The South Beach Diet is a lower-carbohydrate, reduced-fat diet plan that incorporates lean meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. There are three phases to the diet. The first phase is rather strict, eliminating both fruits and grains, but only lasts two weeks. Phase 2 reintroduces fruits and grains, while Phase 3 focuses on lifelong maintenance of your weight loss.
Protein
If you're going to be short on time during the week, prepare South Beach-friendly protein sources ahead of time. Cooked chicken breasts, lean cuts of beef and pork, fish, and pre-portioned nuts are convenient and diet-appropriate. Natural deli meats, like turkey breast or roast chicken can be made at home or purchased at your grocery store to make weekday lunches and dinner faster. Make lean protein a part of every meal on the South Beach Diet, advises Dr. Arthur Agaston, author of "The South Beach Diet."
Fats
Include good fats in your diet. Opt for olive or canola oil, salmon, avocado or nuts to provide critical dietary fat. Fats will help to keep you full, slow the digestive process, and improve the flavor of your food, notes Agaston in an interview with "Cosmopolitan." Avoid saturated fats, like those in full-fat dairy products, choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese instead.
Vegetables
Fill up on healthy vegetables that are low on the glycemic index, including leafy greens, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, peppers, artichokes, mushrooms, onions and summer squash, suggests Agaston. Limit vegetables higher on the glycemic index, like corn, yams and peas. Vegetables, along with lean protein, will make up the basis of your meals on the South Beach Diet. Combine vegetables with lean protein to make healthy vegetable soup to enjoy over several days or chop the ingredients for salad to have them on hand and available.
Fruits
Choose fruits the same way you do vegetables, opting for lower glycemic index options. Skip bananas, pineapples and watermelon in favor of berries, apples and citrus fruits. Eat whole fruit and skip fruit juices, Agaston told "Cosmopolitan."
Grains
Include moderate amounts of whole grains, like 100 percent whole-wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat pasta in your diet. During Phase 1, you'll eliminate these entirely, but they do have a role in Phase 2 and 3 of the South Beach Diet. Keep servings moderate to encourage weight loss.
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