What does the South Beach Diet Menu Look Like?

by: LindaMiller
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One of biggest draw-backs to many diets is the "forbidden" foods list. It is human nature to desire the things we know we can't have, and this seems to magnify when you're on a diet. Dieting is difficult enough without the disappointment of having to eat foods you don't like.

Well, say hello to the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is highly successful because the list of "allowed" foods is much longer than the list of "forbidden" foods.

There is no "forbidden fruit" on the South Beach Diet. This program simply teaches you how to enjoy the foods you love in a healthier way. For example, if you are a meat lover, the South Beach Diet doesn't say, "You can never eat red meat again!" Rather, the South Beach Diet teaches you how to eat red meat sensibly, by choosing smaller, leaner cuts.

Examine Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, as this is the most restrictive - and usually the most difficult - part of the diet. You will be surprised to see that many foods you would not expect to eat - the ones other diets make you eliminate - are actually a part of the Phase 1 menu.

Even though Phase 1 has the most limited food list on the South Beach Diet, you are still able to enjoy some of your favorites. It's ok to eat beef, pork, poultry, eggs, low-fat lunch meat and low-fat or fat-free cheese, as long as you stay away from anything too fatty or greasy. Seafood is not only allowed, it is encouraged throughout the entire South Beach Diet program. You can even eat sweets while on the South Beach Diet, just keep your daily intake below 75 calories.

If home cooking is your thing, don't worry. The South Beach Diet makes only slight changes to the items you can use for cooking. During Phase 1, canola and olive oils are used to prepare meals, and other recipes call for you to use low-fat milk and yogurt. But this is only during the highly restrictive first phase of the South Beach Diet menu.

Once you hit Phase 2, you are once again allowed to eat fruits and grains. Because of the cleansing your body undergoes during Phase 1, though, you won't crave these foods like you did before. Your body is now better equipped to process the foods you eat and that will help you continue to lose weight until you achieve your weight loss goal.

The most important question to ask when you are choosing a diet program is, "What will I be able to eat?" You will be more than pleased with the answer to this question on the South Beach Diet. And the weight loss that comes with it won't be so bad either.

About the Author

Linda Miller loves to write about popular weight loss diet programs. Visit her site for more free South Beach Diet Recipes, information, and South Beach Diet menu plans