Weight-loss stew: Three recipes with quantities and nutritional values

November 10, 2026approx. 18 minutesby mybody x Editorial & Expert Team

How do you cook a weight-loss stew in five steps?

Choose your legume, add vegetables, decide on protein, account for the salt, and then cook one of the three recipes.

The process at a glance

Also in this article

What do you need for a weight-loss stew?

You need a large pot, a kitchen scale, and ingredients from a few groups. All quantities are given in grams.

What you need

• A large pot with a lid and a kitchen scale
• Legumes: lentils, weighed dry, or chickpeas, weighed cooked
• Vegetables and potatoes, weighed raw
• Prepared vegetable broth
• Rapeseed oil, also measured on the scale
• Chicken breast fillet, optionally, weighed raw
• Herbs and spices to taste

This article focuses on just one dish, a stew, and works through its numbers in detail. If you prefer to switch between hot and cold dishes in the evening, you’ll find separate ideas for hot and cold dinners.

Why a stew? The reason is energy density, meaning the kilocalories per gram of a food. It depends mainly on water, at 0 kcal per gram, and fat, at 9 kcal per gram; more water or water-rich ingredients such as vegetables lower it (Rolls, 2017). People tend to eat a similar weight of food, so they consume less energy when energy density is lower (Rolls, 2009).

The editorial team at mybody x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) calculated all the nutritional values here using the German Nutrient Database. The BLS is the Max Rubner Institute’s nutritional database, shown here in version 4.0 (BLS 4.0, 2025). “Calculated” means: multiply the amount of each ingredient in grams by its value per 100 g, divide by 100, add everything up, and divide by four servings.

Step 1: Lentils or chickpeas, dry or cooked?

Either works; what matters is which form you weigh. Dry lentils have 323 kcal per 100 g, while cooked lentils have 119 kcal (BLS 4.0, 2025).

During cooking, legumes absorb water, so the same energy is spread across more grams. For chickpeas, the BLS lists 317 kcal per 100 g when dry and 151 kcal when cooked (BLS 4.0, 2025).

That is why the ingredient lists in this article always specify which form is meant, and the calculations use that exact form. There is one caveat: in the BLS, the values for cooked foods apply to cooking in water, not broth (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Cooked lentils provide 9.1 g of protein and 7.2 g of fiber per 100 g, while cooked chickpeas provide 8.4 g of protein and 10.6 g of fiber (BLS 4.0, 2025). According to the DGE (2021), fiber affects, among other things, how filling food is and how long it takes to pass through the stomach and intestines. The DGE recommends that adults consume at least 30 g of fiber a day (DGE, 2021). Learn more about what fiber is.

The German Nutrition Society gives legumes a regular place in its weekly recommendations. They apply to healthy adults aged 18 to 65 who eat an omnivorous diet (DGE, 2024).

Step 2: Which vegetables lower the energy density of the stew?

White cabbage and carrots add plenty of volume with little energy: raw white cabbage has 32 kcal per 100 g, and carrots 40 kcal (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Onions are in the same range, with 34 kcal per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). More vegetables mean more water in the dish, which is exactly what lowers its energy density (Rolls, 2017).

Peeled potatoes, weighed raw, contain 83 kcal per 100 g, more than twice as much as cabbage (BLS 4.0, 2025). They turn the vegetable stew into a complete main meal, which is why they feature in two of the three recipes.

The vegetables also contribute fiber: white cabbage provides 3.0 g per 100 g, and carrots provide 2.9 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). The DGE recommends at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, preferably when they are in season (DGE, 2024).

Step 3: How do you add protein to the stew?

A stew does not need meat to provide protein. If you add chicken, use breast fillet, which contains 23.3 g of protein per 100 g, weighed raw (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Raw chicken breast fillet contains 109 kcal and 1.8 g of fat per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). For comparison, cooked lentils provide 9.1 g of protein per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

For meat and sausage, the DGE sets an upper limit: if you eat them, no more than 300 g per week (DGE, 2024). This is a limit for the whole week, not an assessment of a single recipe.

Step 4: How much salt do the stock and canned ingredients add to the stew?

With no added salt, the salt in the stew comes from the stock and canned ingredients. Prepared vegetable stock contains 0.67 g of salt per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Stock cubes or stock powder, on the other hand, contain 51.7 g of salt per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). When calculating, use the value for the form that actually goes into the pot, and the amount you really use.

Canned legumes show a similar pattern. Drained canned chickpeas contain 0.562 g of salt per 100 g, compared with 0.002 g in home-cooked chickpeas (BLS 4.0, 2025). Canned white beans in tomato sauce contain 0.815 g of salt per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

The database entries for canned tomatoes vary widely. Sodium is the component that gives table salt, or sodium chloride, its name. “Tomato, canned” contains 86 mg of sodium per 100 g in the BLS, while “Tomato, peeled, canned” has just 4 mg (BLS 4.0, 2025). The database does not represent a single can, so it is worth checking the label on your own.

The DGE sets the limit: No more than 6 g of table salt per day, although the average is 10 g (DGE, accessed 2026). According to the DGE, around 2/3 of daily salt intake comes from processed foods (DGE, accessed 2026). Its advice for the kitchen: start by rounding out the flavor with herbs and spices.

Step 5: Three stew recipes for weight loss, with quantities

Each recipe makes four servings, and all quantities are given in grams, including the oil. The editorial team set the quantities, and the nutritional values per serving were calculated from them using the BLS (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Water for topping up, as well as herbs and spices, are not included in the calculation. If you're looking for something different for lunch, find more dishes for your lunch break.

Recipe 1: Lentil stew with potatoes and carrots

Ingredients for four servings, values according to BLS 4.0 (2025):

• 200 g lentils, weighed dry
• 300 g potatoes, peeled and weighed raw
• 200 g raw carrots
• 100 g raw onions
• 200 g strained tomatoes
• 1000 g prepared vegetable broth
• 10 g rapeseed oil
• Herbs and spices to taste

1. Dice the onions and carrots, and cut the potatoes into chunks.
2. Heat the rapeseed oil in the pot and sauté the onions until translucent.
3. Add the carrots and potatoes and sauté briefly.
4. Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot with the strained tomatoes and stock.
5. Cover and simmer until the lentils are soft. Add water as needed.
6. Season with herbs and spices to taste.

Lentil stew · per serving, calculated (BLS 4.0, 2025)

Recipe 2: Chickpea and vegetable stew with white cabbage

Ingredients for four servings, values according to BLS 4.0 (2025):

• 400 g chickpeas, cooked and weighed after draining
• 400 g raw white cabbage
• 200 g raw carrots
• 100 g raw onions
• 400 g canned peeled tomatoes
• 750 g prepared vegetable stock
• 10 g rapeseed oil
• Herbs and spices to taste

1. Cut the cabbage into strips and dice the onions and carrots.
2. Heat the rapeseed oil in the pot and sauté the onions until translucent.
3. Sauté the cabbage and carrots briefly.
4. Crush the peeled tomatoes in the pot and pour in the stock.
5. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is soft.
6. Stir in the chickpeas, heat through, and season with herbs and spices.

Chickpea and vegetable stew · per serving, calculated (BLS 4.0, 2025)

Recipe 3: Chicken and white cabbage stew with potatoes

Ingredients for four servings, values according to BLS 4.0 (2025):

• 400 g raw chicken breast fillet
• 500 g raw white cabbage
• 300 g potatoes, peeled and weighed raw
• 200 g raw carrots
• 100 g raw onions
• 1000 g prepared vegetable broth
• 10 g rapeseed oil
• Herbs and spices to taste

1. Dice the fillet and cut the cabbage into strips. Dice the remaining vegetables.
2. Heat the rapeseed oil in the pot, brown the meat on all sides, and remove it.
3. Sauté the onions in the same pot until translucent, then add the cabbage and carrots.
4. Add the potatoes and broth and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft.
5. Return the meat to the pot and cook until it is no longer pink inside.
6. Season with herbs and spices to taste.

Chicken and white cabbage stew · per serving, calculated (BLS 4.0, 2025)

Calculated per serving, all three pots contain between 266 and 299 kcal (BLS 4.0, 2025). The legume stews are highest in fiber, while the chicken stew is highest in protein.

What do the studies show about having soup before a meal?

The studies concern soup as a starter, not stew as a main course. In a laboratory study, having soup beforehand reduced the energy content of the whole meal by 20% compared with no starter (Flood & Rolls, 2007).

For this study, 60 normal-weight adults came to the laboratory for lunch once a week over 5 weeks (Flood & Rolls, 2007). Energy from the soup and main course was 134 kcal lower with soup than without a starter, and whether the soup was chunky or puréed made no difference (Flood & Rolls, 2007).

This is a result from a single meal in a laboratory. The participants were normal weight, and the soup was low in energy. The study does not provide evidence of weight loss. A stew as a main course is not a starter.

In a later review, Barbara Rolls summarizes that a large portion of a low-energy food served as a starter, such as soup or salad, can increase satiety and reduce intake over the whole meal (Rolls, 2017). This, too, refers to a starter. According to Rolls (2009), why energy density has this effect is not yet well understood, and data from controlled studies lasting more than a few days are limited.

The authors of the S3 guideline on obesity found strong and consistent evidence of an association between energy density and weight gain in adults (S3 guideline, 2024). According to the guideline, in a 2014 statement the DGE described energy density as a useful concept, provided nutrient density is also considered—that is, the amount of nutrients in relation to energy (S3 guideline, 2024).

For everyday eating, this means that a stew is a low-energy-density dish that can be filling. That doesn’t mean it will help you lose weight. The article what fills you up and what doesn’t explains what else matters besides energy density. The DGE points to one simple factor: eating slowly and mindfully promotes satiety (DGE, 2024).

This article focuses on everyday nutrition. If you want to know what is proven about preventing type 2 diabetes, you’ll find that in a separate article.

What calculation errors are easiest to make with a stew?

The biggest discrepancies arise when the form and database entry don’t match. The table shows four mix-ups using values from the BLS (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Calculation errors and how to avoid them (BLS 4.0, 2025)

How do you turn a stew into a plan for several weeks?

A stew is one dish; a week has more meals. If you’re looking for structure, plan different dishes in rotation and make the stew on days when you need something quick.

Anyone wondering whether recipes can suit their own predispositions should know how far the research goes. A position paper by the DGE stated in 2022 that evidence for the effectiveness of gene-based dietary recommendations was still largely lacking (paraphrased from Holzapfel et al., 2022). The article Determining your metabolism type explains what a metabolism type can and can’t measure.

The DNA Metabolism Analysis is a DNA test using a saliva sample that you take once in your life. It analyzes over 80 genetic variations; the report includes 24 analysis reports in 5 chapters over around 140 pages (mybody x, as of 2026).

It also includes a recipe book with practical everyday dishes and a 28-day plan for the first four weeks (mybody x, as of 2026). There are no prohibitions or diet plan, just suggestions that suit your predispositions. One finding concerns the predisposition to “insatiability and hunger,” which is linked to the FTO and NMB genes. A predisposition doesn’t determine your future.

What the analysis can’t tell us is part of the picture: It doesn’t measure a substance in the body or evaluate individual foods. It doesn’t promise that the plan or recipes will lead to weight loss. If you only want the findings, the WeightLoss SLIM DNA test is enough.

Limitations: What the numbers on the stew can’t tell us

Every number here has a context.

• The soup study by Flood and Rolls (2007) is a laboratory experiment with people of normal weight, covering one meal each, with low-energy soup as a starter. The abstract was read, not the full text.
• The two reviews on energy density (Rolls, 2009 and 2017) are by an author who developed a program based on energy density. Here too, only the summary was available.
• The DGE statement on energy density is supported only by the S3 guideline (2024), not by the original source.
• The DGE recommendations apply to healthy adults aged 18 to 65 who eat a mixed diet (DGE, 2024).
• The energy values in the BLS are calculated using a formula, not measured (BLS 4.0, 2025).
• The nutritional values for the recipes are calculated from the ingredient weights, without cooking loss or water absorption.
• The DNA metabolism analysis shows predispositions. It does not provide a diagnosis or measure a blood value.

What can stew do for weight loss?

Stew is no trick; it’s a dish that provides a generous serving with few calories per gram thanks to its vegetables and stock. If you know the form of each ingredient and count the salt from the stock and canned ingredients, you know exactly what’s in the pot. Studies on soup examine a starter in a lab, not a way to reach your desired weight. The next step: get out your scale and pot and cook one of the recipes.

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Sources

1. Flood J. E. & Rolls B. J.: Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake, Appetite (2007); Rolls B. J.: The relationship between dietary energy density and energy intake, Physiology & Behavior (2009), and Dietary energy density, Nutrition Bulletin (2017) – europepmc.org, europepmc.org, europepmc.org
2. German Nutrition Society: Eating and Drinking Well (2024), Sweet, Salty and Fatty Foods (accessed 2026), Reference Values for Fiber (basis for calculation as of 2021) – dge.de, dge.de, dge.de
3. Max Rubner Institute: German Nutrient Database 4.0 (as of 2025); S3 Guideline on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity (2024) – blsdb.de, awmf.org
4. Holzapfel C. et al.: DGE Position Paper on Nutrigenetics, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2022) – europepmc.org

The statements on energy density and soup as a starter are based on [1], while the recommendations on legumes, vegetables, meat, salt, and fiber are based on [2]. All nutritional values for the ingredients and calculated recipe values are based on the BLS in [3], while the statement on energy density and weight gain is based on the guideline in [3]. The assessment of gene-based dietary recommendations follows [4]. The information on the DNA metabolism analysis is from mybody x, reviewed on 10.11.2026.