South Beach Diet Phase 1 Indian Recipes

My friends and family had reached out to me to create a menu plan that is simple to understand and easy to fix. Since I come from Southern part of India, I created this menu with the dishes I grew up eating. I made little changes to the original recipe to make it South beach diet phase 1 friendly. I have written a detailed post about South beach diet here. Please take a look and do come back.

Good luck with phase 1!

Just remember – No pasta, rice, potatoes, carrots, beets, peas, corn, fruits, sugar, alcohol and totally NO CARBS for just 2 weeks. Even if you don’t see a drastic change in the weighing scale, you will definitely see a change in inches. You will lose few inches around your waistline. Remember: Supplements are important and drink lots of water.

Since our South Indian dishes are made with rice, lentil and beans, coming up with a phase 1 meal plan was simple. I just omitted the dishes made with rice and included our good old poriyals, sambhar, rasam, karis, kootu, sundals, thayir pachadis and thogayals in the menu. Voila! The menu this way is amazingly perfect and fits the rules of Phase 1. You get to eat lots of vegetables which will be rich in nutrients, low in sugars and high in fibers. Isn’t that great? Yes, you can eat your eggs, fish and lean meat too. It is easy to follow but you need to plan, shop and cook ahead to stick to the plan for 14 days.

South beach diet is not any diet program, it is a lifestyle change. Please keep that in mind. You have to get back carbohydrates after 2 weeks. But remember to include complex carbohydrates like brown rice, quinoa, finger millet, buck wheat, barley when you start phase 2 and phase 3. You can eat rice for sure but just juggle between these whole grains and rice on a weekly basis. Your body needs vitamin B and iron for balanced functioning and that comes from rice but a diet based on white rice (polished) is not good either. This is because white rice is deprived of Vitamin B1 and that deficiency can cause neurological disease called beriberi (caused by thiamine, Vitamin B1 deficiency) – remember hearing this in your grade 8 biology class?. Hence we should include brown rice and other complex carbs in our diet.

Given below is the list of dish you can cook at ease for your family. Serve them with rice or chapati (check Best Chapati Dough Maker Machine in India) and you can eat just the poriyals (stir fries), kootus, rasam, karis and avoid the carbohydrates and sugar.

My 14 days plan ideas

I recommend having multivitamins and Vitamin D supplements everyday. Consult with your family doctor about which brand to buy.
Shopping list for phase 1 (14 days)

Beans
Bittergourd
Vazhaipoo/ vazhai thandu
Kovakai
Capsicum
Vendakai – Lady’s finger
Tomatoes
Onions
Ginger
Garlic
Spinach, meethi, siru keerai
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Coriander leaves
Mint leaves
Brinjals/ eggplants
Chow-chow
Pumpkin
Eggs (28 numbers) – 2 each day
1 large packet of almonds (roasted or raw)
1 large packet soy nuts or uppu kadalai.
Chicken
Fish
Shrimp
Crab
Lamb
Fat free milk
Fat free yogurt
Tea bags of your choice
Green grams
Black eyed peas / Karamani
Lentils – Toor dhal, red lentils
Pachai patani
Channa dhal

Day 1 Of South Beach Diet Phase 1

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: 2 eggs with onions, green chilles, curry leaves, salt, pepper and turmeric
Morning snacks: 2 small cucumbers with 2 tablespoon hummus
Lunch: Beans poriyal, 1 cup dhaal, cabbage masala, seared fish with chilli powder (use less oil, 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil) and 1/4 cup non-fat yogurt. Eat vegetables as much as you want, till full.
Afternoon snack: 10-15 roasted almonds, stop with that. If still hungry, you can eat sundal that’s planned for the dinner.
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green tea.
Dinner: Pacha payaru sundal tempered with ginger, green chillies, (coriander seeds, red chilly) – roasted and ground. Do like usual tempering for sundals. 1 cup of that with our usual chicken masala (cook with lean chicken meat without fat), left over poriyal or masala from lunch. Finish with 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 2 Of Phase 1

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Warm cauliflower soup with Indian spices and topped with sauteed mushroom (make it the previous day and store)
Morning snacks: 1/4 cup roasted soy nuts or 1/2 cup dhaal from previous day.
Lunch: Kovakai masala, chicken curry with spinach or mint/cilanto, podalanga kootu and 1/4 cup non-fat yogurt. Eat vegetables as much as you want, till full.
Afternoon snack : Oven roasted zucchini chips, bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until crispy. If still hungry, you can eat sundal that’ s planned for the dinner.
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ red clover tea.
Dinner: Karamani sundal tempered with ginger, green chillies, (coriander seeds, red chilly) – roasted and ground. Do like usual tempering for sundals. 1 cup of that with our usual fish curry (make a curry with onions, ginger garlic, tomatoes and spice powders), left over kootu or masala from lunch. Finish with 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 3

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled 2 eggs with onions, green chiles, curry leaves, salt, pepper and turmeric. If you can find smoked salmon or mushroom, add those chunks to the eggs
Morning snacks: 1/4 cup roasted soy nuts or uppu kadalai.
Lunch: Lean cut of lamb if available, pressure cook into a curry with eggplants, serve with cabbage poriyal and yogurt.
Afternoon snack: Munch on 15 almonds only. Please restrict to that
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Channa/pinto beans masala with chopped onions and cucumbers, left over cabbage poriyal, 1 tablespoon mint thogayal to go with 1/4 cup yogurt.
and yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 4

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: 2 eggs with onions, green chilles, curry leaves, salt, pepper and turmeric.
Morning snacks: 8oz fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper and munch little 1 tablespoon roasted soy nuts or uppu kadalai for a change in taste.
Lunch: Eeral varuval (Shrimp masala) with less oil (about 1 tablespoon only), sorakai kootu (bottlegourd kootu) (1/4-1/2 cup), capsicum/bell peppers curry and 1/4 cup yogurt.
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with my spicy hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Chicken curry with methi leaves or any greens, left over capsicum curry, kootu and yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 5

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2)
Morning snacks: 8oz fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper and munch little 1 tablespoon roasted soy nuts or uppu kadalai for a change in taste.
Lunch: Beans usilli. You can make it with asparagus too. You get your lentils and veggies together, 2 fish seared/baked with lemon, turmeric, chilli powder and salt, onion or chicken rasam and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Then chicken rasam and white pumpkin/chow-chow kootu, make any thogayal with the chow-chow skin with less coconut to go as a side for 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack:8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 6

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) or omelet
Morning snacks: 15 almonds.
Lunch: Vazhaipoo (banana blossom) poriyal or vazhai thandu (banana shoot) pooriyal or palapinji poriyal (baby jackfruit) with only 1 tablespoon coconut, pachai pattani sundal, left over chicken rasam from yesterday and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Then chicken rasam and white pumpkin/chow-chow kootu and 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk (optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 7

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) or omelet
Morning snacks: 1/4 cup channa with onions, cucumber, cilantro and spices – Channa chaat
Lunch: Bittergourd curry without any sugar or jaggery, mochai kottai kozhambhu, keerai kootu and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavored tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Left over mochai kottai kozhambhu, keerai kootu, chicken pepper fry and 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 8

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Tofu scramble (poriyal) with onions, curry leaves, mustard seeds, urad dhal, spices or have egg scrambles
Morning snacks: Channa chaat
Lunch: Lady’s finger curry, kothavanranga poriyal, rasam, dhaal with capsicum and 1/4 cup yogurt.
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Chicken breast cooked with onions, garlic, soy sauce and bell peppers (chinese style), wrap the meal with a glass of buttermilk made from 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 9

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Urundai kozhambhu with lentil balls. In a bowl serve yoruself with 3-4 medium sized urundai and ladle out the sauce and eat it as a soup. Add dollops more yogurt if needed.
Morning snacks: 15 almonds.
Lunch: Chicken pepper fry, kovakai curry and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavored tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Meen kozhambhu (just eat the fish), thakalli (tomato) pachadi with 1/4 cup yogurt
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 10

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) or omelet
Morning snacks: 15 almonds.
Lunch: Crab masala , make an aromatic tomato-onion sauce with 1/3 cup thick coconut milk and cook the crabs, seared fish like salmon with tomato chutney and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Make some fresh dhaal and serve with sliced avocados or cucumbers and serve okra masala by your side and glass of buttermilk
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 11

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) or omelet
Morning snacks: 15 almonds.
Lunch: Mushroom masala, baked fish like salmon with tomato chutney and 1/4 cup yogurt
Afternoon snack: Cucumbers with hummus
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Red lentils soup served with sliced avocados or cucumbers, baked bitter gourd chips and serve okra masala by your side and glass of buttermilk
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk ( optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)

Day 12

8oz warm milk when you wake up. No sugar
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2) or omelet
Morning snacks: 15 almonds.
Lunch: Shrimp curry, white pumpkin moor kozhambhu, chow chow curry and a glass of rasam Afternoon snack: Roasted cauliflower with chaat masala
Late evening snack: Tea with nonfat milk and sugar substitute. I take green/ any flavoured tea made with just water and no sugar.
Dinner: Lamb chinthamani (Spicy lamb masala), buttermilk and left over kootu
Late night snack: 8oz warm milk (optional to drink with turmeric and black pepper corns)
PS: I have suggested food for 12 days only but there will be left overs and repeats, so let’s drag the same menu for 14 days.