The South Beach Diet is a program intended to create healthy diet changes which can be maintained for the rest of your life. These changes include recognizing the difference between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates and limiting the consumption of sugar and heavily processed foods. When shopping for South Beach diet foods, you should look for whole, natural foods and check nutritional labels for hidden sugars. Keeping a few basic rules in mind will help you stay on track and reach your nutritional goals.
Instructions
1. Buy large amounts of fresh vegetables from the produce section. The South Beach Diet involves eating plenty of vegetables, especially during the initial two-week restrictive phase. Examples of vegetable choices suitable for this diet include artichokes, avocados, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, radishes, snow peas, spinach, squash, tomatoes and zucchini.
2. Look for lean cuts of meat. For instance, Canadian bacon or turkey bacon are better choices than regular bacon due to its high fat content. Beef and pork chops can be trimmed at home but ground meat and lunch meats should be purchased in low-fat varieties. Any meat with the word "honey" on the label is not appropriate for the South Beach Diet, as it contains added sugars.
3. Check the nutrition label on condiments to determine the sugar content. Ketchup and many salad dressings contain high amounts of sugar and should be avoided. Look for low-carb or sugar-free salad dressings and naturally low-sugar products such as mustard, soy sauce, salsa or Tabasco sauce.
4. Buy low-fat dairy products. Milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese are all available in reduced-fat varieties. Aim for products made with no more than 1-2 percent milk fat.
5. Purchase complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, old-fashioned oatmeal, whole-grain bread and whole-wheat pasta rather than their white counterparts.
6. Choose diet beverages or vegetable juice when it comes to drinks. Fruit juices are often high in both calories and sugar content, and the South Beach Diet recommends avoiding them. Products such as Crystal Light or other powdered drink mixes can be used to add flavor to water without any additional sugar. Coffee and tea are also permitted.
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