The South Beach Diet Dining Guide

Key Strategies for Restaurant Dining
Dining out is one of life's pleasures, but it's also a challenge when you're trying to maintain a healthy diet. At home you can control what you put on your plate, but when you eat out, you're bound to come up against some common pitfalls: oversized portions, tempting refined carbs, extra ingredients that add bad fat and bad carbs, and of course menus that don't offer many South Beach Diet-friendly options. The following tips will help you stick to your healthy eating plan.

Have a protein snack before you leave the house.
By eating something with protein ‑- a hard-boiled egg or a piece of reduced-fat cheese, for example ‑- about 15 minutes before you arrive at the restaurant, you'll take the edge off your appetite. If you're not ravenous while you're reading the menu, you'll be able to make better food choices.
Banish the bread basket.
And the tortilla chips basket. And the crispy noodle basket. They're all filled with bad (refined)carbs, such as rolls made from white flour or deep-fried tortilla chips. Eating these carbs will give you a glucose jolt that could raise your blood sugar, and you might end up feeling hungrier. If it's okay with your fellow diners, ask your server to remove the basket before you even have a chance to nibble. If not, wait until everyone has taken some and then ask the server to remove the basket. (If that's not appropriate for the group you're with, at least position the basket as far from yourself as possible.) Once you're on Phase 2 or 3, you can indulge in a slice from the bread basket ‑- as long as it is made from whole grains. To prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar, dip the bread into olive oil or even spread a little butter on it. The added calories are offset by the feeling of fullness that the fat adds.

Best Choices at Your Favorite Restaurants:

Order soup.
If possible, order a cup of soup ‑- the dieter's friend ‑- as soon as you're seated. Look for soups that are rich in vegetables and that aren't cream-based, or order clear broth or consomm&eacute. The beauty of soup is that it fills you up, so you're not so hungry when it comes time to order from the rest of the menu. It also sends a message to your brain that you're eating and will be full soon. Since it takes about 20 minutes for that message to travel from your stomach to your brain, by the time your main course arrives, you'll already be on the way to feeling satiated.
Ask for extra veggies instead of starches.
Main courses usually come with starchy side dishes, such as white rice or mashed potatoes, which are undesirable foods for South Beach dieters on Phase 1 and 2. Ask instead for extra green vegetables, such as broccoli or string beans, or for a small green salad. Today, this is a routine request in many restaurants ‑- your server should be happy to help.
Pick healthy cooking methods.
Stay away from anything on the menu that appears to be coated or battered and fried. If the dish comes with a rich butter or cheese sauce, ask for it on the side. Stick to cooking methods that don't add bad fats, such as such as roasting, broiling, baking, grilling, steaming, and even sauteing.
Have a (nonalcoholic) drink or two.
When your server asks if you want something from the bar, order a glass of water or diet soda. Sip it instead of a mixed drink or beer, and order another to go with your meal. Beyond Phase 1, have a glass of red or white wine along with your food ‑- this is a form of alcohol that's not only acceptable but good for you.
Enjoy dessert -- within reason.
The South Beach Diet is a lifestyle, and life without dessert would be no fun at all! But you have to make the right choices. Skip high-fat, high-sugar desserts. After Phase 1, if the menu offers fresh fruit, like berries or melon, that's your best choice. If you decide to indulge in something more decadent, use common sense. Ask the server to bring extra forks, limit yourself to three bites, and then share the rest with your fellow diners. After you've been on the South Beach Diet for a while, you may well find that your sweet tooth is more than satisfied with a small portion.

Qdoba Mexican Grill
More than 200 restaurants in 30 states
(720) 898-2300, Qdoba.com

Qdoba makes an effort to solve one of the biggest problems facing South Beach dieters: how to enjoy the authentic Mexican flavor of a burrito without the refined carbs of the tortilla wrapping. Qdoba offers the Naked Burrito ‑- basically a tortilla-less burrito in a bowl. This menu option makes this fast-casual chain of restaurants one of the more realistic destinations for those on the South Beach Diet who love Mexican food. Even so, dieters still need to be careful.

Best Choices
Any burrito on the Qdoba Mexican Grill menu, including the signature burritos, can be ordered naked. The basic Naked Burrito comes with black or pinto beans (acceptable for all phases); your choice of chicken, steak, ground sirloin, or shredded beef; lettuce, cheese, and light sour cream (also acceptable for all phases); and your choice of salsa. Unfortunately, it is served on a mound of white rice, which immediately takes it to Phase 3 status. If you ask your server to hold the rice, the burrito really does become "naked" and can be eaten by a Phase 1 dieter.

Recommended Dishes
Naked Burritos and Tacos:
Naked Burrito, Chicken*:
430 calories; 17g fat; 6g sat. fat; 28g carbs; 14g fiber; Phase 3
Naked Burrito, Chicken Fajita Ranchera*:
450 calories; 17g fat; 6g sat. fat; 34g carbs; 14g fiber; Phase 3
Naked Burrito, Grilled Veggies*:
290 calories; 10g fat; 3.5g sat. fat; 38g carbs; 15g fiber; Phase 3
Naked Taco Salad, Chicken*:
370 calories; 14g fat; 6g sat. fat; 28g carbs; 8g fiber; Phase 3
Naked Taco Salad, Grilled Veggies*:
240 calories; 8g fat; 3.5g sat. fat; 33g carbs; 11g fiber; Phase 3

*Nutritional analysis is for all burrito ingredients including rice. Eliminating the rice reduces the carbohydrates and calories in this dish.

Olive Garden
Italian Restaurant
More than 550 restaurants nationwide
800) 331-2729, OliveGarden.com

NOTE: Nutritional information was not available for this establishment. However, we have provided some Best Choices that fit in with the South Beach Diet nutritional principles. Because we do not have specific data for these dishes, talk to your server if you have questions about the ingredients in a dish, and be especially vigilant if you are on Phase 1.

Olive Garden bills itself as a genuine Italian dining experience. The chain develops its recipes and sends its managers for training at the Culinary Institute of Tuscany in Italy. The idea is to bring authentic cuisine to the restaurants and combine it with Italian-style hospitality. The slogan at Olive Garden is, "When you're here, you're family."

Best Choices
The menu at Olive Garden has some dishes marked with a little olive branch symbol indicating the Garden Fare selections. These dishes are lower-fat options, but most are still not the best for South Beach dieters. Some pasta dishes are marked as low-fat, for example, but they're still way too high in refined carbs. In fact, all the pasta dishes at Olive Garden should be avoided by South Beach dieters ‑- which means that except for the dishes mentioned here, almost all of the menu is off-limits. Some of the daily specials may be fine ‑- ask your server about them.

Among the appetizers, the Sicilian Shrimp Scampi or the Mussels di Napoli (steamed mussels with wine, garlic butter, and onions) are both okay. For salads, the Garden-Fresh Side Salad comes with unlimited refills. The classic Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is a good choice, as long as you hold the croutons. One of the authentic things about the Olive Garden menu is the grill ‑- an often-forgotten aspect of Italian cooking. The best choices here are Pork Filettino (rosemary pork tenderloin) or Salmon Piccata (salmon fillet in white wine lemon sauce). Ask for extra grilled veggies or a salad instead of the Tuscan potatoes.

The Cheesecake Factory
Nearly 100 locations in 28 states
(818)871-3000, TheCheeseCakeFactory.com

Evelyn Overton started baking and selling her famous cheesecakes in the 1940s in California, but it wasn't until 1978 that the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened in Beverly Hills. It featured an eclectic menu, large portions, and, of course, Evelyn's cheesecake. The success of the restaurant made Evelyn's cheesecake even more famous, and more restaurants and more fame followed over the years. Today this chain of casual dining restaurants offers a menu with more than 200 items, to say nothing of over 50 varieties of cheesecake.

Best Choices
Even though the menu at The Cheesecake Factory is appealing, it's not that easy to find good South Beach Diet options. Among the appetizers, check out the French Country Salad, made with mixed greens, grilled asparagus, fresh beets (hold them for Phases 1 and 2), and goat cheese ‑- just ask them to hold the candied pecans. The extensive specialties section of the menu offers a large handful of South Beach Diet-friendly entrees. Several of the chicken dishes, such as Crusted Chicken Romano, Chicken Brochettes, and Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken, are good choices. In the fish section, look for Herb-Crusted Filet of Salmon, Miso Salmon, and Shrimp Scampi. When ordering chicken or fish entrees, substitute extra veggies for the mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta that accompany the dish. Among the main-course salads, Chicken Caesar without the croutons is a dependable choice. The Herb-Crusted Salmon Salad is another good option, and the Cobb Salad is acceptable if you hold the bacon.

Boston Market
More than 630 restaurants in 28 states
(800) 365-7000, BostonMarket.com

Don't feel like cooking tonight? Stop by Boston Market and pick up a full meal to take home for the family. Boston Market, now a wholly owned subsidiary of McDonald's Corporation, practically invented the home-meal replacement concept. The fairly wide range of entrees, plus vegetable choices that are a little more interesting than typical fast-food fare, make this chain a good take-out or eat-in place for those on the South Beach diet.

Best Choices
Among the entrees, the variations on Rotisserie Chicken white meat quarters are all SBD-friendly, especially if you choose the skinless and wingless versions. The Rotisserie Turkey is another good choice. Round out your entree with some of the hot side dishes, such as the Green Beans, Steamed Vegetable Medley, or Butternut Squash. If you'd prefer a salad entree, go for the plain Caesar Salad or Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad. Eliminating the croutons from a main course Caesar takes it from a Phase 3 to a Phase 1 dish. The Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad is another good option (hold the toasted noodles and go easy on the dressing). For all the salads, skip the corn bread.

Recommended Dishes
Entrees:
Garlic Rotisserie Chicken (white, no skin/wing):
170 calories; 4g fat; 1g sat. fat; 2g carbs; 0g fiber; Phase 1
Spicy Tuscan Rotisserie Chicken (white):
200 calories; 5g fat; 1g sat. fat; 4g carbs; 0g fiber; Phase 1
Rotisserie Turkey:
170 calories; 1g fat; 0g sat. fat; 3g carbs; 0g fiber; Phase 1

Soups and Salads:
Tortilla Soup (no toppings):
80 calories; 4.5g fat; 1g sat. fat; 7g carbs; 1g fiber; Phase 1
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup:
100 calories; 4.5g fat; 1.5g sat. fat; 8g carbs; 0g fiber; Phase 3
Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad (no noodles or dressing):
270 calories; 5g fat; 1.5g sat. fat; 22g carbs; 7g fiber; Phase 2
Caesar Side Salad*:
300 calories; 26g fat; 4.5g sat. fat; 13g carbs; 1g fiber; Phase 3
Caesar Salad Entree*:
470 calories; 40g fat; 9g sat. fat; 17g carbs; 3g fiber; Phase 3
Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad*:
640 calories; 44g fat; 11g sat. fat; 19g carbs; 3g fiber; Phase 3
*Nutritional analysis includes croutons. Eliminating the croutons reduces carbohydrates, fat, and calories in this dish.

Side Dishes:
Butternut Squash:
150 calories; 6g fat; 4g sat. fat; 25g carbs; 6g fiber; Phase 2
Green Beans:
70 calories; 4g fat; 0.5g sat. fat; 6g carbs; 2g fiber; Phase 1
Steamed Vegetable Medley:
30 calories; 0g fat; 0g sat. fat; 6g carbs; 2g fiber; Phase 2

For more information on the South Beach Diet, visit the South Beach Diet message board.