The Cabbage Soup Diet is a popular diet that many people have turned to when they want to slim down, detox, or generally lose weight quickly. As the name suggests, the diet consists of regularly consuming cabbage soup for seven days.
The cabbage diet is known to lead to quick weight loss, increased fruit and vegetable intake, better digestion, and reduced inflammation. Like all diets, there are benefits and downfalls to the Cabbage Soup Diet. Even with the potential health effects of being on the Cabbage Soup Diet, there are ways to follow the diet plan safely.
What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for decades. While it’s not known precisely who invented the diet, many people have taken to the diet plan over the years, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, for a quick way to drop some weight.
The cabbage soup diet is a short-term weight loss diet lasting seven days. Other variations of the diet are shorter than seven days, but most people attempt seven days. As the name suggests, one eats a lot of cabbage soup while following this diet plan. The plan includes other low-calorie foods that are low in sugar. The cabbage diet is low in fat while being high in fiber.
How Does Cabbage Soup Diet Work?
The Cabbage Soup Diet works by an individual consuming a low-calorie count. The caloric intake is minimal and promotes rapid weight loss due to being high in fiber and low in calories.
By consuming large quantities of cabbage soup along with the other approved foods on the cabbage soup diet plan, individuals will feel full and satisfied longer, all while eating fewer calories than they normally would. The restrictive nature of this diet helps people lose weight quickly without the use of changing eating habits long-term or exercise.
What Are the Health Benefits of the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup Diet provides a few health benefits. While that’s true, they’re short-term benefits and won’t be sustainable for long. The main benefits of following the Cabbage Soup Diet are as follows.
- Quick weight loss
- Increased fruit and vegetable intake
- Better digestion
- Reduced inflammation
Weight loss is the main benefits people seek when starting the Cabbage Soup Diet. Besides that, they’ll be eating many vegetables and fruits, which can help add essential vitamins and minerals to their diet, increasing overall health.
While on this diet, people tend to have better digestion and lower inflammation. The high fiber content of the soup and other vegetables allowed through the diet can help keep one’s digestion regular or improve it if it’s been less than ideal.
What Are the Health Risks of the Cabbage Soup Diet?
For those interested in starting the Cabbage Soup Diet, there are health risks associated with the diet plan that should be known. Since the diet focuses on rapid weight loss, these are the primary health risks associated with the Cabbage Soup Diet.
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Fatigue and weakness
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Disordered eating
- Rebound weight
Since the diet is low in protein, people can experience nutrient deficiencies after being on this diet for a prolonged period of time. That’s why it’s only recommended to do it for a short time with a two-week break before starting again.
With a lower calorie intake, being tired and weak is common. Many people experience bloating, gas, and other gastrointestinal issues while on and shortly after the end of the diet.
Lastly, even though one will drop a significant amount of weight quickly, when they start eating normally again, much of that weight will return. Some people report issues with disordered eating after being on the diet since it’s highly restrictive.
How To Do the Cabbage Soup Diet?
How an individual will do the Cabbage Soup Diet will vary depending on their plan. Generally, they will consume cabbage soup daily, along with other food sources outlined in the program.
Following the diet plan is the key to successfully doing the Cabbage Soup Diet. Any variation might have different side effects and not lead to the intended weight loss that someone is seeking by doing the diet in the first place.
What Are the Foods That You Can Eat While on the Cabbage Soup Diet?
People can eat more than just cabbage soup while on this diet. Below you’ll find the foods individuals can eat, including ingredients for the cabbage soup, while doing the Cabbage Soup Diet.
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Apples
- Oranges
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Skim milk
- Water
- Bananas
- Potatoes
- Lean protein (chicken and fish)
- Brown rice
It’s important to note that bananas, potatoes, lean protein, and brown rice are only consumed later on in the Cabbage Soup Diet and in strict moderation.
For those only doing the diet for two to three days, you will likely not be eating those ingredients. While on a seven-day or two-week Cabbage Soup Diet, those will come later.
What Are the Foods That You Should Avoid While on the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a restrictive diet that limits a lot of food groups. While you’re on the Cabbage Soup Diet, the following foods are what you’ll want to avoid until you’re back to your regular, non-restrictive eating habit.
- Alcohol of any kind
- Starchy vegetables (unless otherwise specified)
- Sugary drinks
- Foods high in fat
- Foods high in calories
The Cabbage Soup meal plan will outline what you are allowed to eat, so avoiding foods that aren’t permitted while on this diet should be simple to do as long as the individual is dedicated and has self-control.
Who Should Do the Cabbage Soup Diet?
Since the Cabbage Soup Diet is restrictive and low-calorie, it’s not a good option for everyone. The Cabbage Soup Diet isn’t ideal for individuals with health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic illnesses.
Those who already struggle with a nutrient deficiency will not benefit from partaking in this diet because it limits a lot of nutrients and vitamins that you need. Lastly, those who are looking for long-term weight loss results aren’t a good candidate for the Cabbage Soup Diet.
With all that being said, someone who should do the Cabbage Soup Diet is someone who is in overall good health, not underweight, doesn’t suffer from vitamin or nutrient deficiencies, and isn’t attempting to use this diet as a long-term weight loss plan.
How Easy Is the Cabbage Soup Program To Follow?
How easy someone will find the Cabbage Soup Diet to follow will depend on the individual. It will be easy for those who enjoy and can easily stick to a strict meal plan. People who don’t like to eat the same thing every day will find this challenging.
The Cabbage Soup Diet will also be easy for those who don’t mind restricting many food groups or don’t deal with specific food cravings often. Since it is a very low-calorie diet, those who struggle to handle hunger will not find this diet as easy to do as those with more self-control.
What Is the Best Duration for the Cabbage Soup Diet?
Since the Cabbage Soup Diet is low-calorie and highly restrictive, individuals are not recommended to follow the plan for an extended period. There are several different durations that people can follow this diet plan, but most people opt for following the Cabbage Soup Diet for seven days.
For those who see results and are happy with the diet plan, if interested in doing it again, it’s recommended to wait at least two weeks from the day you stopped the plan before starting again. Waiting will give the body time to readjust.
There are variations of the Cabbage Soup Diet that are two and three days. These are generally safer since they’re only restrictive for a few days rather than seven or two weeks. When thinking about starting the Cabbage Soup Diet, it’s beneficial to speak with your doctor to ensure it won’t harm your body.
The best duration will depend on each individual’s overall health, weight loss goals, and schedule. Some will benefit from only a few days on the Cabbage Soup Diet, while others might be able to handle two weeks.
1: 2 Day Cabbage Soup Diet
A 2-day Cabbage Soup Diet lasts for 48 hours. Following this diet plan for this duration is ideal for those interested in seeing the diet and its possible results without attempting to do it for too long to start.
This duration is excellent for people looking for minimal weight loss results compared to the other duration options. Those who struggle with cravings and self-control will benefit from this duration, too, because it’s a shorter period, and they can see how well they do before choosing to try the diet for longer.
2: 3 Day Cabbage Soup Diet
The 3-day Cabbage Soup Diet is a step up from the 2-day option. When comparing different durations, following this diet plan for three days isn’t overly different from following it for two days.
It’s still an ideal duration for those interested in the Cabbage Soup Diet but isn’t 100% sure if it’s the right one for them and those needing a quick diet before an event or vacation. Like the 2-day Cabbage Soup Diet, individuals won’t see as significant of results as they would with a seven-day or two-week Cabbage Soup Diet.
3: 2 Week Cabbage Soup Diet
The two-week Cabbage Soup Diet is the longest duration that’s safe for people to follow. The option will give individuals the most drastic weight loss results, but it can also be the most dangerous.
Something that makes this option more appealing for some people is the more substantial weight loss results, but since it’s a long time eating low-calorie and restricting foods, more food options are included in the meal plan, like potatoes, brown rice, and lean proteins.
Doing the Cabbage Soup Diet for this duration is ideal for very healthy individuals who are not underweight, suffer from no vitamin or nutrient deficiencies, and who will have a strong mindset to complete the diet without breaking the rules.
What Is a Sample Cabbage Soup Diet Plan?
Here is a sample Cabbage Soup Diet plan for seven days. You can adjust it to be for two, three, or even two weeks.
Day One
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one-two apple
- Snack – One orange
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One banana
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and ½ cup of grilled chicken
Day Two
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one-two hard-boiled eggs
- Snack – One cup of cherry tomatoes
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One apple
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and a baked salmon filet
Day Three
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one slice of whole-grain toast
- Snack – One cup of sliced cucumbers
- Lunch – Cabbage coup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One pear
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and ½ cup of grilled chicken
Day Four
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one-two slice of low-fat cheese
- Snack – One cup of carrots
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One peach
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and ½ cup of lean protein
Day Five
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one-two hard-boiled eggs
- Snack – One cup of sugar snap peas
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One orange
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and one baked fish filet
Day Six
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one slice of whole-grain toast
- Snack – One cup of bell peppers
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One apple
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and ½ cup of grilled chicken
Day Seven
- Breakfast – Cabbage soup and one-two slice of low-fat cheese
- Snack – One cup of sliced radishes
- Lunch – Cabbage soup and one-two cup of mixed vegetables
- Snack – One pear
- Dinner – Cabbage soup and ½ cup of lean protein
What Are the Best Recipes for Cabbage Soup Diet?
Many cabbage soup recipes are available online that will work for the Cabbage Soup Diet. A few of the popular options for the Cabbage Soup Diet are classic cabbage soup, spicy cabbage soup, and Italian cabbage soup.
You can choose from several variations of classic cabbage soup with slightly different ingredients or amounts of the same ingredients.
- Classic Cabbage Soup: This recipe will use cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, water, and chicken stock.
- Vegetarian Cabbage Soup: Vegetarian cabbage soup follows the same recipe as classic cabbage soup, but the only difference is that it uses vegetable stock rather than chicken stock.
- Spicy Cabbage Soup: The ingredients used in spicy cabbage soup include cabbage, onions, garlic, red bell peppers, chicken or veggie broth, water, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Italian Cabbage Soup: This variation is slightly different. The recipe includes cabbage, garlic, onions, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, chicken or veggie broth, water, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
- Cabbage Soup (Heavy on the Greens): This cabbage soup utilizes many of the ingredients from the classic cabbage soup recipe, but it adds more greens like spinach and broccoli slaw. You’ll also add turmeric and lemon juice.
How Much Does the Cabbage Soup Program Cost?
How much it will cost someone to do the Cabbage Soup Diet will vary. It will vary depending on where someone lives, what grocery store they shop at, and the cost of each food item they purchase to consume while participating in the diet.
Most consider the Cabbage Soup Diet a low-cost option, but if grocery prices, especially fresh produce, are expensive where someone lives, it won’t be low-cost. One can keep costs low by using low-cost protein sources like beans and chicken.
Instead of purchasing pre-cut produce, buying uncut ones that someone has to wash and chop themselves will also help keep costs for this diet low.
What Are the Alternatives to Cabbage Soup Diet?
There are several alternatives to the Cabbage Soup Diet. Since the Cabbage Soup Diet revolves around rapid weight loss and a restrictive caloric intake, finding alternatives with the same goals is ideal. A few alternatives for the Cabbage Soup Diet are as follows.
- Whole30 Diet
- Mediterranean Diet
- DASH Diet
- SlimFast
There are more alternatives, but these are a few of the most common ones. Each one is different and allows for different foods, but they all promote weight loss and a more restrictive diet.
What Are the Facts About Cabbage Soup Diet?
Here are the main facts about the cabbage soup diet that one should know before starting:
- It is a very restrictive diet
- It can only be maintained for a short period of time, maximum two weeks
- It aids in rapid weight loss
- The weight loss is usually only temporary
- It is naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol
During the first week of the Cabbage Soup Diet, if followed strictly, one could lose up to 10 pounds.
However, it is not the best option as a weight loss diet as the weight loss is usually regained once one starts to eat normally again. Furthermore, it does not teach one how to follow a healthy, balanced diet long-term.
Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work?
The cabbage soup diet works temporarily. It works for rapid weight loss but is not sustainable if someone is searching for a way to lose and keep weight off.
Is Cabbage Soup Good for Weight Loss?
Yes, cabbage soup is good for weight loss. Whether consuming cabbage soup in addition to other healthy foods or doing the cabbage soup diet, users have seen a decent amount of weight loss.
Is the Cabbage Soup Diet Safe?
The cabbage soup diet can be safe for healthy individuals as long as it’s not prolonged. Doing the diet for two to a maximum of seven days is deemed safe, but it’s always best to consult a healthcare professional before starting a new diet.
