The first thing anyone pays attention to when checking a diet menu to see if they think they can do it is the “haves” and “have nots”. You’ll soon come to the conclusion that you won’t get very far with a diet when it’s chaotic and boring and all the things you usually enjoy eating are off the menu. However, this is not the case with the South Beach Diet.
When you take a look at the South Beach Diet you’ll be pleased to see that both the allowed and forbidden foods differ in really interesting ways and you’ll feel confident that you can use the “may” to come up with some great food choices.
The diet takes into account the fact that most people enjoy eating meat of some sort or the other. Foods such as boiled ham, chicken breast, Cornish game hen, lean cuts of beef and turkey are on the list of items you can eat, even during Phase 1 when the focus is more on cutting bad carbohydrates and saturated fat.
For seafood lovers, you’ll be happy to know that all types of food that come from the ocean are allowed on the Whole Foods diet, and oily fish like cod and mackerel deserve a place on your menu because they’ll provide you with essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Fruit and a variety of cereals are not on the menu during Phase 1, but for those of you who really miss these items, don’t worry, they are reintroduced on a gradual basis during Phase 2. The fact that you no longer crave these foods will mean that you will reduce portion sizes significantly when you are once again allowed to eat them.
Dairy products such as higher fat cheeses will also reappear on the menu during Phase 2, but you may find that, like fruits and grains, you no longer crave and need these types of foods as you used to.
As you study the South Beach Diet, you will notice that there are many vegetables that you can add to your menu. Some of the more popular are celery and collard greens, asparagus and cauliflower, all of which you can have in large portions and even pickle as long as they’re sweetened with Splenda!
By combining some of the meats and cheeses available on Step 1 with romaine lettuce and spinach, you can make some interesting salads that are totally allowed when following the South Beach Diet and you’ll find they’re delicious.
The diversity of the menu is one of the main reasons that the South Beach Diet is both popular and successful. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the menu features a lot of food options you usually eat, so take a look at the South Beach Diet and see how following the plan might work for you.
Source by Linda E. Miller
