The winter soup diet that could help you shed 6kg in seven days

As the weather gets colder it can be hard to avoid piling on the kilos, but some Aussies are swearing by a modern twist on a classic soup diet which they say can help kickstart winter weight loss.

Its key ingredients are cabbage, onions, mushrooms, celery and tinned tomatoes, adding extra ingredients like chicken and brown rice on certain days.

The recipe is said to help with weight loss because it is low in calories but high in fibre and helps you feel fuller for longer.

These days, modern flavours like chili or packet onion soup can be added.

The Dietitians Association says 38 percent of women are expected to gain up to five kilograms over winter, with more than half of men also expected to gain weight.

Dietitian Julie Gilbert says the kickstart cabbage soup diet is a short-term technique – she recommends following the recipe for three days exclusively, before adding in other foods.

"This is a diet you can kick start your winter weight loss program certainly not something to do over whole of winter," Ms Gilbert told 9NEWS.

Always talk to your health care professional before starting any weight loss program.

The Weight Reduction Club of Queensland doesn’t suggest the soup diet but gives members other long-term ways to ward off winter kilo creep. It recommends keeping a food diary and to get moving any way you can.

Kickstart Cabbage soup seven-day diet:

Day 1: You can eat as much fruit as you want (except bananas) along with unlimited cabbage soup, water and unsweetened tea and coffee.

Day 2: Avoid fruit but eat raw veg and cabbage soup. You're even allowed a baked potato in the evening!

Day 3: As much cabbage soup, fruit and vegetables as you like (excluding potatoes and bananas).

Day 4: Unlimited cabbage soup and skimmed milk plus up to eight bananas.

Day 5: Unlimited cabbage soup and 565g of beef (or chicken) and six tomatoes. Makes sure you drink 6-8 glasses of water.

Day 6: As much cabbage soup, beef and vegetables as you like (excluding potatoes).

Day 7: Unlimited cabbage soup, a little brown rice and sugar-free fruit juice.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 head of cabbage

- 6x onions

- 2xgreen capsicums

- 2x cans of diced tomato

- 250g of mushrooms

- 1xbunch of celery

- 3xcarrots

- 2x Stock cubes

- Salt and pepper

Extra Ingredients:

- Chilli flakes

- Hot sauce

- Dry onion soup

- Cayenne pepper

- Curry powder

- Mixed herbs or any other seasoning.

Extras:

1. Use spray oil to fry the chopped onions in a large pot.

2. Add the green capsicums pieces and cook for one min.

3. Add the chopped cabbage leaves, sliced carrots, celery and mushrooms.

4. Sprinkle over a little of the extras.

5. Add 12 cups of water and any additional stock cubes.

6. Cook over a medium heat until the soup is the vegetables are tender and the soup is the right consistency.