This might be a stupid question
 

Ok, I just finished reading the South Beach Diet book and have decided to definitely give it a try. Now I'm just trying to plan my meals so I can go grocery shopping. I have a few things that I'm not sure if they're allowed in Phase 1. These might be no-brainers, but I wanted to make sure.

Coke Zero (or any other diet soft drink for that matter)
Refried beans
Salsa
BBQ sauce (I'm thinking this isn't allowed... am I right?)

I just want to be sure before I buy them.

Thanks
Christine :moo:

Coke Zero is pretty much diet Coke that tastes like regular Coke (Well, as much like regular Coke as a purist like me can expect...Oh, Coca Cola how I miss you! :lol: ) and it's zero across the board. No calories, no fat, no carbs, no sugar, only 30 mgs of Sodium and it contains phenylalanine (sheesh, what word). I think it's fine for all phases, it's comproable to Diet Coke.


I would be wary of high sugar content in any pre-cooked beans. I know a lot of companies load them up with sugars to get that baked bean-classic sweetness (to Boston Baked, anyway). If they're out of a can, just watch for a lot fo addatives and sugars. But I am not a bean aficionado. Hehe, so someone else will certainly know more.

Salsa if you make it yourself can be great and a lot of salsas on the market are no sugar added. Those are the magic words you want to see stamped on your packages. No Sugar Added is key, and then check the lable just to be safe. A lot of Salsas are pure and have no sugar but some add it for flavour.

BBQ Sauce Just like Salsa, a lot of companies make sugar free BBQ suace which is pretty good. Just be careful because a lot of sauces like honey BBQ or Teriyaki are wicked high in sugar unless stated otherwise! But I bet some ladies here have some brands of SF BBQ.

I hope this helps! Someone else will surely have more to add because I bet i left something out. hehe. Welcome to the beach. :D

Refried beans are fine as long as they are nothing but beans and spices. Check the list of ingredients and make sure they do not add sugar or bad fats. I buy fat free refried black beans. Yummy! Especially for Taco Bake (check out the phase 1 entree recipes)

You want to make sure you are drinking enough water so try to limit your SF Cokes to one or two a day. I normally have one drink with caffeine and then often one more without caffeine.

You do have to watch the sugar content of canned beans, but there are brands out there with no sugar.

I get Vegetarian refried beans as they have no lard or anything else, really. They are delicious! :)

Beans are a really important part of Phase 1, as they help provide fiber (to reduce constipation), have protein and fiber for fullness, and good carbs to reduce the detox symptoms. They are definitely a wonder food!

All the other advice on your other questions is great and Barb is right, try to limit your soda to 2 servings a day. Make sure you are getting at least 64 oz of plain water (not counting anything else you drink) a day.

Hi Christine. :wave: I just thought I would let you know that I went shopping for refried beans this weekend because I wanted to try the taco bake in the receipe section here and didn't have time to make my own refried beans.

I only found one brand of refried beans that didn't have lard and/or sugar. It was Old El Paso brand and they were in the hispanic section of our store.

Good Luck!! :)