Soup for Hungry Days

We all have days where we actually aren't feeling all that hungry- where it feels like a struggle to get everything in. On those days, it makes sense to choose food that is less bulky. Choose the smaller entrees, and maybe drink low sodium V8 rather than eat four servings of vegetables (4oz counts as one vegetable serving).

But, we probably all have days where we feel like we could eat everything in sight! On those days, it's helpful to bulk up your entrees as best you can so that you feel as satisfied as possible. The more full you feel, the less likely you are to grab something you shouldn't eat just because you're hungry, right?

I will eat salads sometimes, but I've always been more of a fan of cooked vegetables. They feel denser to me, and I just tend to prefer the flavour. Right now I'm on a zucchini kick, so when I woke up with my stomach rumbling, I went looking for options that would feel more satisfying. Lots of people make various unlimited soups, and while I tend not to be a fan of the mixed veggies in broth since I find it tends to be more bland, I do love the faux creamy soups!

This zucchini soup is easy to make and I don't think you'll be disappointed by the flavour of this soup, and since it's unlimited you can enjoy a second (or third!) bowl on a hungry day.

Cream of Zucchini Soup (Vegetable Ideas):

1 32oz carton of no sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want it to be vegetarian)
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium zucchini, chopped, skin on
2 cloves garlic
black pepper, basil, marjoram, garam masala spice (to taste)

This is the easiest recipe you'll ever follow- throw everything into a pot and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, or about fifteen minutes on low medium. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend until the soup is nice and creamy- if not, let the soup cool, then run it through a food processor until it's smooth, then warm it up again.

If desired, you can top with 1/2 tbsp. fat free sour cream or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese as a free food (remember to keep it at ten calories or less!). Each cup of soup counts as 2 vegetable servings, but since it's all unlimited vegetables, feel free to eat more if you're hungry!


So while I was eating my soup, the question was what dinner entrée I'd like to have with it. I felt like having something different today, and while I was surfing Facebook a recipe for bruschetta popped up and that sounded absolutely delicious. Now of course, we don't want to use the French bread it called for, since that is definitely not low glycemic. But we've got many options available if you don't have a bread that would be good for flexing (since you need either a thick or dense bread so it doesn't get soggy from the tomatoes).

In the past, I've confirmed with Dietary Services at Nutrisystem that if you choose not to use their sauce and cheese with the Italian Herb Flatbread Pizza, that the sauce is approximately 20 calories and the cheese is approximately 70 calories. Since the crust is very dense, it is perfect for this recipe!

Italian Herb Bruschetta (Dinner):

1 Italian Herb Flatbread Pizza, crust only
1/2 clove garlic, mashed
1 oz low fat crumbly cheese (I used goat cheese, but feta works well too)
1/4 cup no sodium Italian canned tomatoes (or else dice 1 medium Roma tomato and season with fresh basil and black pepper)

This was the perfect accompaniment to my Cream of Zucchini soup! Preheat your oven to low broil. Mash the garlic into a paste, and brush it over the pizza crust. Top with the tomatoes and your cheese, and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browning.

This counts as a Nutrisystem dinner entrée (minus 20 calories for the sauce, but I think that is negligible) plus 1/2 veggie. If you want to use their cheese, you can- otherwise it doesn't change anything materially to substitute in 70 calories of your own cheese, and I think this recipe in particular would be enhanced with a better flavour of cheese.

With the soup, it made a filling and delicious dinner!