Vegetarian Foods to Enjoy & Avoid in

Phase 1
Foods to Enjoy
Note: Portions are not limited unless otherwise specified.

PROTEIN
SOY-BASED MEAT SUBSTITUTES
Unless otherwise stated, look for products that have 6 grams of fat or less per 2-3 ounce serving
Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day

Burger
Chicken, unbreaded
Hot Dogs
Sausage Patties and Links - Limit 1 patty or 2 links per day
Seitan
Soy bacon
Soy burger
Soy chicken, unbreaded
Soy crumbles 1/4 cup (2 oz.) suggested serving size
Soy hot dogs
Soy sausage patties and links
Tempeh 1/4 cup suggested serving size
Tofu (all varieties) 1/2 cup suggested serving
Yuba (bean curd on sheet)
CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR REDUCEDFAT)
For hard cheese, look for varieties that have 6 g or less fat per ounce.

American
Cheddar
Blue cheese (does not come as reduced fat, so use in moderation)
Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
Cheddar

Foods to Avoid
DAIRY
Ice Cream
Milk, 2% or whole
Soymilk, whole
Yogurt, cup-style and frozen
CHEESE
Full-fat
VEGETABLES
Avoid all fruits and fruit juices on Phase 1.
Beets
Carrots
Corn
Green peas
Potatoes, sweet
Potatoes, white
Pumpkin
Squash, winter
Turnips (root)
Yams
STARCHES
Avoid all starchy food on Phase 1,
including:
Bread, all types
Croutons, all types
Matzo
Oatmeal
Potatoes, sweet
Pasta, all types
Pastries and baked goods, all types
Rice, all types

SWEET TREATS
Pudding
BEVERAGES
Cottage cheese, 1%, 2%, or fatfree
Feta
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Part-skim Ricotta
Part-skim String
Provolone
Swiss
EGGS
The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Egg whites and egg substitutes are okay.
MILK/DAIRY
Except for half-and-half, 2 cups allowed daily, including nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt.

Buttermilk, 1% or fat-free
Evaporated milk, fat-free (2 Tbsp.)
Greek yogurt, nonfat
Half-and-half, fat-free (2 Tbsp.)
Milk, 1% or fat-free
Soymilk, low-fat plain, vanilla, or
artificially sweetened (4 g or less
fat per 8 oz. serving). Be sure that
the product does not contain highfructose
corn syrup.
Yogurt, low-fat or nonfat plain
BEANS/LEGUMES
Fresh, frozen, or canned (without added sugar). Start with a 1/3- to 1/2-cup serving size.

Adzuki Beans
Black Beans
Black-eyed peas
Broad Beans
Butter Beans
Cannellini Beans
Chickpeas or Garbanzo
Edamame
Fava beans
Great Northern beans
Italian beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Mung beans
Navy beans
Pigeon beans
Pinto beans
Refried beans, fat-free, canned
Soy beans
Split peas
White beans
Alcohol of any kind, including beer
and wine
Fruit juice, all types
Milk, full-fat and 2%
Powdered drink mixes containing
sugar
Soda and other drinks containing
sugar
Soymilk with more than 4 g fat per
8 oz. serving
Cocktail sauce
Ketchup
Cocktail sauce
Ketchup
Easy Phase 1 Substitutions
AVOID THIS: Bread crumbs
USE THIS INSTEAD: Whole or crushed pine nuts (1/4 cup/serving)
AVOID THIS: Cocktail sauce for shrimp
USE THIS INSTEAD: Red bell pepper sauce with horseradish

AVOID THIS: Crackers or pita crisps

USE THIS INSTEAD: Cucumber or zucchini rounds
AVOID THIS: "Creamy" white sauce
USE THIS INSTEAD: Evaporated
skim milk, nonfat sour cream, or
nonfat Greek yogurt
AVOID THIS: Croutons
USE THIS INSTEAD: Roasted
mushroom "croutons"
AVOID THIS: English muffin
USE THIS INSTEAD: Portobello
mushroom caps
AVOID THIS: Green peas
USE THIS INSTEAD: Edamame or
snow peas
AVOID THIS: Noodles for soup
USE THIS INSTEAD: Spaghetti
squash
AVOID THIS: Pasta
USE THIS INSTEAD: Spaghetti
squash, julienned zucchini, or
eggplant ribbons (for lasagna)
AVOID THIS: Pizza crust
(individual)
USE THIS INSTEAD: Portobello
mushroom caps or zucchini boats
AVOID THIS: Rice
USE THIS INSTEAD: Bed of lentils
or finely chopped cauliflower
AVOID THIS: Popcorn
USE THIS INSTEAD: Roasted
cauliflower florets or roasted kale
with popcorn salt
AVOID THIS: Potato chips
USE THIS INSTEAD: Baked
zucchini chips, celery root (celariac
chips)
AVOID THIS: Diced potatoes
USE THIS INSTEAD: Diced
artichoke hearts, eggplant, or
VEGETABLES
May use fresh, frozen, or canned without
added sugar. Eat a minimum of 2 cups
with lunch and dinner.

Artichoke hearts
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Bok choy
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Broccoli sprouts (see also Sprouts)
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (green, red, Napa, Savoy)
Capers
Cauliflower
Celeriac (celery root)
Celery
Chayote
Collard greens
Cucumbers
Daikon radish
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Fiddlehead ferns
Garlic
Grape leaves

Green beans
Hearts of palm
Jicama
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce (all varieties)
Mushrooms (all varieties)
Mustard greens
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Pepperoncini
Peppers (all varieties)
Pickles (dill or artificially
sweetened)
Pimientos
Radicchio
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Sea vegetables (seaweed, nori)
Shallots
Snap peas
Snow peas
Spinach
Sprouts (alfalfa, bean, broccoli, lentil,
radish, sunflower)

Squash (spaghetti, summer, yellow,

hearts of palm
AVOID THIS: French fries
USE THIS INSTEAD: Oven-baked
zucchini fries or roasted whole fresh
green beans
AVOID THIS: Hash brown potatoes
USE THIS INSTEAD: Shredded
zucchini
AVOID THIS: Mashed potatoes
USE THIS INSTEAD: Mashed
cauliflower or pured navy beans

Phase 1: Vegetarian Foods to Enjoy and Avoid

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/mealplan/phase1/vegetarian.aspx[1/9/2010 11:01:49 PM]

zucchini)
Swiss chard
Tomatoes (all varieties)
Tomato juice
Turnip greens
Vegetable juice cocktail
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Wax beans
NUTS AND SEEDS
(Limit to one serving per day as
specified. Dry roasted
recommended.)
Almonds - 15
Brazil nuts - 4
Cashews - 15
Chestnuts - 6
Edamame, dry roasted - 1/4 cup
Filberts - 25
Flaxseed - 3 Tbsp. (1 oz.)
Hazelnuts - 25
Macadamias - 8
Peanut Butter, Natural, and other
nut butters - 2 TBS
Peanuts, dry roasted or boiled 20
small

Pecans - 15

Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce

Pistachios - 30
Pumpkin Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Sesame Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup
Sunflower Seeds - 3 TBS (1 oz)
Walnuts - 15
FATS/OILS
Up to 2 Tbsp. of the following fats
or oils are allowed daily.
Monounsaturated oils are
particularly recommended.
Monounsaturated Oils
Oil, olive
Canola
Polyunsaturated Oils or a Blend of
Monounsaturated and
Polyunsaturated
Corn
Flaxseed
Grapeseed
Peanut
Safflower
Sesame
Soybean
Sunflower
Other Fat Choices:
Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
Guacamole - 1/2 cup = 1 TBS oil
Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
Mayonnaise - trans fat-free - 2 TBS
Mayonnaise - Low Fat - 2 TBS (avoid varieties made with high fructose corn syrup)
Mayonnaise - regular - 2 TBS
Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS oil
Salad Dressing - 2 TBS. Use those
that contain 3 grams of sugar or less per 2
TBS. Best choices contain canola or olive
oil. Low carb salad dressings may also be
used if they meet these guidelines.
Trans fat-free spreads 2 TBS

SEASONINGS AND
CONDIMENTS
All spices that contain no added
sugar
Broth
Coconut milk, lite
Espresso powder
Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
Horseradish and horseradish sauce
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
Salsa (check labels for added sugar)
Salsa (check label for added sugar)
Trans fatfree cooking spray
Use the following toppings and
sauces sparingly; check label for
added sugar or monosodium
glutamate (MSG).
Cream cheese, fat-free or ligh 2
Tbsp.
Hot pepper sauce
"Low-carb" condiments may only be
used if they are trans fatfree and
contain no added sugar.
Soy sauce--1/2 Tbsp.
Taco sauce 1Tbsp.
Tamari--1 Tbsp.
Whipped topping, light or fat-free 2
Tbsp.

More on South Beach condiments

SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75100 calories per day)

Sweet treats are items that contain
sugar alcohols, such as:
Candies, hard, sugar-free
Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
Chocolate syrup, sugar-free
Cocoa powder, baking type(also for
cocoa)
Drink mix, sugar-free and nutrientenhanced
Fudgsicles, no sugar added
Gum, sugar-free
Gelatin, sugar-free

Phase 1: Vegetarian Foods to Enjoy and Avoid

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/mealplan/phase1/vegetarian.aspx[1/9/2010 11:01:49 PM]

Gum, sugar-free
Jams and jellies, sugar-free
Some sugar-free products may be
made with sugar alcohols (isomalt,
lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, or xylitol)
and are permitted on the South
Beach Diet. They may have
associated side effects of
gastrointestinal distress if
consumed in excessive amounts.
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES
Acesulfame K
Acesulfame K
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
Fructose (count as Sweet Treats,
75100 calorie limit)
Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Some sugar substitutes may be
made with sugar alcohols (isomalt,
lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol, or xylitol)
and are permitted on the South
Beach Diet. They may have
associated side effects of
gastrointestinal distress if
consumed in large amounts.
BEVERAGES
Caffeinated and decaffeinated
coffee and tea (drink caffeinated in
moderation)
Diet, caffeinated and decaffeinated,
sugar-free sodas and drinks (drink
caffeinated in moderation)
Herbal teas (peppermint,
chamomile, etc.)
Milk (1% or fat-free) and soymilk (lowfat
plain). See MILK/DAIRY.
Sugar-free powdered drink mixes
Soymilk, low-fat plain, vanilla, or
sucralose-containing (4 g or less
fat per 8 oz. serving). Be sure that
the product does not contain highfructose
corn syrup.
Sugar-free powdered drink mixes
Tomato juice
Vegetable Juice
Phase 1: Vegetarian Foods to Enjoy and Avoid http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/mealplan/phase1/vegetarian.aspx