Eating anything that's water-based is always a great idea and this includes soups, stews and risottos. Stock cubes are an excellent, cheap and flavoursome way of making water much more interesting.

Indulging in a cup of soup before a meal (or as a snack) is a healthy way to reduce your urge to eat a lot when the proper meal time comes around. Women who regularly use soup in their diet are proven to be much more successful at slimming, but remember it can have an adverse effect when you get hooked on 'Cream of' soups.