Many low-carbohydrate diets do not seem user-friendly for vegetarians or those who do not consume meat, fish or seafood on a regular basis. The South Beach Diet, however, provides allowances for eating a variety of soy products. If you follow a vegetarian diet or enjoy soy products occasionally, you should know what soy foods you can eat to ensure that you can meet your nutritional needs while following the South Beach Diet.
Soy-Based Products
Many meat substitutes stem from soy; some of these include soy "bacon," soy hot dogs and soy "chicken." Soy crumbles, which have a similar texture to crumbled ground beef, can make a good addition to some of your meals. Other soy-based foods allowed on the South Beach Diet include tofu, seitan and tempeh.
Instead of dairy products you can also choose soy milk, and you can also drink the flavored products as long as they do not contain sugars. If the milk has artificial sweeteners, this will work well with the South Beach Diet recommendations. Soy yogurt and cheese may also work with this plan if the products do not have high fat content.
Fat
If you follow the South Beach Diet and want to make soy products part of your plan, make sure that you look for the fat content. Choose soy-based "meat" products with 6 g or less of fat per 3 oz. or less serving. For soy milk, select light varieties or a brand that contains 4 g of fat or less per 8 oz. serving.
Servings
You can have as much low-fat protein as you need each day, but you should start with smaller portions and add additional servings if necessary. The typical serving size ranges from 2 to 3 oz. For tofu, 1/2 cup is a suggested South Beach serving, and soy crumbles and tempeh have a 1/4 cup serving size. You can have 2 cups of soy milk or soy yogurt each day.
Considerations
Talk to your doctor about the South Beach Diet before you start the plan. For some people, low-carbohydrate diets may not offer the best weight loss method and your doctor can help you evaluate the plan and your nutritional needs. If you pursue this plan, discuss your nutritional needs with your doctor and how you can fit those requirements into the South Beach Diet.
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