Just because you've started The South Beach Diet, you don't have to give up eating at your favorite ethnic restaurants. In the coming weeks, we'll look at several different cuisines and the SBD-friendly options they offer. In this installment, we cover Chinese, Indian, and Japanese.
Chinese
The biggest problem about Chinese food is that Chinese dishes have been "Americanized" to rely less on vegetables in favor of deep fried meats, such as the perennial favorite, sweet and sour chicken. The portions are often too large and include rich sauces.
Needless to say, you'll need to avoid all fried meat-based dishes. Fried rice is on the hit list, but when you're SBD you'll want to steer clear of white rice, too, even though it's steamed, because of its high GI rating. Noodles are a no-no (Say bye-bye vegetable lo mein; it may be rich in veggies, but the noodles are a carb nightmare!).
Here are some general guidelines for Chinese menus:
No:
- Sweet and sour chicken
- Fried rice, dumplings and noodles
- Lo mein
- Egg rolls
- Crispy duck
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
Yes:
- Chicken and broccoli
- Egg drop soup
- Steamed vegetables
- Rice (Ice cream scoop size; Phase 2 or 3 only)
- Meat, poultry, shellfish (grilled, steamed, broiled; lean)
Indian
Indian food can be a good choice because you can get Tandoori style meat, which is basically roasted. You can find salads, chickpeas, beans and dishes made with other vegetables such as lentils (dal) and spinach. Masalas and raitas are good choices.
The most tempting part of any visit to an Indian restaurant is the traditional bread prepared in the Tandoori oven. While it may be prepared in a healthy way, a carb is a carb and bread is bread.
Japanese
Japanese food is another good choice because fish, shellfish, and vegetables are staples. Miso soup is completely acceptable. While sushi may be off-limits, sashimi is acceptable as it does not include rice.
There are also vegetarian options, which are also acceptable, such as tofu- and edamame-based dishes. Though Teriyaki dishes are grilled, the marinade is high in sugar, making them unfavorable on The South Beach Diet. Tempura is, of course, a no-go (Hello, deep fried anything, good-bye SBD!).
