The following list shows the wide variety of wholesome foods that you and your family can enjoy as you strive to create healthier meals. You can either photocopy this list or download it from southbeachdiet.com/wakeupcall. Remember: Look for bargains, shop for produce in season, and freeze foods for future use. If you are following the South Beach Diet and are on Phase 1 or 2 of the weight-loss program, shop accordingly for the phase you’re on.
VEGETABLES
Fresh, frozen, or canned without added sugar
Artichoke hearts
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Broccolini
Broccoli rabe
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (green, red, napa, savoy)
Calabaza
Cassava
Capers
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac (celery root)
Celery
Chayote
Collard greens
Corn
Cucumbers
Daikon radish
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Fiddlehead ferns
Garlic
Grape leaves
Green beans
Hearts of palm
Jícama
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce (all varieties)
Mushrooms (all varieties)
Mustard greens
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Peas, green
Pepperoncini
Peppers (all varieties)
Pickles (dill or artificially sweetened)
Pimientos
Pumpkin
Radicchio
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Sea vegetables (seaweed, nori)
Shallots
Snap peas
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts (alfalfa, bean, broccoli, lentil, radish, sunflower)
Squash, spaghetti
Squash, summer
Yellow
zucchini
Squash, winter
Sweet potatoes
Swiss chard
Taro
Tomatoes (all varieties)
Tomato juice
Turnips (greens and roots)
Vegetable juice and vegetable juice blends
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Wax beans
Yams
BEANS AND OTHER LEGUMES
Fresh, frozen, or canned without added sugar
Adzuki beans
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Broad beans
Butter beans
Cannellini beans
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Cranberry beans
Edamame
Fava beans
Great Northern beans
Italian beans
Kidney beans
Lentils (any variety)
Lima beans
Mung beans
Navy beans
Pigeon beans
Pinto beans
Refried beans (fat-free, canned)
Soybeans
Split peas
White beans
FRUITS
Fresh, frozen, or canned without added sugar
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cactus pear fruits (prickly pears)
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Clementines
Cranberries
Gooseberries
Grapefruit
Grapes
Honeydew melons
Kiwifruit
Loganberries
Mandarin oranges
Mangoes
Mulberries
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Pomegranate seeds
Pomelos
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangelos
Tangerines
LEAN PROTEIN
Lean meat has 10 g or less of total fat and 4.5 g or less of saturated fat per 100 g portion.
Beef (remove all visible fat)
Bottom round
Eye of round
Flank steak
Ground beef
Extra lean
Lean sirloin
Hot dogs (look for 97% fat-free or 3-6 g of fat per serving)
London broil
Pastrami, lean
Sirloin steak
T-bone steak
Tenderloin (filet mignon)
Top loin
Top round
Poultry
Choose cuts without the skin or remove it when cooking or before eating.
Chicken breast, all cuts
Cornish hen
Duck breast
Ground breast of chicken
Ground breast of turkey
Hot dogs (look for 97% fat-free or 3-6 g of fat per serving)
Turkey bacon
Turkey breast, all cuts
Turkey pastrami
Turkey sausage, low-fat (3-6 g of fat per 60 g serving)
Seafood
Limit your intake of fish high in mercury, such as marlin, swordfish, shark, tilefish, orange roughy, king mackerel, bigeye and ahi tuna, and canned albacore tuna (use light tuna instead).
Fish (all types)
Salmon roe
Shellfish (all types)
Pork
Canadian bacon
Ham, boiled
Hot dogs (look for 97% fat-free or 3-6 g of fat per serving)
Loin, chop or roast
Tenderloin
Chop
Leg cutlet
Leg roast
Top round
Lamb (remove all visible fat and eat occasionally)
Center cut
Chop
Loin (chop or roast)
Game Meats
Buffalo
Elk
Ostrich
Venison
Deli meats
Reduced-fat or natural, preferably reduced sodium
Chicken breast
Ham, boiled or smoked
Roast beef
Turkey breast, regular or smoked
SOY-BASED MEAT SUBSTITUTES AND MEAT ALTERNATIVES
Unless otherwise stated, look for products that have 6 g or less of fat per 2-3 oz serving.
Seiten
Soy bacon
Soy burgers
Soy chicken, unbreaded
Soy crumbles
Soy hot dogs
Soy sausage, patties or links
Tempeh
Tofu (all varieties)
Yuba (bean curd in sticks or sheets)
WHOLE GRAINS
Bagels, small whole grain
Barley
Bread, 100% whole-grain, including homemade breads made with whole grains (buckwheat, whole wheat, spelt, whole oats, bran, rye)
Bran
Multigrain
Oat
Rye
Sprouted grain
Whole wheat
Buckwheat
Cereal, cold (choose low-sugar with 5 g or more of fiber per serving; serving sizes vary so be sure to check the label to determine the recommended amount)
Cereal, hot (choose whole-grain and slow-cooking varieties—not instant—with at least 3 g of fiber and no more than 2 g of sugar; serving sizes vary so be sure to check the label to determine the recommended amount)
Couscous, whole wheat or Israeli
Crackers, whole grain (3 g or more of fiber per ounce and no trans fats)
English muffin, whole grain (most contain 2.5 g of fiber per half muffin; varieties with 3 g of fiber are the best choice)
Flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)
Flour
Garbanzo flour
Soy flour
Spelt flour
White wholewheat flour
Whole-wheat flour
Whole-wheat pastry flour
Matzo, whole wheat
Pasta
Whole wheat (3 g or more of fiber per ½ cup)
Soy (3 g or more of fiber per ½ cup)
Phyllo dough and shells, whole wheat
Pita (most contain 2.5 g of fiber per half pita; varieties with 3 g of fiber are the best choice)
Popcorn
Air-popped
Microwave, plain, no trans fats
Stovetop, cooked with canola oil
Quinoa
Rice
Basmatl
Brown
Converted
Parboiled
Wild
Rice noodles
Shirataki noodles
Soba noodles
Tortilla, 100% whole grain (3 g or more of fiber per ounce, no trans fats)
Wheat germ
DAIRY, CHEESE, AND EGGS
Dairy (fat-free or reduced-fat) and milk alternatives
Almond milk
Buttermilk, nonfat or light (1.5%)
Greek yogurt, nonfat (0%)
Kefir, nonfat and low-fat plain
Milk, 1% or fat-free
Sour cream, light or reduced fat
Soy milk, low-fat plain, vanilla, or artificially sweetened (4 g or less of fat per 8 oz. serving; avoid varieties that contain high-fructose corn syrup)
Whipped cream, light
Yogurt (artificially sweetened, low-fat, or nonfat; avoid varieties that contain high-fructose corn syrup)
Cheese (fat-free or reduced-fat)
For hard cheese, look for varieties that have 6 g or less of fat per oz.
American
Blue cheese (such as gorgonzola)
Cheddar
Cottage cheese, 1%, 2%, or fat-free
Cream cheese, fat-free or light
Farmer cheese (and light farmer cheese)
Feta
Goat cheese (chèvre)
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Provolone
Queso fresco
Ricotta, part-skim
Sheep’s milk cheese
String cheese, part-skim
Swiss
EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Egg whites and egg substitutes are OK.
Monounsaturated Oils
Canola oil
Olive oil (particularly extra-virgin)
Polyunsaturated Oils or a Blend of monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated
Corn
Flaxseed
Grapeseed
Peanut
Safflower
Sesame
Soybean
Sunflower
Other Good Fat Choices
Mayonnaise, regular or low-fat (avoid varieties made with high-fructose corn syrup or other added sugars)
Olives (green or black)
Salad dressing (buy those that contain 3 g of sugar or less per 2 Tbsp; the best choices contain canola or olive oil—dressings labeled “low-carb” should only be purchased if they meet these guidelines)
Trans fats-free spreads
Vegetable oil spread (margarine)—choose brands that do not contain trans fats
NUTS AND SEEDS
Limit to ¼ cup per day. Dry roasted recommended.
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chestnuts
Edamame, dry roasted
Filberts
Flaxseed
Hazelnuts
Macadamias
Peanut butter, natural, and other nut butters
Peanuts (dry roasted or boiled)
Pecans
Pine nuts (pignoli)
Pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Soy nuts
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
SEASONINGS AND CONDIMENTS
Check labels for added sugar or monosodium glutamate (MSG). “Low-carb” condiments should be used only if they are trans fats-free and contain no added sugar.
Broth (preferably reduced-sodium and fat-free)
Cocktail sauce, sugar-free
Cooking sprays, nonstick (such as olive oil, canola oil)
Espresso powder
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish
Hot sauce
Ketchup, sugar-free
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Liquid smoke
Miso
Mustard, sugar free
Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
Salsa (check the label for added sugar)
Shoyu
Soy sauce
Spices and spice blends (use only those that contain no added sugar)
Steak sauce
Taco sauce
Tamari
Tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
BEVERAGES
Almond milk, unsweetened
Buttermilk, nonfat or light (1.5%)
Club soda
Beer, light
Coffee, caffeinated or decaffeinated
Milk, 1% or fat-free
Powdered drink mixes, sugar-free
Seltzer
Soda, sugar-free (caffeinated or caffeine-free)
Soymilk, low-fat plain, vanilla, or artificially sweetened (4 g or less of fat per 8 oz serving; avoid varieties that contain high-fructose corn syrup)
Tea, caffeinated (black, green, white, oolong) or herbal (such as peppermint, chamomile, orange blossom)
Tomato juice
Vegetable juice blends
Wine, red or white
SUGAR-FREE TREATS
Some sugar-free products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, or xylitol) and may have associated side effects of gastrointestinal distress if consumed in excessive amounts. Limit to 75-100 calories per day.
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no sugar added
Chocolate syrup, sugar-free
Cocoa powder, unsweetened baking type, labeled 100% cacao
Fudgsicles, no sugar added
Gelatin, sugar-free
Gum, sugar-free
Jams and jellies, sugar-free
Popsicles, sugar-free
Syrups, sugar-free
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Some sugar substitutes may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, or xylitol) and may have associated side effects of gastrointestinal distress if consumed in large amounts.
Agave nectar (limit to 2 Tbsp daily)
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
Saccharin (Sweet’N Low)
Stevia
Stevia and erythritol (Truvia)
Sucralose (Splenda)
SPECIAL TREAT
Chocolate, dark (choose brands that contain at least 70% cacao and the least amount of sugar)