, Spinach, and Cabbage Mint
- Keto Stuffed Cabbage
- Whole Roasted Cabbage
- Crunchy Mandarin Orange-Chicken Salad
- Cabbage Chips
- Cabbage Breakfast Burritos
- Vegetable Cabbage Soup
- Cabbage Hash Browns
- Bacon-Wrapped Cabbage Dippers
- Mongolian Meatball Cabbage Cups
Cabbage Soup Diet Substitutes
The cabbage soup diet is regarded as a fad diet that provides a seven-day meal plan of primarily consuming cabbage soup and other items it permits. While this diet is popular, health and nutritional experts have opposed the meal plan because it is not a healthy long-term weight loss.
So if you want a healthier alternative to this meal plan or diet, you can try out some of the ones that would be listed below.
Mediterranean Diet
As the name implies, the Mediterranean diet is a meal plan inspired and designed according to people living in Mediterranean regions(like Greece, Italy, and Spain).
It was introduced in the 1960s. The diet comprises balanced nutrition from food items like olive oil, legumes, fruits, whole vegetables, unrefined cereals, with moderate amounts of dairy products like cheese and yogurt, fish, wine, and non-fish meat products.
Compared to the cabbage soup diet, it is a very nutritious and tasty diet. It has a lot of health benefits like weight loss, increased life expectancy, lowering the risk of heart diseases, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases type 2 diabetes.
When this diet is followed for more than a month without any added junk food, the results will start to show, and adding some form of exercise would go a long way in achieving a healthy result.
Flexitarian or Semi-Vegetarian Diet
This diet consists of fruits and vegetables with the occasional addition of animal products. It is also called ‘flexitarian’ because it is a flexible vegetarian diet, and it is a diet that provides balanced nutrition and benefits permanent weight loss.
The U.S. News & World Report ranks this sustainable approach No. 1 on its list of weight-loss diets. Since it is flexible, it allows you to consume different foods beneficial to health that provide the proper nutrition like protein, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
A review of about 25 studies published in January 2017 in Frontiers in Nutrition showed some health benefits associated with the semi-vegetarian diet. The health benefits include weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.
This diet has many flexibilities and variations you can choose from to provide balanced nutrition for you.
WW (formerly known as weight watchers)
This weight loss program was formerly known as Weight Watchers until 2018, when it rebranded to a program more focused on wellness and health and has a new tagline, “Wellness That Works.”
This weight loss program has existed for more than 50 years and was founded by Jean Nidetch. It started small in her home and with some friends, but today it has grown so big online and offline, having over 4.5 million subscribers and a range of expert doctors and researchers.
This program is effective and realistic in achieving a permanent weight loss result and an overall healthy lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does the cabbage soup diet work for weight loss?
The cabbage soup diet is likely to cause weight loss, which nutritional experts regard as water weight, but the weight is more likely to come back once you stop this diet.
Does the cabbage soup diet have any medical backing?
No, it doesn’t. Nutritional experts are opposed to the idea of this diet, and it wouldn’t provide your body with some of the important nutrients you need.
Is the cabbage soup diet beneficial?
The cabbage soup diet may be beneficial in cases where you need a temporary or short-term weight loss.
Conclusion
When it comes to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the best way to go about it is with a proper and balanced meal plan and exercise to ensure a long-lasting result. So if you’re thinking of an alternative for the cabbage soup diet that is tasty, healthier, flexible, realistic, and provides long-lasting results, then you should try out any of the ones listed above and remember to seek professional health advice to be safe.