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Easy Cooking Tips for the South Beach Diet
Also Good for the Zone Diet

By Laura Dolson, About.com

Updated: January 24, 2007

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Many generic low carb recipes will work for people on the South Beach Diet. The main changes would be in the area of saturated fat – butter, cream, cheese, and fatty cuts of meat. Also, South Beach allows some foods that might not be allowed in the same quantities as some other low carb diets, such as milk, beans other than soybeans, and small amounts of whole grain products. These tips are compatible with the Zone and Sugar Busters diets.

Easy Tips for South Beach Cooking
  1. Use oil instead of butter (this will not work in all baked goods).
  2. Instead of hamburger, use ground sirloin, turkey breast, or chicken breast – you may add extra oil such as olive oil.
  3. Instead of cream, use nonfat or 1% milk, or unsweetened soy milk.
  4. Can use whole grain flour or bean flour as a thickener for sauces.
  5. Can add small amounts of whole grain pastas, etc, after Phase One (for example, a minestrone recipe in The South Beach Diet Cookbook has ¼ cup small whole grain shells in it – to serve four people).
  6. Can use small amounts of Parmesan cheese and feta cheese, but otherwise cheeses should be reduced-fat varieties.
  7. Use approved cuts of meat when cooking.
  8. After Phase One, look for recipes from other compatible diets, such as the Zone and Sugar Busters
  9. Check out these South Beach Compatible Recipes
Laura Dolson
Guide since 2005

Laura Dolson
Low Carb Diets Guide

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