7 Day cabbage soup diet is one of those quick-fix weight loss plans that never completely disappears. Before you commit to seven days of wonder soup, it’s worth understanding what this diet really does to your body.

If you’ve ever googled quick weight loss or scrolled through New Year diet trends, you’ve probably seen the cabbage soup diet pop up. It promises fast results from a simple wonder soup also known as original cabbage soup that you can eat as much as you like for 7 days.

As a nutrition focused recipe developer who also loves a good big bowl of veggie soup, I totally understand the appeal. A cheap, delicious and easy soup you can batch cook, that might also help with weight loss? Of course it goes viral every few years. But the reality is more complicated.

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• What the cabbage soup diet actually is?
• The typical 7 day cabbage soup diet plan (day by day)
• What results can you get from 7 day cabbage diet results vs what really happens
• Pros and cons, side effects, and who should avoid cabbage soup diet
• And, a healthier way to enjoy cabbage soup for weight loss without crash dieting

Quick note: This post is for general information. It’s not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or dietitian before starting any restrictive diet, especially if you have health conditions or take medications.

What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The cabbage soup diet is a short-term, very low-calorie eating plan that usually lasts 7 days. The star of this 7 day cabbage soup diet plan is a simple vegetable soup made mainly with cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

You’ll see it online under a lot of different names:

• Cabbage soup diet soup
• Wonder soup or miracle soup
• Fat-burning cabbage soup
• Original Cabbage Soup Recipe
• Detox cabbage soup
• Sometimes even linked with military diet or old hospital diet stories

The promise is dramatic: eat unlimited amounts of this low calorie cabbage soup plus a few allowed foods each day, and you can lose several pounds in a week.

What makes it different from just eating a healthy cabbage soup?

• It’s not just a recipe it’s a strict 7 day schedule
• The overall calories are usually extremely low
• Food choices are very limited and repetitive
• It’s meant as a quick fix, not a long term way of eating

The Classic 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan (Day by Day)

There are many versions, but most 7 day cabbage soup diet plans look something like this:

• Day 1 : Fruit Day
  Unlimited cabbage soup + any fruit you like, except bananas.
• Day 2: Vegetables Day
  Cabbage soup + non-starchy vegetables (often a baked potato with a little butter is allowed at dinner).
• Day 3: Fruits + Veggies
  Cabbage soup + a mix of fruits and vegetables (still no bananas or potatoes).
• Day 4: Bananas and Milk Day
  Cabbage soup + bananas + skim milk or unsweetened yogurt.
• Day 5: Protein + Tomatoes
  Cabbage soup + lean protein (usually beef or chicken) + tomatoes. Vegetarians can include Tofu
• Day 6: Protein + Veggies
  Cabbage soup + more lean protein + non-starchy vegetables.
• Day 7: Brown Rice Day
  Cabbage soup + brown rice + vegetables + sometimes unsweetened fruit juice.

Different websites and TikTok videos tweak the details, but the structure is similar:
a lot of soup, a little fruit, veg and some protein on certain days, and overall very few calories.

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work ?

Short answer: most of the weight you lose is from water and glycogen, not all body fat.

Here’s what’s usually happening behind the scenes:

• The diet is very low in calories, often well under what most adults need just to maintain weight. Healthline
• You’re eating mostly high fibre, high water vegetables, which fill your stomach for very few calories.
• When you suddenly drop calories like this, your body uses up stored glycogen (carbohydrate stored in muscles and liver) and the water attached to it so the scale moves quickly at first. Medical News Today

That’s why people often report:

• “I lost 5–10 pounds in a week!”
• But then regain a lot of it once they return to normal eating.

There’s no special fat burning magic in cabbage itself. Cabbage is a nutritious vegetable, but the fat-burning reputation comes from the extreme calorie deficit, not from a special ingredient in the soup.

Cabbage Soup Diet Results: What Can You Really Expect?

If you follow a 7 day cabbage soup diet strictly, you’ll very likely see the scale go down simply because you’re eating so much less.

But it’s important to understand what those results mean:

• A large part of the loss is water weight and stored glycogen, especially in the first few days.
• You may also lose some lean muscle, especially if the diet is low in protein.
• Once you go back to your usual pattern of eating, a lot of that weight tends to come back.

Some people use the cabbage soup diet as a short reset before moving into a more balanced plan. Others end up in a frustrating cycle of:

Strict 7 days → weight drops → normal eating → weight jumps back → try another extreme diet.

Long term, that all or nothing pattern can make weight management feel harder, not easier.

Pros of the Cabbage Soup Diet (Yes, There Are a Few)

Let’s be fair and talk about what actually works here, even if I don’t love the overall diet:

• You eat more vegetables.
  The soup is loaded with cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes all nutrient-dense, low calorie foods.
• You get a short term calorie reset.
  For some people, a structured 7-day plan can feel easier than eat a bit less overall , especially after a holiday or period of overeating.
• It’s simple to follow.
  No calorie tracking apps, no macro calculations just a pot of soup and a basic daily food list. 

If you struggle with snacking on ultra processed foods, a week of big, simple, home cooked soup can feel mentally refreshing.

Cons and Risks: Why Most Experts Call It a Fad Diet

Now, the bigger picture. Most health professionals and nutrition writers consider the cabbage soup diet a fad and not something to repeat often or follow long-term.

Here’s why.

1. Very low in calories

For many people, the total daily intake on this diet ends up well under 1,200 calories, sometimes closer to 800–1,000. That’s lower than what most adults need for basic metabolic functions, let alone exercise or an active lifestyle.

2. Not nutritionally balanced

On several days of the classic 7 days cabbage soup diet plan:

• Protein is very low
• Healthy fats are almost non existent
• The overall diet is skewed towards soup, fruit and some veg, with very little variety

Followed beyond a short timeframe, that can lead to nutrient gaps, fatigue, weakness and cravings.

3. Mostly short-term, water-based weight loss

Crash diets like this tend to:

• Drop weight quickly in the first week (mostly water)
• Slow down your metabolic rate if repeated often
• Make it easier to regain weight once normal eating resumes 

4. Possible side effects

People often report:

• Headaches, dizziness, low energy
• Digestive issues like gas, bloating or cramps (cabbage is high in fibre and can trigger symptoms for some) 
• Moodiness and strong cravings
• Difficulty concentrating

Who Should Avoid the Cabbage Soup Diet?

Always talk to your healthcare provider, but in general, the cabbage soup diet is not appropriate for:

• People with a history of disordered eating or yo-yo dieting
• Those with diabetes or blood sugar regulation issues
• Anyone with digestive conditions worsened by high-fibre, cruciferous vegetables
• Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals
• People on certain medications that interact with very low-calorie or very low-carb diets

If you recognise yourself in any of those categories, treat cabbage soup as a food  not a structured 7 day crash diet for weightloss .

A Healthier Way to Use Cabbage Soup for Weight Loss

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to throw away the idea of cabbage soup altogether.

A hearty, vegetable rich soup can be a fantastic tool in a balanced weight loss approach, if you use it differently:

• As a starter before a meal: research on low calorie soups shows they can help reduce how much you eat at the main course. 
• As a light lunch or dinner, pair the cabbage soup with enough protein (beans, lentils, tofu, paneer, eggs, or meat if you eat it).
• As part of a routine that also includes movement, strength training, sleep and realistic calorie intake not as the only thing you eat all day.

If you like the idea of a cabbage based “weight loss soup” but want it to be more balanced, you might enjoy my Weight Loss Cabbage Soup recipe it keeps the feel of the original wonder soup but with better flavour and a more realistic approach.

 weight loss cabbage soup recipe

In the above recipe, you can:

• Add beans, chickpeas, lentils or tofu to boost protein
• Adjust the spice and herbs to your taste
• Batch cook and freeze portions so you always have a healthy option ready

Example: 1-Day Balanced Menu Using Cabbage Soup

Instead of a full 7 day cabbage soup diet, here’s what a more balanced day might look like, where cabbage soup plays a supporting role:

• Breakfast
  Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt + berries + a sprinkle of oats or granola
• Lunch
  1–2 bowls of cabbage soup + whole grain toast + hummus or cottage cheese
• Snack
  Fruit + a handful of nuts or seeds
• Dinner
  A protein rich main (tofu stir-fry, lentil curry, baked fish or chicken) + vegetables + a small portion of rice, quinoa or potatoes

You still get the light, full feeling from soup, but your body also gets enough protein, carbs and healthy fats to function well and preserve muscle.

Cabbage Soup Diet FAQs

Bottom Line: Is the Cabbage Soup Diet Worth It?

The cabbage soup diet keeps coming back because it offers exactly what many of us secretly want: fast results with simple rules.

But underneath the wonder soup and lose 10 pounds in 7 days headlines, it’s still a very low-calorie, short term fad diet:

• It can lead to quick, mostly temporary weight loss
• It’s not nutritionally balanced or sustainable
• It doesn’t teach you how to eat for long-term health and weight management

My suggestion as a recipe developer and nutritionist:

• Enjoy cabbage soup as a healthy, budget friendly, veggie packed meal,
• Use it as one tool among many in a balanced, realistic weight-loss plan,
• And skip the strict, repeat 7-day cabbage soup diet cycles.

If you’d like a cabbage soup you can actually keep in your routine, my Weight Loss Cabbage Soup is designed exactly for that flavourful, veggie heavy, and much more friendly to real life.

More Vegetable Soup Recipes

• Weight Watchers Zero Point Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Lemon Coriander Detox Soup
• Tuscan White Beans Pasta Soup {Instant Pot}
• Homemade Tomato Soup
• Spinach Soup

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