Cabbage Soup Diet: 7-Day Plan, Recipe & Does It Work?
The Cabbage Soup Diet has been circulating since the 1980s, promising up to 10 pounds of weight loss in a single week of eating little more than homemade cabbage soup. It’s one of the oldest crash diets still searched today, and it keeps resurfacing under different names decade after decade. Below, we cover the original 7-day plan, the classic soup recipe, exactly why the scale drops so fast, the real health risks, and why you’ll see this same diet marketed under a few names it never actually earned.
Part of why it never really goes away is how simple the pitch sounds: no supplements to buy, no app to track, just a pot of soup and a week of willpower. That simplicity is exactly why it’s worth understanding what’s actually happening in your body during that week, rather than just following the day-by-day chart blindly.
Quick Summary
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a very low calorie, 7 day cabbage soup diet plan built around unlimited homemade cabbage soup plus a rotating list of allowed foods each day. It has never been formally studied, but the mechanism behind its quick results is well understood: severe calorie restriction empties glycogen stores and drops water weight fast, not body fat. A 10-pound loss in a week would require burning roughly 35,000 extra calories, which isn’t physically realistic in that timeframe — so most of what comes off is water, and it returns within days of eating normally again. The diet also isn’t affiliated with Mayo Clinic or any hospital, despite the nicknames. It’s cheap and short, but nutritionally thin and not built for lasting results.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Calories |
| 15 minutes | 45 minutes | 8 bowls | 45 per cup |
What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a 7-day, very low calorie diet built around a homemade vegetable soup that’s mostly cabbage, plus a handful of other low calorie vegetables like onions, celery, peppers, and tomatoes. For one week, you eat that soup in unlimited amounts, along with a specific rotating list of extra foods allowed on each of the 7 days. It’s designed as a short, sharp reset — not something anyone is meant to follow long term.
Versions of this plan have circulated under a handful of other names too — wonder soup, weight loss soup, miracle soup — but they’re all built on the same core idea and the same underlying nutrition math, just with slightly different seasoning or broth choices.
What sets this particular reset apart from most other short-term diets is how little it asks of you logistically. There’s no fasting window to track, no macros to calculate, and no specialty ingredients to source — just a big pot of soup and a printed schedule taped to the fridge.
Why Is It Called the Mayo Clinic or Sacred Heart Diet?
If you’ve seen this plan marketed as the “Mayo Clinic Diet,” the “Sacred Heart Hospital Diet,” or the “Military Cabbage Soup Diet,” here’s the fact-check: none of those names are accurate. Mayo Clinic has no connection to this diet and has never endorsed it. No hospital called Sacred Heart has ever claimed it either, and it has nothing to do with military nutrition guidelines. These names appear to have attached themselves to the diet decades ago simply because they sound credible, and they’ve stuck around through word-of-mouth ever since. If you see any of these names used to sell a version of the diet, treat it the same as the plain “Cabbage Soup Diet” — same soup, same risks, no real institutional backing. It’s a useful reminder that a diet sounding official and actually being vetted by a medical institution are two very different things.
Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work for Weight Loss?
If the goal is a lower number on the scale by day 7, yes — but not in the way most people assume. The diet has never been directly studied in a clinical trial, so there’s no research confirming its safety or effectiveness. What is well understood is the mechanism behind the quick results.
Cabbage soup diet and weight loss go together mainly because the plan provides fewer than 1,000 calories a day for the first three days, and roughly 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day after that. At that level of restriction, your body burns through its glycogen stores for energy. Glycogen holds onto water, so as it depletes, that water gets released too — which is why the scale can drop several pounds within days. None of this is unique to cabbage specifically; the same mechanism would kick in with almost any sufficiently low-calorie food plan.
Here’s the math that matters: losing 10 pounds of actual body fat in a week would require a calorie deficit of roughly 35,000 calories, or 5,000 calories a day below maintenance. That’s not physically realistic through diet alone. Older research on very low calorie diets found that only about a third of first-week weight loss comes from fat — the rest is water and some muscle tissue. Once you go back to eating normally, your body rebuilds its glycogen stores, and the water weight comes right back within days.
This is the same pattern behind almost every fast-results crash diet, not just this one — the scale moves quickly because water is easy to shed and easy to regain, while actual fat loss happens on a much slower, steadier timeline that no 7-day plan can shortcut. Understanding that distinction upfront is really the difference between using this diet as a harmless short reset and being disappointed when the number creeps back.
The Cabbage Soup Diet Plan: 7-Day Guidelines
This is the original cabbage soup diet recipe and schedule most versions online are based on. You can eat the soup in unlimited quantities every single day, on top of whatever else is listed for that day.
Day 1
Cabbage soup plus unlimited fresh fruit, except bananas. Most people find this the easiest day of the whole week, since fruit takes the edge off any initial hunger.
Day 2
Cabbage soup plus unlimited raw or cooked vegetables. You can add one baked potato with a small amount of butter or oil at dinner.
Day 3
Cabbage soup plus unlimited fruits and vegetables. No baked potato and no bananas today.
Day 4
Cabbage soup, skim milk, and up to 8 bananas.
Day 5
Cabbage soup, up to 6 tomatoes, and roughly 10-20 ounces of lean beef, chicken, or fish.
Day 6
Cabbage soup, unlimited vegetables, and unlimited beef or another lean protein.
Day 7
Cabbage soup, brown rice, vegetables, and unsweetened fruit juice.
Cabbage soup diet rules that apply across all 7 days: drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily, avoid alcohol and sugary drinks, and don’t exercise during the week since calorie intake is too low to support it safely. Most guidelines also recommend waiting at least 2 weeks before repeating the diet, and never following it for more than 7 days at a stretch. Sticking to these rules matters more than people expect — they’re the difference between an uncomfortable week and a genuinely risky one.
The Original Cabbage Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 1 bunch celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 package mushrooms, sliced
- 1-2 bouillon cubes (optional)
- 8 cups water or low-sodium vegetable juice
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in a small amount of oil until softened.
- Add the remaining vegetables, then pour in the water or vegetable juice.
- Stir in the bouillon cubes if using, along with any salt, pepper, or herbs you like.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
This makes enough for several days — store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze individual portions for longer. Feel free to adjust the seasoning with herbs, hot sauce, or extra garlic; the base vegetables are what keep the calorie count low, so the flavoring is where you have the most room to make it your own without undermining the plan. A splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon near the end of cooking also helps brighten up an otherwise fairly plain broth.
Cabbage Soup Diet Calories
A single cup of the basic cabbage soup comes in at around 45 calories, which is why it’s the centerpiece of the whole plan — you can eat several bowls a day and still stay in a steep calorie deficit. Combined with the daily food additions, total intake usually lands under 1,000 calories on days 1 through 3, and climbs to roughly 1,000-1,200 calories on days 4 through 7. For context, that’s well below the 1,500-2,000 calories most adults need just to maintain their current weight. This is also why exercise isn’t recommended during the week — there simply isn’t enough incoming energy to safely fuel a workout on top of everything else the body is already adjusting to.
Cabbage Soup Diet Benefits
Anyone searching for the cabbage soup diet for weight loss usually wants a fast reset, and there are a few genuine upsides worth naming honestly:
- It’s inexpensive — the ingredients are cheap, common vegetables
- It’s high in fiber, which can support digestion and short-term fullness
- It can work as a psychological jump-start before switching to a more sustainable eating plan
- It requires no special products, supplements, or tracking apps
What it doesn’t offer is a sustainable path to fat loss, adequate protein, or balanced nutrition — those benefits are limited to the short window you’re actually on it. Once the week ends, none of these advantages carry forward unless you deliberately transition into a more balanced eating pattern. Treating the week as a launchpad rather than the destination is really the only way any of these upsides translate into something lasting.
Side Effects and Health Risks
None of these are unique to this particular plan — they’re the standard risk profile of any very-restrictive, short-term diet — but they’re worth knowing before you start:
- Gas and bloating: Cabbage contains raffinose, a sugar the body can’t fully digest, which ferments in the gut and causes noticeable gas
- Fatigue, dizziness, and brain fog: Common with any diet this low in calories and carbohydrates
- Muscle loss: The plan is very low in protein most days, making it hard to preserve lean muscle
- Gallstone risk: Rapid weight loss and very low fat intake are both linked to a higher chance of gallstones forming
- Blood sugar changes: Risky for anyone with diabetes, especially those on insulin or blood sugar medication
- Nutrient gaps: The limited food list misses out on many vitamins and minerals over a full week
Most of these effects resolve within a day or two of returning to normal eating, but they’re a real part of the experience for most people who try the full 7 days, not a rare edge case.
Who Should Avoid the Cabbage Soup Diet
Very low calorie diets aren’t appropriate for everyone, and this one is no exception. The following groups should skip it entirely, or only attempt any version of it under direct medical supervision:
- Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with diabetes or other blood sugar conditions
- Anyone with a history of gallbladder issues
- People with a history of disordered eating
- Children and teenagers
- Anyone planning to exercise heavily during the diet period
These aren’t just cautious suggestions — very low calorie plans like this one can genuinely destabilize blood sugar and electrolyte balance in people with underlying conditions, so skipping the diet in these cases isn’t overly cautious, it’s the safer call. A conversation with a doctor beforehand costs nothing and can rule out a genuinely risky week for people in any of these groups.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems people run into come down to a handful of avoidable slip-ups:
- Following the diet for longer than 7 days
- Skipping water intake, which makes the side effects worse
- Exercising intensely while on the plan
- Repeating the diet back-to-back without at least a 2-week break
- Expecting the results to be fat loss rather than mostly water weight
- Going straight back to a high-calorie diet the day it ends, which can worsen the rebound
Most of these mistakes come from treating the plan as more flexible than it’s designed to be — the guidelines exist specifically to limit how much nutritional damage a week of severe restriction can do, and bending them tends to add risk without adding any extra weight-loss benefit. If a rule feels arbitrary, it’s usually there because someone hit a real problem by skipping it.
Cabbage Soup Diet vs. Other Short-Term Resets
It’s worth seeing how this plan stacks up against other trends in the same “quick reset” category, since they tend to share the same underlying weakness — fast results that don’t reflect real fat loss.
| Diet | Typical Calories/Day | Duration | Main Source of Weight Loss |
| Cabbage Soup Diet | Under 1,000-1,200 | 7 days | Water and glycogen |
| Master Cleanse | Under 1,000 | 3-10 days | Water and glycogen |
| Pink Salt Trick | Not calorie-restricted | Ongoing | Hydration/electrolyte only |
| Baking Soda Trick | Not calorie-restricted | Ongoing | Hydration only |
FAQs
Does the cabbage soup diet work?
It can produce a lower number on the scale within a week, but almost all of that loss is water and glycogen, not fat. There’s no research showing it leads to lasting weight loss.
How many calories are in the cabbage soup diet?
The soup itself is about 45 calories per cup. Total daily intake across the 7-day plan usually falls between roughly 800 and 1,200 calories, depending on the day.
What are the cabbage soup diet rules?
Eat unlimited soup every day, follow the specific food additions listed for each of the 7 days, drink plenty of water, skip alcohol and exercise, and don’t continue past 7 days without at least a 2-week break.
Is the cabbage soup diet the same as the Mayo Clinic Diet?
No. Despite the nickname, Mayo Clinic has no connection to this diet. The same is true for the “Sacred Heart Hospital Diet” name — no hospital by that name has ever claimed it.
What are the benefits of the cabbage soup diet?
It’s inexpensive, high in fiber, and can serve as a short psychological jump-start before a more balanced eating plan. It isn’t a sustainable weight-loss method on its own.
If you’re weighing this against the diet’s own hype, the honest takeaway is simple: it will move the scale within a week, it just won’t move body fat the way the marketing implies. Treat it as a short reset at most, not a weight-loss plan on its own — and pair it with a longer-term eating pattern if the goal is to keep any of the progress once the week is over.
Related Recipes
- Pink Salt Trick for Weight Loss
- Baking Soda for Weight Loss
- Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies Recipe
- Master Cleanse Recipe
The Original Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in a small amount of oil until softened.
- Add the remaining vegetables, then pour in the water or vegetable juice.
- Stir in the bouillon cubes if using, along with any salt, pepper, or herbs you like.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Notes
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The Cabbage Soup Diet is a very low calorie eating plan not recommended for more than 7 days at a time, and is not suitable for pregnant or nursing people, children, or anyone with diabetes, gallbladder issues, or a history of disordered eating. Talk with your doctor before starting any restrictive short-term diet.
Jonas Mitchell has spent over a decade researching and writing about nutrition trends, translating conflicting health claims into clear, practical guidance. He does not hold a clinical nutrition credential, and this article should not replace advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.
