Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: south beach diet vegetarian recipe

Question:
So what does a South Beach diet vegetarian eat? What's its recipe?

Answer:
Lots of vegetables, beans, legumes and soy products. Fruit and whole-grain foods - like whole-wheat pasta and old-fashioned oatmeal - are allowed in moderation in the second and third phases of the diet. If the vegetarian eats eggs and dairy products, those are allowed too - as long as dairy is low-fat. The first phase of the three-phase diet is the most restrictive, cutting out all fruit, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and baked goods. It lasts for two weeks and promises eight to 13 pounds of weight loss. Vegetarians might not see a dramatic weight loss in the first phase, said South Beach dietitian Marie Almon, because they are eating more carbohydrates than meat eaters. In the next two phases, more fruit and other carbs are reintroduced. Dawn Jackson, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said the South Beach Diet is generally healthy - even for vegetarians - because it helps people make better food choices. But she suggests most vegetarians could just take their current diet and just make modifications to it. Vegetarians might be turning toward the popular diet because, like other Americans, many are getting fatter. It is more in the era of processed carbs that people say they're a vegetarian and they're still overweight, Agatston said. Ice cream is vegetarian, notes Lynne Forti, 41, of Middleboro, Mass., who dropped 10 pounds in two months on the South Beach Diet. There's a lot of things that are vegetarian that aren't necessarily good for you. The 48-year-old Patlak says he's replaced root vegetables with green leafy ones and the vegan deserts with a homemade yogurt-based pudding. He's gained so much confidence and motivation from the weight loss he's made other changes in his life - including running for Congress.