Old Style Weight Loss Challenge - 1st Quarter 2024

cazann

sts for me cant seem to get started 

Pixie_Cosmo

@SIRENS I don't have a soup maker, but I love soup in the winter. Most of the recipes I use take about 1/2h to cook. I have soup flasks for out and about, but tbh they don't keep the soup hot, even though I follow the instructions/advice.

I sometimes batch cook soup and freeze it in portions for variety. However my freezer is pretty full of meals right now :-).  Stilton and broccoli next week yum!

So I'll be interested to hear people's thoughts on soup makers.

Foofoopuppy

I have a pretty standard soup maker, think from qvc about 12 years ago. I love it, it tends to come out in winter and summer particularly. 

It now doesn't blend anymore, and I've seen recommendations for the fancy te-fal one, so that's under consideration. 

Soup is definitely one that I find assists with lowering your calorie count, as you long as you keep the bread with it reasonable 😆

But the ease of just being able to chuck some veggies and stock cube in and then get a hot meal means it lowers the temptation of a takeaway on days when you can't be bothered cooking for whatever reason.

SIRENS

Exactly Foofoopuppy that's what I'm hoping for I eat a lot of salads at work in the summer but can't face them this time of year as it's pretty cold in my work, I'm hoping to get more of my 5 a day in and warm me up at the same time ready for the afternoon. 

Brambling

WIs recorded - thanks guys and well done  I also have the curse of the STS but no surprises as to why!

Do we get a picture of the cat Smudge? well done on you in taking on the job of dealing with a feral cat not a easy job. My cat was/is a nervous cat and it has taken 6 years of work and he still is weary with most people other than me and my nephew who he would leave me for! 

my soup maker is a basic one, it doesn't saute, it was a christmas gift a few years ago until then if i wanted a smooth soup i would use my saucepan and a stick blender.  I still use a saucepan if i'm making a chuncky soup as i find it easier to taste as i go and I'm a cook who adds a little bit of this and a little bit of that when cooking.  i probably won't replace it when it dies put if you like smooth soups it is probably smoother than the stick blender.  I when i use to take to work and we didn't have a microwave i would heat my flask with boiling water for a few minutes and ensure the soup was really hot before putting in the flask i found it did stay really hot until lunch time a food flask rather than a drinks flask is handy if you like chunky soup.  This time of year soup is definitely my go to lunch and if you don't mind not frying off you onion or leek can be really low calorie although you have to enjoy it

suzeesu2000

 SIRENS, you're better off with a decent sized saucepan to be honset. I've looked at quite a few soup makers, as I eat a lot of it, and none of them deliver on quantity. 

Funny enough I just made 3 pints of veg soup for the weekend. Took les than half an hour including the washing up. Will do me for tea and Saturday. Hope it will help on the weight loss as I dont have anything with it. On the frugal side, just bunged all my veg that was going a bit soft in the blender, blended down, put in pan with chicken stock, herbs, pepper and simmered. Added some of that cream that isnt cream and I can never remember the name of and jobs done.

SIRENS

Thank you Brambling, yes I would probably use a food flask as I only have. 20 minute break so don't want to waste precious minutes with the microwave. I leave for work around 7:45 and have lunch about 12;30-1 so should keep at least warm til then if I preheat it. 

catz4m8z

I love my soup maker. I have a Morphy Richards one and it always gets plenty of use over the winter. I find it brilliant for getting plenty of veg in your diet.....and for using up that veg that is about to go off!
Often I'll make a smooth soup in it then add roasted veg, lentils/beans, tofu, etc afterwards to make more of a stew.  (and more portions! LOL).

Foofoopuppy

Further to what @suzeesu2000 has said, the soup maker generally does 3-4 portions depending on how much you eat, I generally find that's enough to not get fed up of it and eat for a few days, but I don't freeze soup. If you're planning to freeze you will want to make sure you get a big one.

SIRENS

Thank you all, I'm off to have a look, it's just my two teens and myself although in the week it would only be lunches for me as they eat at college/uni. But will look at a larger one so I can cook for the week x