Eating a multicourse meal may actually help you scale back on how much you pile in. People who had soup before a meal ate 134 fewer total calories than those who headed straight to the main course, according to a study in the journal Appetite. “Soups and salads can fill you up for very few calories, so you eat less later,” says Keri M. Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. “They give you a lot of volume and are rich in vitamins and minerals.” Stick to vegetable and bean soups over cream-based ones—they have fewer calories and more fiber.
