Cabbage Soup Diet Recipes

Although cabbage soup forms the core of this diet, the plan is surprisingly strict in the supplementary foods you are allowed to eat on different days. Despite the fact that the only thing that makes the diet work is calorie restriction (you’ll probably be running a deficit of between 1,000 and 1,500 calories per day), almost every version of the diet out there follows the same routine.

Whilst this might inject a little variety into an otherwise monotonous regime – which might at least help you stick it out – it has no real advantages in terms of weight loss.

Every day, you can eat as much cabbage soup as you want, and you should have at least some every day. You should also drink plenty of water, and because you won’t be consuming all the nutrients found in a balanced diet, a multivitamin pill is also a good idea. Tedious though the routine is, bear in mind that it will only be for seven days.

Day 1: You are allowed to eat all the fruit you want, except for bananas. You are also allowed all the unsweetened cranberry juice you like, plus black tea and coffee.

Day 2: Any amount of vegetables, cooked or raw, plus one baked potato (a small amount of butter is allowed too). Avoid pulses (peas and beans) and sweetcorn, though.

Day 3: You can eat all the fruit and vegetables you want, but no potatoes or bananas this time.

Day 4: Up to eight bananas, and all the skimmed milk you want.

Day 5: Unlimited beef and up to six tomatoes, or one can of processed tomatoes. It’s particularly important to drink lots of water to help your body process the protein.

Day 6: As much beef and vegetables as you like, but no potatoes. Again, make sure you drink lots of water. You can swap beef for skinless chicken on one day if you prefer.

Day 7: All the brown rice and vegetables you like, but no potatoes. You can also drink all the unsweetened fruit juice you like.

It’s important not to leave yourself feeling hungry if you can possibly avoid it. Don’t think that if you’re feeling full, the diet can’t be working. Eat as much of each food as you are allowed; otherwise, you are likely to be tempted to quit through sheer hunger.

If you want to try another week on the diet, make sure you leave at least two weeks before you restart the schedule to allow your body to recover.