From this point on, overeating is almost inevitable, from Thanksgiving dinners (and leftovers) to holiday parties and family get-togethers. But if you’re looking to detox, instead of doing the ever-popular juice cleanse, Nicole Chaszar suggests reaching for some soup.
“The soup cleanse is the answer to the overly sweet, very low fiber juices that leave you feeling kind of crummy,” said Chaszar, the founder of Splendid Spoon, a three-year-old micro-soupery based in Long Island City. “The cleanse experience is supposed to leave you satisfied.”
To that end, Chaszar offers one-, two- and three-day soup cleanse packages comprised of her seasonal, plant-based soups, ranging from $55 to $138 and sold through her website, Thesplendidspoon.com. (Splendid Spoon soups are also available by the pint through online grocers including Fresh Direct, Good Eggs and Farm to People.)
The cleanse includes three pureed soups and two chunky soups comprised of seasonal plants and veggies such as beets, kale, butternut squash and mushrooms, that are high in fiber and low in sugar.
“I take a lot of care to make sure the nutritional value is increased as we cook, and the seasonings are simple but delicious,” Chaszar says. “You don’t feel as if you’re punishing yourself, but rewarding yourself. You’re really taking the time to nourish yourself the way you should be nourished.”
A day’s cleanse averages 715 calories. Because you’re eating fewer calories than normal, you may lose weight on the cleanse, too, especially after the three-day, but Chaszar doesn’t see her soup cleanse as a quick fix.
“It’s more about focusing on the signals of your body, and becoming aware again of what it feels like to be satisfied and full,” Chaszar says. “It’s one to three days of focusing on eating well and following a regiment, so you’re not tempted by happy hour or that catered pizza lunch.”
