If you want to lose weight, pour yourself a bowl of soup, say researchers

• Soup can do a lot more than warm you up --- it can also fill you up and help you lose weight.
• "Soups have a water base, which keeps the calories down.
• If you skip the added bread and cheese (which can add 350 calories), your best bet is French onion soup, made with sherry, onions, butter and beef bouillon, at about 100 to 200 calories per cup, depending on ingredients.
• For instance, the Au Bon Pain chain's French onion has 80 calories per cup, whereas Panera Bread's has 220 calories per cup.
• And Applebee's French Onion Soup au Gratin has only 150 calories per cup, including a crouton and reduced-fat cheese.
• On the other hand, broccoli-cheddar soup, often made with heavy cream, has about 175 to 275 calories per cup; Au Bon Pain's has 230 calories.
• The only thing that really makes lentil a better choice is the sour cream (60 calories for 2 tablespoons) that's often served on top of the black bean soup.
• Both of these legumes offer health benefits, including significant folate, magnesium, antioxidants, fiber and protein, with very low calories and fat.
• When the peas are pureed, they're sometimes combined with butter and cream, which boosts the calorie and fat content.
• Minestrone, made with an assortment of vegetables and beans, ranges from 100 to 180 calories per cup and is consistently the better choice.
• You might think all clam chowders are equal, but the Manhattan version is tomato-based, whereas New England clam chowder is made with milk or cream, which makes it higher in calories and fat.
• But lobster bisque, typically made with heavy cream, can be the highest of all, coming in at 260 calories or more per cup --- depending on the amount of butter, heavy cream and lobster used.