South Beach Diet Phase 1 – Menu ideas from SBD cookbook

I have been asked by a lot of my readers about the menu plan I am following for phase 1 of South beach diet. Few of my cousins have also reached out to me asking what to eat and cook to lose weight. Just to make my work easier, I am writing a common post where everyone interested in South Beach Diet can read and follow it. I got the eating plan from the sample menu given in the South beach diet book and I made changes accordingly to my taste, availability of ingredients and my ethnic foods.

Quick reminder:

1. No sugar
2. No rice, pasta, oats, quinoa
3. No desserts like ice cream, chocolate
4. No hotdogs
5. No carrots, peas, beets and corns
6. No alcohol
7. No 2% or whole milk
8. No sweetened cereals
9. No legs and wings meat
10. No fruits
11. No dates and raisins

Day 1:
Breakfast : 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper. I’d advise using a cold press juicer as they keep the nutrients intact while juicing unlike the ones that generate heat in the process.
Mid-morning snack: Celery and cucumber with plain hummus or spicy hummus.
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with Indian spices – 2 numbers, 1 cup of fat free yogurt and beans stir fry (poriyal)
After noon snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Evening snack (if hungry) : 1 stick part-skim mozarella
Dinner: Homestyle dhal – 1cup or more (you can drink them as soup – till full) and leftover beans stir fry.
Day 2:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Turkey roll ups – 2 numbers
Lunch: Indian style cauliflower soup and channa masala – 1 cup
After noon snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Evening snack (if hungry) : 1 stick part-skim mozarella
Dinner: Pecan crusted cod – 2 fillets with spinach channa curry
Day 3:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Celery, bell peppers and cucumber with avocado guacamole
Lunch: Chock full of veggie chili and pesto chicken breast – 1 piece
After noon snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4 cup soy nuts)
Evening snack: Finish off the left over avocado guacamole with vegetables
Dinner: Bok choy shrimp with stir fried yellow squash
Day 4:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Lunch: Chicken kale soup with beans or asparagus cooked in spicy lentil base (Paruppu usli) and 1/4 cup fat-free yogurt
Evening snack : 1 cup tomato-olive-cheese salad
Dinner: Ground turkey salad

Day 5:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Lunch: Chicken pepper fry (chicken milagu varuval) and channa salad or any sundal of your choice.
After noon snack: 1 stick part-skim mozarella and 8oz fat free milk
Dinner: Spinach soup and cabbage stir fry with Indian spices – 1cup
Day 6:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Lunch: Spinach chicken and lettuce salad or any sundal of your choice.
After noon snack: 1 stick part-skim mozarella and 8oz fat free milk
Dinner: Spinach soup and cabbage stir fry with Indian spices – 1cup and 1/2 cup fat free yogurt
Day 7:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Cucumber with Indian spices
Lunch: Green gram dhal (omit the cream) and okra stir fry (recipe coming soon)
After noon snack: 1 stick part-skim mozarella and 8oz fat free milk
Dinner: Green chicken cooked with chicken breast and cabbage/beans/bittergourd stir fry with Indian spices – 1cup and 1/2 cup fat free yogurt
Day 8:
Breakfast: 8oz Fat free milk, quiche – 1 slice, fresh tomato juice with salt and pepper.
Mid-morning snack: Shrimp cocktail
Lunch: Palak paneer (replace paneer with tofu) and grilled veggie salad
After noon snack: Roasted nuts (15 almonds or 30 pistachios or 1/4cup soy nuts)
Dinner: Lamb chinthamani cooked with lean meat and 1/2 cup fat free yogurt

This was my basic meal plan I followed for more than 14 days. Some days there would be leftovers and you can have the same set of dishes for couple of days. Also some dishes like dhaal, stir fry and meat dishes can be cooked for the whole family and for non-dieters (like my husband), I serve rice or chapatti (Check Best Roti Maker in India) with them. That way, we are not stuck with cooking something totally different for us and for other members of the family. This saves a lot of time and gas and also we will stick through the diet.

Points to remember:

The first few days of diet is tough because you body is getting used to new set of foods. It is important to plan,cook and freeze over the weekend and start your diet from Monday.
Whenever hungry, I would munch on cucumbers or soy nuts or mozzarella sticks.
Do some workout – walking, running, swimming, yoga or yoga. Something to keep you active. I do swimming and Power 90 Tony Horton workout for 6 days a week.
Remember to take a multivitamin and Vitamin D and calcium supplements everyday. This will help in better recovery.

MY SHOPPING LIST FOR PHASE 1

1. Chicken breasts (I buy them from Costco – frozen)
2. Extra lean turkey or chicken boneless (kheema) – (I buy them from Costco – frozen)
3. Lean cut lamb (center cut, loin and chop) – fresh and remove visible fat
4. Tilapia, cod , mahi-mahi, salmon and halibut fillets (I buy them from Costco – frozen)
5. Shrimp (I buy them from Costco – frozen)
6. Nuts
7. Mozarella cheese sticks
8. Vegetables like bell peppers, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, greens like spinach, kale, swiss chard, lettuce, bok choy
9. Fat free milk and yogurt
10. Turkey slices
11. Soy sauce
12. Fat free sour cream
13. Fat free cottage cheese and fat free feta cheese
14. Eggs
15. Weight watchers mixed cheese bag
16. Cilantro, Mint leaves and Basil for pesto, salad dressing and garnish
17. Extra firm tofu
18. Garbanzo, pinto, kidney and any beans can of your choice (I buy them from Costco)
19. Fresh legumes and lentils
20. Pickled olives (I buy them from Costco)
21. Extra virgin olive oil or canola oil for cooking
22. Low fat or non-fat mayonnaise
    

Also read: Best Vegetable Chopper In India

With all these ingredients you can play around in Phase 1 and can extend it for couple of more weeks like me. One thing in my mind was to use all the ingredients before they perish. Hence I keep changing the menu chart accordingly to that but will stick to the rules of phase 1.
Good luck with your weight loss journey! Pop me an email with any queries. I will be more than happy to share my knowledge.