Maintaining a South Beach Diet-friendly kitchen is imperative if you're going to adopt healthy eating habits and lose excess weight. The following list contains foods that are acceptable in Phase 1—the initial, strictest phase.
You don't need to go out and buy every single item listed; let your personal tastes be your guide. Your goal should be simply to stock up on the foods you like to eat. If you fill up on good foods, you won't have the need (or even the room) for anything else.
Everything here should be available in any well stocked supermarket. If you can't find a particular item where you shop, you can skip it and replace it with something else.
These are the items you're encouraged to enjoy on the South Beach Diet:
Vegetables
Most vegetables are legal—all the green ones can stay. The same is true for:
artichokes
asparagus
avocados
fresh beans
bell peppers
broccoli
broccoli rabe
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
collard greens
cucumbers
eggplant
fennel
leeks
lettuce (all varieties)
mushrooms (all kinds)
onions
radishes
scallions
shallots
snow peas
sprouts
tomatoes
turnips
water chestnuts
zucchini
This article first appeared in the Prevention Guide: The South Beach Diet.
Eggs
Eggs are allowed. They do increase cholesterol minimally, but they also increase HDL, the good cholesterol.
Dairy
Avoid all full fat ice cream, milk, and yogurt. You can have 1% or fat free milk, cottage cheese, low fat or nonfat plain yogurt, but no more than two servings a day. You can also use low fat plain soy milk as a dairy substitute.
As for cheese, you can have pretty much any reduced fat variety. A good rule of thumb is to stick with cheeses containing no more than 6 grams of fat per serving.
American cheese slices made with 1% fat milk are fine, as is part skim ricotta, part skim mozzarella, or cottage cheese that's made with 1% milk fat.
Condiments and Seasonings
Stock up on all spices that contain no added sugar. Extracts, such as almond and vanilla, are great to add to your foods as well.
Any kind of pepper is fine, too: black, red, and white. Any mustard (except honey mustard), mayonnaise (regular, not fat free), chimichurri steak sauce, hot sauce or Tabasco, prepared horseradish, salsa, light (low sodium) soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce is legal.
Dressings
To dress your salads, choose any of the approved oils (such as canola, flaxseed, extra virgin olive oil, peanut, sesame, or walnut) mixed with vinegar (such as balsamic or wine).
Fish and Shellfish
The following fresh fish are all allowed in Phase 1. If you are breast feeding, or are concerned about high levels of mercury, avoid fish such as swordfish, tilefish, and shark.
halibut
herring
salmon
trout (rainbow or lake)
tuna
mackerel and most other fresh fish
Smoked salmon, lox, canned salmon, canned tuna, fresh or canned sardines, and smoked whitefish are all okay. Shellfish, such as clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, and so on, are all permitted on the diet.
Like meat, fish must be prepared in a healthy way—not breaded and definitely not deep fried. Fish can be steamed, roasted, grilled, sautée, and baked.
Oils
The oils that are all fine for cooking and salad dressings include:
Canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
flaxseed oil
peanut oil
sesame oil
and walnut oil
In cooking and for dipping, we suggest extra virgin olive oil. Add extra virgin olive oil and lemon to vegetables instead of butter. You may also use nonfat cooking sprays.
Meat and Poultry
Most meats are legal. If you choose carefully, you won't be overdoing the saturated fats. Meat should always be prepared by grilling, baking, broiling, roasting, or sautéing—but never frying. When sautéing, use moderate amounts of healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, rather than butter or other oils.
In the beef category, sirloin (including ground), tenderloin, top loin, round tip, bottom round, eye round, and top round are all permitted, since they are the leanest cuts.
For pork, lean, well trimmed pork chops or pork tenderloin is acceptable.
Boiled ham is okay at this stage, too. Canadian bacon is preferable to its American cousin because it's leaner. Veal chops, cutlets, and top round are legal, as is leg of lamb, well trimmed of fat.
When buying lunchmeats, basically anything fat free or low fat is good. Boiled ham is fine, but any ham cured or processed using honey is not. Pastrami, believe it or not, can be acceptable, as long as you can find a lean variety. Low fat bologna and salami are legal. Sliced turkey breast, turkey hot dogs, and turkey salami are all fine, too.
In the poultry category, chicken breast, turkey breast, and Cornish hen are all fine.
For breakfast meats, Canadian bacon and turkey bacon are fine. Regular bacon is permitted only in very limited quantities. The same goes for breakfast sausages—varieties made with turkey (either links or patties) are better than the traditional kind.
If you use meat substitutes, tofu, tempeh, and any other soy based products are allowed. Choose silken or regular tofu, which comes in soft, firm, and extra firm textures. Soy nuts and veggie burgers are also allowed.
Soups
Clear broths and reduced fat canned bean soups are fine.
Snacks
Snacks are required on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat free plain yogurt, or nuts or seeds (limit nuts to 1/4 c per day). A snack that combines protein (1 oz) and vegetables is encouraged.
Sweet Treats
Limit sweet treats to 75 calories per day. Reach for:
hard, sugar free candies
unsweetened cocoa powder
ricotta crème
no sugar added fudgsicle pops
no sugar added creamsicle pops
sugar free gelatin
sugar free gum
Beverages
Regular, caffeinated coffee is allowed, but no more than 2 cups a day, because caffeine has been found to stimulate insulin production. Decaf is permitted without limits.
Tea is allowed, with the same qualifications. You can use any no calorie sugar substitute you like as a sweetener.
Obviously, water is fine. Flavored waters are all right, too, as long as they don't have calories. Check the labels to be sure. Club soda and seltzer are okay. Diet sodas and low calorie iced teas and powdered drinks are all fine. V8 juice or a similar vegetable cocktail juice is allowed.
You don't need to go out and buy every single item listed; let your personal tastes be your guide. Your goal should be simply to stock up on the foods you like to eat. If you fill up on good foods, you won't have the need (or even the room) for anything else.
Everything here should be available in any well stocked supermarket. If you can't find a particular item where you shop, you can skip it and replace it with something else.
These are the items you're encouraged to enjoy on the South Beach Diet:
Vegetables
Most vegetables are legal—all the green ones can stay. The same is true for:
This article first appeared in the Prevention Guide: The South Beach Diet.
Eggs
Eggs are allowed. They do increase cholesterol minimally, but they also increase HDL, the good cholesterol.
Dairy
Avoid all full fat ice cream, milk, and yogurt. You can have 1% or fat free milk, cottage cheese, low fat or nonfat plain yogurt, but no more than two servings a day. You can also use low fat plain soy milk as a dairy substitute.
As for cheese, you can have pretty much any reduced fat variety. A good rule of thumb is to stick with cheeses containing no more than 6 grams of fat per serving.
American cheese slices made with 1% fat milk are fine, as is part skim ricotta, part skim mozzarella, or cottage cheese that's made with 1% milk fat.
Condiments and Seasonings
Stock up on all spices that contain no added sugar. Extracts, such as almond and vanilla, are great to add to your foods as well.
Any kind of pepper is fine, too: black, red, and white. Any mustard (except honey mustard), mayonnaise (regular, not fat free), chimichurri steak sauce, hot sauce or Tabasco, prepared horseradish, salsa, light (low sodium) soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce is legal.
Dressings
To dress your salads, choose any of the approved oils (such as canola, flaxseed, extra virgin olive oil, peanut, sesame, or walnut) mixed with vinegar (such as balsamic or wine).
Fish and Shellfish
The following fresh fish are all allowed in Phase 1. If you are breast feeding, or are concerned about high levels of mercury, avoid fish such as swordfish, tilefish, and shark.
Smoked salmon, lox, canned salmon, canned tuna, fresh or canned sardines, and smoked whitefish are all okay. Shellfish, such as clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, and so on, are all permitted on the diet.
Like meat, fish must be prepared in a healthy way—not breaded and definitely not deep fried. Fish can be steamed, roasted, grilled, sautée, and baked.
Oils
The oils that are all fine for cooking and salad dressings include:
In cooking and for dipping, we suggest extra virgin olive oil. Add extra virgin olive oil and lemon to vegetables instead of butter. You may also use nonfat cooking sprays.
Meat and Poultry
Most meats are legal. If you choose carefully, you won't be overdoing the saturated fats. Meat should always be prepared by grilling, baking, broiling, roasting, or sautéing—but never frying. When sautéing, use moderate amounts of healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, rather than butter or other oils.
In the beef category, sirloin (including ground), tenderloin, top loin, round tip, bottom round, eye round, and top round are all permitted, since they are the leanest cuts.
For pork, lean, well trimmed pork chops or pork tenderloin is acceptable.
Boiled ham is okay at this stage, too. Canadian bacon is preferable to its American cousin because it's leaner. Veal chops, cutlets, and top round are legal, as is leg of lamb, well trimmed of fat.
When buying lunchmeats, basically anything fat free or low fat is good. Boiled ham is fine, but any ham cured or processed using honey is not. Pastrami, believe it or not, can be acceptable, as long as you can find a lean variety. Low fat bologna and salami are legal. Sliced turkey breast, turkey hot dogs, and turkey salami are all fine, too.
In the poultry category, chicken breast, turkey breast, and Cornish hen are all fine.
For breakfast meats, Canadian bacon and turkey bacon are fine. Regular bacon is permitted only in very limited quantities. The same goes for breakfast sausages—varieties made with turkey (either links or patties) are better than the traditional kind.
If you use meat substitutes, tofu, tempeh, and any other soy based products are allowed. Choose silken or regular tofu, which comes in soft, firm, and extra firm textures. Soy nuts and veggie burgers are also allowed.
Soups
Clear broths and reduced fat canned bean soups are fine.
Snacks
Snacks are required on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat free plain yogurt, or nuts or seeds (limit nuts to 1/4 c per day). A snack that combines protein (1 oz) and vegetables is encouraged.
Sweet Treats
Limit sweet treats to 75 calories per day. Reach for:
Beverages
Regular, caffeinated coffee is allowed, but no more than 2 cups a day, because caffeine has been found to stimulate insulin production. Decaf is permitted without limits.
Tea is allowed, with the same qualifications. You can use any no calorie sugar substitute you like as a sweetener.
Obviously, water is fine. Flavored waters are all right, too, as long as they don't have calories. Check the labels to be sure. Club soda and seltzer are okay. Diet sodas and low calorie iced teas and powdered drinks are all fine. V8 juice or a similar vegetable cocktail juice is allowed.
Last Updated: 12/04/2006 16:52:57
