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Dining Out on the South Beach Diet
An Excerpt from The South Beach Diet Dining Guide (Rodale, 2005) by Arthur Agatston
You have a busy life. Chances are that work and family keep you on the go, and preparing home-cooked meals may be difficult because of time constraints. Finding a healthy lunch in the middle of a hectic day is often just as hard, and eating a good breakfast at home may be a rare event. In fact, if you're like most Americans, you purchase at least one meal a day at some sort of restaurant.
And that's just on an ordinary day. What about weekends, holidays, special occasions, travel days, business dinners and all the other times you're away from your own kitchen? Does this mean putting your South Beach Diet on hold?
Not at all.
One of the best things about the South Beach Diet is that it's easy to dine out – and still eat well – while following the principles of the program. No matter what phase you're on, you can continue to lose weight and improve your health, whether you're grabbing a take-out order or enjoying dinner with family, friends or business associates at a fine restaurant.
The first, and most important, step in sticking to the South Beach Diet when eating out is to keep the following ground rules in mind:
- Choose unprocessed, unrefined carbohydrates, such as whole grains, whole fruits and fresh vegetables.
- Enjoy plenty of lean protein, such as chicken, fish, certain cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and reduced-fat cheese.
- Choose foods that are high in good fats, such as fish, avocados and nuts, and make sure your foods are prepared with healthy oils such as olive oil or canola.
- Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of beef, bacon, processed meats such as salami and full-fat cheese.
- Eat plenty of fiber – it's found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds and whole grains.
