As the weather gets colder, you may find yourself increasingly craving comfort foods. Unfortunately, many hearty winter staples, like rich pasta dishes and cheesy casseroles, are not only high in calories, but are loaded with heaping portions of sodium, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

The good news? You can still enjoy plenty of comforting winter meals that won’t derail your healthy eating efforts. Read on to discover the delicious soup combinations that can help you satisfy your cravings and lose weight. And for more easy ways to shed those extra pounds, check out these 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

Carrots are not only a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and other essential nutrients, but they’re also a great addition to your weight loss plan. A 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients found that, among a group of 16 vegetables, carrots ranked fifth best for promoting weight loss in women. What’s more, a 2019 meta-analysis published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that consumption of ginger was associated with reduced waist-to-hip ratios and greater weight loss among 473 adults studied, making a carrot-ginger combo a knockout for weight loss.

RELATED: Secret Side Effects of Eating Carrots, Says Science

With just 63 calories and nearly three grams of fiber per cup, butternut squash is a filling addition to any meal plan. According to a 2019 study published in The Journal of Nutrition, eating an additional four grams of fiber a day along with a reduced-calorie diet was associated with significantly more weight loss over a six-month period than reducing calories alone. A 2014 study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice also found that overweight and obese women who added six grams of cumin powder to their daily meals lost weight, lowered their BMI, reduced their waist circumference, and lost fat mass. When you combine the two ingredients together in a soup, you’ve got a recipe for easy weight loss.

Want to shed some weight while enjoying your favorite Japanese staples? Try making miso soup part of your regular routine. A 2018 study published in Obesity Science and Practice found that adults asked to incorporate three servings of soy protein into their daily diet for 12 months lost both weight and fat mass. Better yet, researchers at Newcastle University found that seaweed fiber can help reduce fat absorption by as much as 75%, making miso soup with seaweed a no-brainer when it comes to losing weight.

RELATED: 14 Things That Happen To Your Body When You Eat Soy

Want a comforting meal that won’t derail your weight loss efforts? Try a bowl of white bean and kale soup A 2020 study published in Food Science & Nutrition found that consumption of white bean extract was associated with significantly more weight loss in obese study subjects over a 35-day period versus a placebo group. When combined with the nearly five grams of filling, weight-loss-promoting fiber you’ll get from every cup of cooked kale, you’ve got the perfect soup for weight loss.

For more simple ways to slim down, check out these 5 Soup-Eating Habits That Help With Weight Loss, Says Dietitian, and for the latest healthy eating news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

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One of the best set-it-and-forget-it meal prep saviors of all the kitchen appliances, the slow cooker has a kitschy vibe now.

Your mom had it right when she dumped ingredients in the slow cooker and let them simmer all day.

There’s no meal more comforting on a cool night than slow cooker soup — but there are a few tips and tricks to getting it just right.

Low and slow is the idea. It’s in the name of the kitchen tool, after all. Learn how to bud nuanced flavors in a super-easy way with a slow cooker.

Just in time for soup season, here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best slow cooker soup.

How to Make a Healthy Slow Cooker Soup

“Soup can be made into a hearty, balanced meal that is sure to satisfy,” says Krista Maguire, R.D., C.S.S.D., and Beachbody nutrition manager.

“In addition to loads of veggies, add a protein like chicken or beans and a starchy veggie like sweet potato or whole grains like quinoa,” she adds.

Add dairy-free creaminess and thickness to a healthy slow cooker soup by pureeing beans, potatoes, or a slice of day-old bread with broth or full-fat coconut milk.

You can also combine water and nutritional yeast with pureed-until-smooth cashews.

Steer clear of granulated stock powders or cubes — many contain monosodium glutamate, artificial colors, and hydrogenated oils.

Opt for low-sodium, all-natural stocks or bone broths.

Ready to get cooking? Follow these steps for slow cooker soup success!

1. Brown meats first to deepen flavor

Yes, it’s an extra step, but this adds tons of flavor. Sear all sides of the meat before you add it to the slow cooker, then let it simmer.

2. Use less liquid

Revamping a stovetop soup recipe? Use less liquid, since it evaporates less when simmering in a slow cooker, thanks to the tight-fitting lid.

Cover the ingredients with broth, water, or your liquid of choice by a scant ¼-inch.

3. Bump up the plants

A little bit of meat can go a long way to add flavor and protein. Bulk up the soup with added veggies in every color. (You can also add legumes and whole grains.)

Soup is a great way to get more vegetables into your day.

4. Trim most visible fat from meat

There’s nowhere for the fat to go in a slow cooker (and it can’t be easily drained off like it can on the stove), so cut it off before cooking.

Otherwise, you’ll end up with pools of fat in your soup — not good eats.

5. Skip the oil

Unlike stovetop soup methods, you don’t need to add oil to the slow cooker pot. Nothing will stick!

6. Don’t overfill the pot

Three-quarters full is the maximum, but two-thirds is ideal. If you fill the pot too high, it could leak or cook inconsistently.

7. Thicken in two steps

The liquid in your slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to reduce or thicken, so if you don’t want a thin soup, you’ll need to add a thickening agent.

Use any type of flour or a starch like tapioca or arrowroot.

Combine one tablespoon of flour or starch per one cup of liquid, whisk until smooth, then stir into the soup and simmer.

8. Use cheaper cuts of meat

Tough, leaner cuts love the long, slow, gentle simmering of a slow cooker.

It breaks down any sinewy bits, transforming them into melt-in-your-mouth tender savoriness.

Don’t splurge on filets or lobster tails for a slow-simmered soup.

9. Cook low and slow

Cook soups on low to develop the most flavor. If you’re pressed for time, you can cook them on a higher setting but make sure to halve the cooking time.

10. Cut veggies roughly the same size

Cutting each vegetable uniformly will help them cook evenly. To prevent vegetables from getting too mushy, avoid cooking them for many hours on high heat.

Add softer or quicker-cooking veggies like zucchini and summer squash in the last hour.

11. Let the slow cooker do its thing

Every time you open the lid, you release heat, so resist the urge to peek. Set it up and walk away.

This cooking method is meant to save you time, so let it do the work for you!

How to Layer Slow Cooker Soup Ingredients

Place the ingredients that require the longest cooking time at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heat source.

Here’s a basic guide if you’re creating your own slow cooker soup recipes.

Add these ingredients at the beginning:

• Uncooked vegetables: Add root vegetables (potatoes, turnips, carrots) on the bottom, followed by onions, shallots, or leeks.
• Uncooked, rinsed, or soaked beans: Dried beans take 3–4 hours to cook on high, and 6–8 hours to cook on low in the slow cooker, says Kalyn Denny, a food blogger at Kalyn’s Kitchen and home cook.
• Broth, stock, water, coconut milk: The liquid is what makes things a soup, after all.
• Uncooked meats: If you have time to brown meat, great. Exceptions include chicken or turkey breast, fish, and shellfish.
• Cheese rinds: An old Italian cook’s tip, add Parmesan or Romano cheese rinds to impart a nutty, salty flavor. Discard any remaining rind before serving.

Add these in the last 15–45 minutes of cooking:

• Meats and seafood that don’t take long to cook, such as chicken breast (sliced or cut), fish, or shellfish. Add chicken breast in the last 25–30 minutes of cooking.
• Dried lentils only take about 30–40 minutes of simmering to cook through, notes Nagi Maehashi, the cook and creator of RecipeTin Eats. Use red, yellow, brown, and green lentils but not Puy lentils, as they don’t soften as well as the others, she says.
• Fresh delicate herbs like basil, mint, or tarragon: Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with torn fresh herbs for a bright pop of color and flavor.
• Hearty fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, parsley, celery leaves, beet greens, etc.: Add during the last 15–20 minutes, particularly with rosemary, which can get bitter when cooked for too long, says Emma Christensen, a food writer and graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts.
• Thickening agents: Add when the soup has finished cooking. Stir it in, replace the lid, and warm for a few minutes, then serve.
• Already-cooked ingredients: Add cooked grains in the last 15–20 minutes of cooking. Stir in leftovers like cooked pasta in the last 10 minutes.
• Quick-cooking ingredients: Add dried pasta, quinoa, and starchy or frozen veggies during the last 15 minutes.
• Dairy: Stir in reduced-fat Greek yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream in the last 5 minutes to avoid curdling.

Looking for more expert nutrition information? Head over to BODNutrition.com and learn how to eat healthy for the long-term with the help of our two nutrition programs, 2B Mindset and Portion Fix.

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