Comments on: Protein Power Soup Diet Soup

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:37:08 +0000

Hi Mary,

This looks delicious!

However, although I’m sure it is something I have missed, I was surprised by the Calorie figure you gave per serving.

Protein per serving = 27.5 grams

Effective Carb per serving = 14 grams

Calories per serving = 345

My understanding is that protein and carbohydrates both have a bit less than 4 Calories per gram.

Assuming 4 Calories per gram to be a worst case scenario then I calculate the Calories per serving from these two macro nutrients to be at most (27.5 + 14) * 4 = 166.

That leaves a conservative guesstimate of 179 Calories per serving unaccounted for.

These remaining calories would presumably have to come from fat because the other two macro nutrients – carbohydrates and protein – have already been accounted for.

At (roughly) 9 Calories per gram of fat, this would suggest that each serving has to contain around (179 / 9) = 19.8 grams of fat.

The recipe looks far too low fat for this to be the case (a single serving containing 1/2 of a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 a pound of skinless chicken surely couldn’t amount to this much fat).

What am I missing?

Are you including calories found in the fibre (which I always thought was undigestable and thus generally left uncounted).

If you are supposed to count fibre towards calories, how is this calculated? If not, is that why you use the words “Effective Carb”?

Or is it simpler than that, does one of the ingredients contain more fat than I might realise? (for instance the chicken broth…)

Thanks for a great recipe!
-Kevin

COMMENT from MD EADES: The balance comes from fat and fiber. Although fiber can be deducted from a carbohydrate standpoint, since it’s not ‘effective’ at raising blood sugar or insulin, it does have a caloric burden. In the colon, bacteria digest the fiber and liberate free fatty acids (primarily butyric acid) which are used by the colonocytes as nutrients. So the calories of fiber count, though not as carbs.

By: SandyWatson

SandyWatson — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:30:40 +0000

Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?

COMMENT from MD EADES: What part did you have in mind?

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:39:37 +0000

Hi Mary. The above just means I linked to this article from my own blog. The text you see is the text from my own post that actually linked here, it’s known as a ‘pingback’, sorry about the confusion.
Mark

COMMENT from MD EADES: Oh. Thanks. You can see how primitive my blog workings knowledge is!

By: Gerald (Jerry) Landis

Gerald (Jerry) Landis — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:06:46 +0000

Soup for breakfast.
A different idea?

Blessings!
COMMENT from MD EADES: Well, it would certainly be fine to have it for breakfast, but in the Soup Diet that was published in Woman’s World a few years back, there were some breakfast choices more typical of what breakfast usually means to most folks: eggs and bacon, sausage, ham or fish; yogurt with protein powder; protein shakes and the like.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:39:07 +0000

I can rememeber about 4yrs ago a info mercial about protein power plan. Then it was protein breakfast, lunch and then at dinner it was protein, low carb veggie and then and only then one serving of whatever carb you wanted. Any other time it was sticking to protein or allowable veggie carbs. Do I have this confused with another plan? I liked that plan, but know after reading their new book…….. it has carbs split throughout the day. You seem very knowligble and I was hoping you may know this?
Luv the soup too. Thanx Heidi Jo

COMMENT from MD EADES: Not sure what plan you were remembering, but every book we’ve written about our Protein Power nutritional regimen, to date at least, has had carbs spread out throughout the day, including the version sold as The Protein Power Plan sold from 1997 thru 2001 on tv. Glad you enjoyed the soup.

By: MuscleHack | How Much Protein is Needed to Build Muscle?

MuscleHack | How Much Protein is Needed to Build Muscle? — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:37:24 +0000

[...] enough protein in your diet is essential for building muscle. Knowing just how much is enough can be a little [...]

COMMENT from MD EADES: Not sure I get your point or question.

By: Jean

Jean — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:56:39 +0000

Thank you so much for posting this recipe! After doing an internet search today looking for the original Protein Power Soup recipe, I was pleasantly surprised to see your post from June 6, 2007. I cooked several batches in the summer of 2004 and then I lost the article & recipe.

After posting my comments to you, I’m on my way to the nearby farmers produce stand for fresh yellow summer squash & zucchini. Thanks again! Jean

COMMENT from MD EADES: You’re welcome; enjoy!

By: Anna

Anna — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:29:51 +0000

Excellent timing! I saw your soup post moments after starting a chicken carcass in the slow cooker for broth, and there’s some chicken meat in the fridge (cooked in the slow cooker yesterday afternoon). I have been getting our chickens from a nearby farm lately and these truly free-range birds are quite strong and well-muscled (unlike their weak chicken-farm counterparts) and they seem to cook best in the slow cooker, rather than with dry heat methods.

Additionally, I have a half bunch of kale and lots of carrots from our CSA veggie farm share subscription. Our son can have some Trader Joe’s sprouted wheat noodles added his soup bowl.

Wow, dinner’s practically done already! Thanks, Anna

COMMENT from MD EADES: Glad to be of service ;D And you’ve hit the nail on the head–use what you have on hand and it’s all good!