How to Plan Menus on the South Beach Diet

The basic idea behind the South Beach Diet is limiting sugars and carbohydrates and eliminating completely the especially "bad" carbohydrates in order to overcome insulin resistance and promote better metabolism. The diet has three phases, with differing menus for each, but the basic rules stay the same for all phases. Follow the steps below to design menus for weight loss and better metabolism.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat normal size helpings of beef, poultry, fish, lamb, pork, shellfish, tofu, eggs and low-fat cheese, but avoid fatty cuts of meat, organ meats and honeybaked ham.

• 2

  Plan regular snacks of vegetables, nuts, cheese sticks, cottage cheese, hummus, and sugar-free items including gelatin, candy, popsicles and gum.

• 3

  Eliminate carrots, beets, corn, potatoes, yams, all fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1; also all breads, cereal, rice, pasta, all dairy products, beer or alcohol and refined flour or sugar of any kind during Phase 1.

• 4

  Fill up on generous helpings of fresh vegetables and vegetable juice of all kinds except for carrots, corn and potatoes during Phase 1, which lasts at least two weeks.

• 5

  Use healthy fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, non-stick cooking spray and other unsaturated fats, but not trans-fatty acids such as margarine and hydrogenated shortening.

• 6

  Reintroduce gradually fruits, whole grain breads, pasta, rice and cereals, and sweet potatoes for Phase 2 of the diet. Stay on Phase 2 until you reach your ideal weight.