Top Doctor’s Plant-Based Soup Diet Tames Hunger and Burns Fat 4 Times Faster Than Keto

It’s the perfect time of year to cozy up with a bowl of soup—and make a whole lot of fat disappear while you’re at it! The secret: a yummy recipe like the one below, right. Simply enjoying it in place of a typical meal “can make aggressive weight loss feel easy ,” insists Joel Fuhrman, MD , a University of Pennsylvania-trained nutrition expert and world-famous author of Eat to Live and Eat for Life . Dr. Fuhrman uses soup to power up a diet built around whole plant foods, and he’s seen folks drop 5, 10, even 24 pounds in a single week. He adds, “I recently had someone lose 100 pounds in three months.” And big results aren’t short-lived: “People are able to maintain huge losses!”

The key components of Dr. Fuhrman’s soup diet

Dr. Fuhrman and his team often share soup recipes on his website , and all are incredibly nutritious. Yet only a mere handful are marked as tools for the fastest weight loss . What sets them apart? Dr. Fuhrman explains that, ounce for ounce, they boast the highest levels of beneficial plant compounds for the fewest calories.

“Main ingredients typically include beans, greens, mushrooms, onions and other brightly colored, non-starchy produce like tomatoes and bell peppers,” he says. That’s a big deal since even ordinary soups (with their unique mix of liquid and solids) have been shown to activate “stop eating” mechanisms in the gut, helping dieters double weight loss. And because high-nutrient whole plants have also been proven to dramatically slash appetite, putting them in soup “makes you feel like you’re eating 500 calories when you only consume 200 or so,” says the doc. It’s one of many advantages these soups offer.

How a plant-based soup diet boosts weight loss

As you switch to eating mostly unprocessed plant foods , you flood your body with dozens upon dozens of micronutrients—­including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and more—increasing your intake by over 20 times, says Dr. Fuhrman.

The impact is immediate, helping heal and optimize the function of every system from head to toe. Informal studies show that after one week of micronutrient-rich plant meals, folks can lower blood pressure by 49 points and cut cholesterol by 76 points; some even reverse type 2 diabetes. “People get off medications and stop getting sick. At the same time, they experience sharper thinking, surging energy, less pain and more joy,” says Dr. Fuhrman.

He considers soup a convenient micronutrient delivery system: “You can throw ingredients into a big pot on a weekend and have micronutrient-dense meals for the week.” And these microscopic nutrients play a surprisingly large role in waist size.

A plant-based soup diet may be more effective than keto

Scientists keep discovering more ways micronutrients help us get rid of excess weight. Some compounds kill cravings and inhibit fat storage; others lower levels of belly-fattening blood sugar and stress hormones. One of Dr. Fuhrman’s favorite examples is the resistant starch in beans . University of Colorado research shows a modest serving spikes fat burn by 25% for a full 24 hours—and a separate study found it can speed weight loss by 390%.

Benefits like these really add up. Harvard research found that a higher micronutrient intake was the only factor setting lean women apart from their heavier identical twins. Another eye-opener: A recent NIH study tested the same group of people as they alternately followed a plant-based and a keto diet. The menus had similar calories, protein, carbs and fat, so researchers were stunned to find fat burning nearly quadrupled when folks ate plant-based meals.

For his part, Dr. Fuhrman isn’t surprised because micronutrients work wonders for weight control and overall well-being. “If everyone in America has vegetable-bean soup, salad and a fruit every day,” he says, “we’d save millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs!”

Plant-based soup diet success story: Mary Jo Jelinek, 70

Struggling with GI trouble, migraines, knee pain and constant infections, “I was sick so often, I worried I’d lose my job,” recalls Nebraska nurse Mary Jo Jelinek , 70. “I knew getting my weight down could help, but I never got anywhere with diet plans.” She prayed for guidance—and one day Eat to Live “literally fell off a bookstore shelf and hit my foot.”

Skimming it, she read about a woman her age who transformed her body. “So I decided to try Dr. Fuhrman’s guidelines.” One shortcut way to start: veggie-bean soup! “You can use canned beans and frozen veggies, so it’s easy.” It was also tasty, helping make the switch to plant-based eating.

While it took time to fully adapt to the way of eating, pounds began disappearing right away. So did every one of her health issues. Her blood sugar and cholesterol normalized, prediabetes reversed, aches vanished.

“After years of respiratory illnesses and breathing problems, I just don’t get sick anymore,” she marvels. “And I lost 111 pounds, even though I was past menopause and my metabolism had slowed.” There was also an unexpected perk. “I’m full of joy,” she cheers. “I’ve learned you don’t make feel-good endorphins if you don’t get the correct micronutrients. The difference is amazing. I’m thrilled to be here, thrilled to be me!

Plant-based soup diet before and after: Bonnie Lynn Verssen, 53

“A nurse told me about Dr. Fuhrman,” recalls Bonnie Lynn Verssen , 53. It was during her umpteenth hospital visit for a heart issue. Skeptical but desperate, the Nevada fast-food lover began experimenting with micronutrient-dense smoothies, chickpea pancakes, bean burgers… Soup became a go-to meal. “I make it in a pressure cooker, so it’s ready fast and I always have heat-and-eat meals in the fridge,” Bonnie shares.

As she discovered more and more soups she loved—like mushroom, minestrone and taco soup varieties—she lost 50 pounds in two months and 100 pounds in six months. “I call myself the soup queen!” says Bonnie, down 155 pounds and off all of her heart meds. “Before, it was hard for me to sweep my kitchen. Now I can walk seven miles. This way of eating saved my life!”

Plant-based soup diet sample menu

Having veggie soup like the one at right for lunch daily will fight fat and boost health no matter what else you eat. For fastest results, make soup part of a diet that skips animal foods and includes a wide variety of cooked and raw plants in their natural form. Limit minimally processed plants like maple syrup and oats to a few daily servings; avoid added oil and sugar. Eat very large meals so you don’t need snacks. Find more tips and recipes at DrFuhrman.com .

Cozy breakfast bowl

Pair a large serving of fruit with cooked oats; top with spices, seeds, plant milk and an optional drizzle of maple syrup.

Almost-instant soup

Heat a mix of options you have on hand—like greens, cooked or frozen veggies, beans and seasonings—in broth until hot.

Heartiest salad ever

Load a giant salad with raw and cooked veggies, fruit, cooked grains, nuts/seeds and oil-free dressing.

Dr. Fuhrman’s soup for speedy fat loss

Replace your typical lunch or dinner with a bowl of this hearty, nutrient-packed soup. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced onion
• 1 cup diced red/yellow bell pepper
• 4 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 4 tsp. chili powder
• 5 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 1 ⁄ 2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 30 oz. no-salt-added beans, drained
• 4 cups chopped spinach or kale

Instructions:

1. In stockpot, sauté onion and pepper in 2–3 Tbs. water until tender, 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.
3. Sauté mushrooms, tomato and chili powder; stir until softened.
4. Pour in broth; bring to a boil.
5. Add quinoa, reduce heat and cover; simmer 10 minutes.
6. Add beans; cook until quinoa is tender and fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
7. Add greens; cook until wilted.

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