When choosing a diet program, the food list can be a deciding factor for many people. Diets that have a long list of forbidden foods will be difficult and usually end in failure. The South Beach Diet is not that kind of diet.

Go ahead and examine the foods recommended on the South Beach Diet. Happily, you will find that the South Beach diet recipes use a wide variety of foods and diverse cooking methods to prepare meals that are truly mouth-watering combinations.

The diet has taken into account the fact that the majority of people enjoy eating meat of some description. Foodstuffs such as boiled ham, chicken breasts, Cornish game hen, lean cuts of beef and turkey feature on the list of items you can eat, even during Phase 1 when there is more concentration on cutting out bad carbohydrates and saturated fats.

And the South Beach Diet is a seafood lover's dream come true. There are few limits to the tasty seafood you can enjoy during all phases of the diet plan. You will also learn which fish are high in super healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and be encouraged to include them on your menu regularly.

Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet takes carbs out of your system, and this means no fruits and grains for two weeks. While this may sound strict, your body will thank you for eliminating these foods that hamper digestion and prevent healthy weight loss. In Phase 2, you will begin eating some carbs again in a healthier way that will still help you lose weight.

Fatty cheese and other dairy products are reintroduced to your diet during Phase 2 too. Cravings for these foods are also put in check during Phase 1, so you will find it easier to refrain from overeating these foods.

When studying the South Beach Diet you will see that there are numerous vegetables which you can incorporate in your menu. Some of the more popular ones are celery and collard greens, asparagus and cauliflower all of which you are allowed in large portions and as long as sweetened with Splenda, you can even eat pickles!

By combining some of the available meats and cheeses on Phase 1 with romaine lettuce and spinach you can come up with some interesting salads which are totally allowed when following the South Beach Diet and you will find they are simply delicious.

They say that variety is the spice of life. If that's true, the South Beach Diet is the spiciest diet around. Check it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed or feel deprived, and the weight will come off too.