South Beach Diet Food List

While many diets have at least one or two food or food groups that are suggested to eat from or to avoid entirely, the South Beach Diet food lists offer precise guidelines to help with compliance on this popular diet plan.

Glycemic Index Food List

The South Beach Diet begins its journey by listing foods and their glycemic index (GI) factor. The program recommends eating foods that have a low in an effort to regulate blood sugar via its rate of absorption and the insulin response. Basically, the faster a food and its carbohydrate content gets absorbed into the bloodstream, the higher the blood sugar, and hence the higher the insulin amount coming in to transfer the blood sugar to the cells of the body. The problem with this mechanism is that if and when there is excess insulin in the bloodstream after it transports the blood sugar, then cravings for more sugar, increased hunger, and overeating are apparent. Alas, low GI foods will help keep insulin in check so the cravings and overeating episodes do not occur.

The following list is set up to represent the lowest 3 GI foods within the category and the 3 highest GI foods in that same category. It is a brief list in comparison to the full list found in the South Beach Diet book, and mainly to show popular food categories. When three of each do not appear, it is solely due to the fact that the program did not list more than 6 foods for that category.

Breads

* Oat bran bread – 68
* Mixed grain bread – 69
* Pumpernickel bread – 71
* French baguette – 136
* Gluten-free bread – 129
* Kaiser roll – 104

Beverages

* Soymilk – 43
* Unsweetened juice – 57
* Grapefruit juice – 69
* Pineapple juice – 66

Cereals

* Rice bran – 27
* All-bran – 60
* Oatmeal – 70
* Rice chex – 127
* Crispix – 124
* Cornflakes – 119

Dairy

* Low fat artificially sweetened yogurt – 20
* Chocolate milk (artificially sweetened) – 34
* Whole milk – 39
* Ice cream – 87
* Low fat ice cream – 71
* Low fat yogurt (fruit flavored) – 47

Fruit

* Cherries – 32
* Grapefruit – 36
* Peach - 40
* Watermelon – 103
* Pineapple – 94
* Banana – 89

Vegetables

* Artichokes - <20
* Arugula - <20
* Asparagus - <20
* Pumpkin – 107
* Sweet corn – 78
* Green peas - 68

Root vegetables

* Sweet potato – 63
* Carrots (cooked) – 70
* Yams- 73
* Baked potato – 158
* Parsnips – 139
* French fries – 107

Phase 1 Food List

Since phase 1 of the South Beach Diet is the most restrictive 2 weeks of the plan, the list of foods to avoid is lengthy and necessary to follow if weight loss is to occur.

Phase 1 foods and beverages to avoid include: (most common)

* All alcohol beverages
* All dairy products
* Beets
* Carrots
* Corn
* White potatoes
* Sweet potatoes
* All fruits
* All juices
* All starchy foods (pasta, rice, breads, cereals)
* Oatmeal
* Baked goods
* Some beef products (brisket, liver, ribs)
* Chicken wings and legs
* Duck
* Goose
* Honey baked ham

Phase 2 Food List

While the list is much shorter now that phase 2 has begun, the following foods are not to be consumed at this time:

* Bagels
* White bread
* Cookies
* Cornflakes
* Matzo
* Pasta
* White potatoes
* Instant potatoes
* Rice cakes
* White rice
* Dinner rolls
* Bananas
* Canned fruit
* Fruit juice
* Pineapple
* Raisins
* Watermelon
* Honey
* Ice cream
* Jam
* Beets
* Carrots
* Corn

During this phase, foods can be reintroduced. These include most fruits, low –fat dairy products, whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and rice, red wine, barley, pinto beans, and black-eyed peas.

Phase 3 Food List

The final phase of the South Beach Diet is not written as a weight loss plan, but rather as a weight maintenance strategy. For this reason, while phase 1 was restrictive and thoroughly designed for weight loss, phase 3 is liberal and without food lists of any kind. However, with the knowledge gained from following the recommended food lists from phase 1 and phase 2, along with the glycemic index list, food choices during phase 3 will likely follow suit.

Recipe Lists

The following list is a sampling of the many recipes that can be found in the South Beach Diet book for each phase. It is intended to give you an idea of the combination of foods presented on the diet in an effort to make your decision to follow the plan easier. If these recipes sound appealing, perhaps the South Beach Diet may work for you.

Phase 1:

* Western Egg Omelet
* Chicken Pistachio Salad
* Spicy Tuna
* Balsamic Chicken
* Marinated London Broil
* Mashed “Potatoes” (made with cauliflower)
* Cilantro Mayonnaise
* Vanilla Ricotta Crème

Phase 2:

* Sunrise Parfait
* Oatmeal Pancakes
* Salsa Chicken
* Shrimp Louis
* White Asparagus Salad
* Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
* Pistachio Bark
* Chocolate Cups

Phase 3:

* Tomato Herb Frittata
* Endive and Pecan Salad
* Roast Beef Wrap
* Apricot-Glazed Cornish Hens
* Lime-Baked Fish
* Herb Roasted Potatoes
* Poached Pears
* Chocolate Sponge Cake

Additional Comments

Popular diets are a mainstay in today’s dieting world. However, since there is no magic tricks or solutions to weight loss, only long-term lifestyle changes will offer the healthiest results. With this in mind, if you choose to use the lists presented here and the complete lists available in the book, approach wisely and keep in mind that healthy eating habits, appropriate portions, balanced meals, and physical activity are invaluable to weight loss success.