South Beach Diet Menu

If you are looking for a diet plan which not only helps you in shedding weight, but also allows you to eat most foods; then South Beach Diet is the right choice for you. This articles provides a few recipes for you to try out if you are planning to follow this diet.

Designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietitian Marie Almon, the South Beach diet focuses on following a high protein and low carbohydrate diet. It encourages the intake of lean meats, oily fish and nuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.

The food list is always a deciding factor for most people, when it comes to choosing a diet plan. Restrictive diets which have a never-ending list of forbidden foods, usually end up in failure. This is why the South Beach diet is largely being followed nowadays. This diet allows one to consume a great variety of foods and is, therefore, easier to follow.

Diet Plan

Planning the menu won’t be a daunting task, if everything is organized and planned beforehand. The diet menu includes a lot of vegetables, legumes, beans, and soy products. The diet, which has been divided into three phases, gets easier progressively. The 1st phase of the diet eliminates processed carbohydrates, sugars, fruits and high glycemic vegetables, and lasts for two weeks. There is a restriction on certain starchy vegetables like beets, corn, carrots, and potatoes, during both, 1st and 2nd phases. The 2nd phase encourages a generous serving of fruits, with the exception of bananas, pineapples, and some canned fruits. The 2nd phase can be continued as long as one wants to lose weight. This phase reintroduces the fruits and vegetables, as well as, a healthy amount of whole grains. The 3rd phase is the maintenance phase, and is meant to be followed throughout lifetime. If followed religiously, not only does the diet induce significant weight loss, but it also eliminates the hunger cycle.

Diet Recipes

Before getting started on the diet, one should get accustomed to having three meals and two snacks everyday. Breakfast should include high protein foods like eggs, meat, tofu, and cottage cheese. A serving of low carb vegetables, and a calorie-free beverage like black tea or coffee should also be a part of breakfast. Lunch should consist of several servings of vegetables, including legumes. A healthy amount of dairy products and protein-rich foods should also be a part of the lunch. One can have 1 serving of protein and a few servings of vegetables, along with a calorie-free beverage for dinner. Following are a few healthy recipes that can be included in the diet plan.

Breakfast Recipes

1. Asparagus Omelets with Cheese

Ingredients

• Eggs, 4
• Milk, ¼ cup, fat-free
• Water, ¼ cup
• Asparagus, 8 oz., trimmed
• Cheese, 4 tbsp., low fat
• Scallions, 2 tbsp., chopped
• Thyme leaves, 2 tbsp., chopped
• Parsley, 2 tbsp., chopped
• Salt, pepper, chives

Directions

1. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl. Add the scallions, parsley, thyme, pepper, and salt.
2. In a large microwave bowl, place the asparagus. Add salt and water.
3. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.
4. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, until tender. Stir the contents after 2 minutes.
5. Drain and add asparagus to the egg mixture.
6. Heat a medium-sized pan and add a few drops of cooking spray.
7. Pour one-quarter of the egg mixture on the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until the bottom is set.
8. Sprinkle cheese and add one-quarter of the asparagus pieces. Cook until the omelet is set.
9. Fold the omelet in half, and cook until it is golden.
10. Garnish the omelet with chives. Serve hot.

2. Greet-the-Sun Pizzas

Ingredients

• Eggs, 4
• Whole-grain pitas, 2, 6 inch, horizontally sliced
• Tomatoes, 2, large, sliced
• Spinach, 4 oz.
• Cheese, 2 oz., low fat
• Olive oil, 5 tsp.
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 °F.
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a nonstick pan.
3. Add spinach and cook for 3 minutes, until wilted.
4. Apply 1 tsp. oil inside each pita round.
5. Place the pitas on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until brown.
6. Divide the spinach and tomatoes evenly on each pita rounds.
7. Pour 1 egg into the center of the pitas.
8. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
9. Bake the pitas for 5 minutes, until the egg yolks are set.
10. Sprinkle cheese and bake till the cheese melts.
11. Remove from the oven. Serve warm.

Lunch Recipes

1. Provolone Chicken Melts

Ingredients

• Roasted bell pepper, 1, cut into 4 pieces
• Garlic clove, 1, large, cut in half
• Multigrain bread, 4 slices
• Cheese, 4 slices, low fat, provolone
• Chicken breast, 6 oz., boneless
• Olive oil, 4 tsp.
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Pound each chicken breast and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a nonstick pan, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium heat.
3. Sauté each side of the chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes, until thoroughly cooked.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet.
6. Add the remaining oil and garlic pieces.
7. Place the bread slices in the oven and toast for 1-2 minutes.
8. Place 1 chicken breast, 1 cheese slice, and pepper on each bread slice.
9. Bake until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

2. Greens, Chicken, and Citrus Salad

Ingredients

• Grapefruit, 1, pink, sectioned
• Chicken breast, 24 oz., boneless
• Green leaf lettuce, 8 oz.
• Olive oil, 5 tbsp.
• Red onion, 2 tbsp., minced
• Sherry vinegar, 2 tbsp.
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Mix the onion, vinegar, ¼ tsp. Salt, ⅛ tsp. pepper and 4 tsp. oil in a jar.
2. Close the lid and shake vigorously.
3. Add salt and pepper to the chicken.
4. In a nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat.
5. Cook chicken until both sides are brown. Remove the pan from heat.
6. Cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces.
7. Toss the chicken pieces with 4 tbsp. of salad dressing.
8. In a bowl, toss the lettuce, grapefruit, and the leftover dressing.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Serve the chicken pieces on top of the salad mix.

Dinner Recipes

1. Chicken With Puttanesca Sauce

Ingredients

• Chicken breast cutlets, 4, large, boneless
• Garlic cloves, 6, minced
• Tomatoes, 28 oz., chopped
• Whole-wheat pasta, 8 oz.
• Kalamata olives, ½ cup, chopped
• Basil, ¼ cup, fresh, chopped
• Capers, 2 tbsp., drained
• Lemon juice,1 tbsp., fresh
• Olive oil, 4 tsp.
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 °F.
2. In a nonstick pan, heat 2 tsp. oil over medium heat.
3. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
4. Cook both sides for 2 minutes, until brown.
5. Place the cutlets in a baking sheet.
6. Cover with a foil and place it in the oven.
7. Add 2 tsp. oil to the nonstick pan.
8. Add garlic and stir for 3 minutes.
9. Add olives, tomatoes, capers, and pepper to the garlic.
10. Cook for 6 minutes and let it simmer.
11. Stir in the basil and lemon juice.
12. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.
13. Drain and toss the pasta with tomato sauce. Serve the pasta with chicken cutlets.

2. Grilled Tuna With Teriyaki Glaze

Ingredients

• Tuna steaks, 4, 5 oz. each
• Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
• Mango, 1, peeled and cut
• Red bell pepper, 1, quartered lengthwise
• Ginger, 1 tbsp., grated
• Sherry or chicken broth, 3 tsp..
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Combine the soy sauce, sherry/chicken broth, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl.
2. Divide the marinade into two bowls.
3. Add the mango and bell pepper to one bowl.
4. Place the tuna in the another bowl.
5. Cover the bowls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Coat a grill rack with cooking spray and preheat the oven to medium.
7. Place the tuna, mango pieces, and bell pepper on the rack.
8. Grill the pieces, coat the marinade from the mango bowl on both sides of the tuna.
9. Remove from oven when the tuna, mango, and bell pepper are heated and glazed. Serve hot.

Apart from following a healthy diet, one can also include exercise in their daily routine. A healthy diet coupled with regular exercise definitely helps in getting rid of excess weight.

Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, attempt to replace the advice offered by a dietitian.