The Vegetarian South Beach Diet Alternative

Welcome to the new vegetarian South Beach Diet! The South Beach Diet has been all the craze in the weight loss world for the past several years. The diet’s claim to fame is an easy to follow plan that lets users lose a lot of weight and keep it off for the long term. Unfortunately, low-carb diets and vegetarians just don’t seem to mix. Right? Wrong!

Are Vegetarians Thinner than Meat-Eaters?

Vegetarians soon find out that, like many Americans, the scales do not necessarily tip in their favor in the weight department. After all, ice cream and cookies are still vegetarian, as well as many refined carbohydrates such as white rice and pasta. All of these “bad carbs” quickly add up and help in packing on the pounds. How can a low-carb diet possibly work for a vegan or vegetarian that does not eat meat? The vegetarian South Beach Diet includes foods such as beans, vegetables and soy products like tofu and legumes. The first two weeks of the diet are very restrictive, as this phase is meant to jumpstart your weight loss. However, from phase 2 and on, items like fruits, healthy grains, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and even whole wheat pizza dough are added back onto the menu.

What Can Vegetarians Eat on This Diet?

The first two weeks of the South Beach Diet is meant to be a cleansing time for the body, which is why no sugar or starches are eaten during this time period. You will be enjoying complex carbs as well as vegetables and proteins. What can you eat on this diet? Some of the vegetables vegetarians can enjoy during the first two week phase include spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant, green beans, squash, kale, alfalfa sprouts, cilantro, lime and avocado.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians can enjoy low fat dairy products and eggs. You can also eat a variety of nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews, as well as natural peanut butter. Other tasty things not off limits include hummus, black beans, yogurt, salsa, lentils, and even V8 juice. Using these vegetables allowed in phase 1 of the vegetarian South Beach Diet, you can make recipes such as Mexican red lentil stew with lime and cilantro, grilled eggplant with garlic vinaigrette and feta, as well as eggplant marinara and three-bean chili.

See? The South Beach Diet vegetarian menu doesn’t seem as bad as you thought it might be. If you are a vegetarian or vegan struggling with your weight, why not try the vegetarian South Beach Diet for yourself? Over 4,000 thinner vegetarians can’t be wrong!

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