And I'm not fat, it's glandular!

July 23, 2010 5:32 PM

I'm attempting the South Beach Diet. What are some pre-made items from Trader Joe's (and possibly Whole Foods) I can eat during Phase 1?

I've decided to try the South Beach Diet. I'm not generally into diets. I've lost weight before (70 lbs and 30lbs) just counting calories and exercising. But I've got an extreme problem with sweets that I can't seem to break (Just one example: 1 pound box of chocolates gone in two days), so I thought I'd give this diet a try because it said it would specifically address this problem.

Two issues: I despise cooking and I don't really have time to do it either. I buy a lot of frozen meals at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. How can I tell which I can eat and which I can't? I got the book from the library and I've skimmed it, so maybe I missed this part, but how can you tell if a food is out for a particular phase besides the list of foods? Do I look at carbs, sugar, ingredients?

I get that the diet is about eating more whole foods like fresh vegetables and such, but again, no time for cooking and I hate doing it. I need a way to make healthy eating easy or I know I won't do it. (So please do not suggest that I need to learn to like to cook as an investment in my blah blah blah.) I don't need to penny pinch but don't want to spend a fortune either. (i.e., I can shop a little at Whole Foods but not for all my grocery shopping.)

Also mildly problematic: I'm so-so on vegetables, particularly in comparison to all the wonderful sugar-y stuff I've been eating. I tend to like things like spinach, onion, garlic, and eggplant - stuff you find in Italian cooking or like the Turkish eggplant stuff at the Whole Foods salad bar. Raw veggies I don't really like unless liberal amounts of hummus are added.

The original question was about the prepared meals at the store, but I'll also take other suggestions on ways to get quick and tasty veggie meals.

Thanks!

posted by unannihilated to Food & Drink (6 answers total)

Ok, I'm not in the US, and we don't have Trader Joe's, but I have done phase 1 of South Beach, and here's what I suggest: your rule of thumb is meat and green veg. If you can get cooked chicken or turkey breast, chunked up, then get that. Tuna, tinned or in vac-pack. Beef, cooked and sliced, like for fajitas. Then, get prepared salads, spinach, celery, peas, green peppers, beans, anything green. Supplement that with almonds, nuts, cottage cheese, ricotta. What you want is to plan some meat, and green vegetables, whether raw or steamed or whatever.

I hope this helps!
posted by LN at 6:40 PM on July 23, 2010

I also have a sugar weakness and the advantage of the South Beach diet is that if you really follow it, even though it is as hard as quitting smoking at first, not much later you just don't have the same cravings. I am one week into it and it is already easier for me. In the past I have tried a one day fast first. Even though it isn't great for you metabolically it makes a bowl of steamed vegetables look so much better.
posted by InkaLomax at 6:41 PM on July 23, 2010

Trader Joe's sells a product called "Just Chicken." It is, literally, cooked chicken breast and rib meat. There's a good start. They also sell a bunch of microwave-in-the-bag green veggies, including a broccoli-cauliflower one and a green beans one.
posted by purpleclover at 6:47 PM on July 23, 2010

This is not TJ or WF specific, nor is it premade, but I went on the South Beach diet a little bit ago and the fudgesicle/peanut butter/cool whip thing saved me from soooo many cravings for sweet things.

On topic, seconding the microwave-in-the-bag greens, they're crazy simple and pretty good. Also they have a huge variety of nuts at TJ.
posted by troika at 9:19 PM on July 23, 2010

They also carry a good amount of ready-to-go vegetables, either for cooking, or salads.

After a short time, your taste buds adjust to the new diet, so the vegetables taste better and better. Sweet items can seem to be too sweet, also.

The nuts are usually a good price, but if you get the prepacked individual servings, there are more nuts than the South Beach diet allows for. If you are not as concerned about losing weight, don't worry about that. Eating a protein snack can really help cut down on sugar cravings.
posted by annsunny at 9:09 AM on July 24, 2010

I meant ready-to-go fresh vegetables
posted by annsunny at 9:11 AM on July 24, 2010