The South Beach Diet (13 page)

MILK, MILK PRODUCTS, AND MILK SUBSTITUTES

Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium and protein and make for great snacks. But whole-milk dairy products, such as butter, cheese, milk, cream, and ice cream contain high amounts of saturated fat. When selecting dairy products, look for non-fat or low-fat varieties of milk or plain yogurt or yogurt sweetened with aspartame. These products contain the milk sugar lactose, which has a moderated glycemic index lower than other simple sugars. Also look for low-fat soy milk and soy drinks, which contain more protein and less fat than cow’s milk.

CREAMS AND CREAMERS

MILK AND NONDAIRY MILKS

SOY MILK

YOGURTS

NUTS, NUT BUTTERS, AND SEEDS

News of the positive health benefits of nuts continues to accumulate. Nuts are a great source of good fats and protein, and consumption of nuts has been associated with decreased risks of heart attacks. Almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, pistachios, and many other nuts are all good choices. Walnuts are particularly rich in omega=3’s. Natural nut butters appear to have the same health benefits as whole nuts, but it is important to read the labels to make sure that hydrogenated oils are not listed as ingredients. Smuckers, for example, has a natural peanut butter made without trans fats that is a good choice. But while nuts are a great source of good fats, they’re also very easy to overeat, which can impede weight loss, so be mindful of how many you’re consuming.

NUTS

NUT BUTTERS

SEEDS

PASTA AND PASTA DISHES

Whole wheat pasta is the preferred type of pasta on the South Beach Diet. We recommended that you boil the pasta until just tender or “al dente.” Also, to reduce portion size, try eating pasta as a side dish to your fish or chicken, rather than a stand-alone entrée.

Enjoy your pasta with a low-sugar tomato sauce. Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be more efficiently absorbed when processed into tomato sauces or tomato paste. This is important because lycopene has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer.

PASTA, COOKED