Satisfying soup suppresses appetite!

It almost sounds like a National Enquirer headline, doesn't it?

Anyway, in a study at Johns Hopkins University, researchers compared soup with other appetizers to see which most effectively dimmed the desire to eat. Here's what they did. They invited 12 men to lunch for two weeks. On different days, the men received different appetizers of tomato soup, Muenster cheese on crackers, or fresh fruit. Calories in each appetizer portion were equal. Then the men were given a main course to eat.

Results: Tomato soup was the most satisfying appetizer. It beat out all the others in reducing the number of calories of the entree that were consumed. The least satisfying appetizer: cheese and crackers. Soup reduced later calorie intake by 25 percent compared with cheese and crackers. (It's not clear to me how they determined that, but hey! I'm believing the synopsis, especially after my own unscientific experiment, described below)

This little beauty did the trick for me this evening. And in addition to being "effective at dimming the desire to eat, " it's incredibly simple to make. Just bring some broth to a boil (I used chicken broth but you could use vegetable if you like), add some parsley, edamame (or substitute frozen peas) and small whole-wheat pasta, cook till the pasta is done, add a touch of white wine and salt, and top with fresh parmesan. Full recipe.

[Hmmm ... do you suppose this soup qualifies for Sweetnick's ARF (Antioxidant Rich Foods)Tuesday?]

I must confess, I'm not a fan of clear-broth soups most of the time, although I do adore a good salty miso soup. But this little cuppa tasted mighty fine! I was waiting for T to come home for a late dinner, so my tummy was growling away. Eating a cup of this soup was incedibly satisfying. By the time we had dinner an hour and a half later, I still wasn't in any rush to get to my meal. If, like me, you're working on getting the pounds off, give this a try! I'd love to hear what you think.

I'm going to have to try making my own tomato soup one of these days. Do you have a favorite recipe?