Excerpts

BREAKFASTS IN MY MEDICAL PRACTICE, I'VE OBSERVED THAT A GREAT MANY PATIENTS WHO SAY THEY NEVER EAT BREAKFAST ALSO SUFFER FROM OBESITY. IS THERE A CONNECTION? QUITE POSSIBLY. GOING TOO LONG WITHOUT FOOD CAN BE A PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE RESULTING HUNGER PANGS CAN CAUSE YOU TO OVEREAT, USUALLY THE WORST FOODS. THAT ALONE MAKES IT IMPORTANT TO START THE DAY WITH A SATISFYING MEAL. BAD BREAKFAST HABITS MAY ALSO SET YOU UP FOR TROUBLE AT LUNCHTIME OR LATER. ONE IMPORTANT STUDY PROVED THAT STARTING THE MORNING WITH PROCESSED CARBS-- A BAGEL, SAY--WILL STIMULATE CRAVINGS FOR MORE OF THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE SAME RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT A BREAKFAST OF GOOD PROTEINS AND FATS- -LIKE A CHEESE AND VEGETABLE OMELET--WILL ACTUALLY KEEP THOSE URGES AWAY. EGGS (OR EGG SUBSTITUTE), VEGETABLES, AND LEAN MEATS ARE ALL HEALTHY WAYS TO START THE DAY. PHASE 2 Oat Smoothie If you're not a fan of strawberries, you can replace them with the berry of your choice in this quick and delicious breakfast shake. 2 1/2 cups strawberries, halved 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 3 tablespoons oat bran 2 tablespoons sugar-free pancake syrup 1/2 cup ice cubes In a blender or food processor, combine the strawberries, yogurt, sugar substitute, dry milk, walnuts, oat bran, syrup, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth and frothy. Makes 4 servings NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per serving: 130 calories, 6 g fat, 1/2 g saturated fat, 7 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium PHASE 3 Soy-ous Apricot Muffins Rather than munching a sugar-full bakery muffin when the urge strikes, enjoy these healthy alternatives as an occasional breakfast on Phase 3. The soy in these muffins provides you with phytochemicals, protein, and dietary fiber and has been proven to reduce "bad" cholesterol. 2 cups whole wheat or whole grain pastry flour 1/4 cup sugar substitute 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup soy flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch of salt 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup soy milk 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 3 tablespoons canola oil 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the pastry flour, sugar substitute, sugar, soy flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Hollow out the center of the dry mixture, and add the egg, soy milk, applesauce, oil, and apricots, stirring until moistened. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 14 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place on a rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per muffin: 140 calories, 5 g fat, 1/2 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium PHASE 2 Wholesome Oat Muffins These healthy muffins are so delicious you'll want to enjoy them for breakfast every day. Make a double batch and freeze half for later. 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oats 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole grain flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 1/3 cup canola oil 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup brown sugar substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. In a small bowl, combine % cup of the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons oats over the muffins. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per muffin: 180 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 191 mg sodium PHASE 3 Apple Walnut Muffins Chopped fresh apple, not the usual applesauce, flavors these moist muffins. If you really like cinnamon, you can add an extra 14 to 1/2 teaspoon for added zip. Make these an occasional part of your Phase 3 breakfast plan. 1 1/2 cups whole wheat or whole grain pastry flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons sugar substitute 1 egg, beaten 1/2 medium apple, peeled and finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, brown sugar, sugar substitute, and egg. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the apples and walnuts. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 12 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely. Makes 12 muffins NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per muffin: 150 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium PHASE 2 Whole Wheat Loaf If you have had a difficult time finding a bread at your local grocery store that fits your new diet, perhaps you might want to consider this simple whole wheat bread. It's very easy to make, and the results are just delicious. 1 1/2 cups water (at room temperature) 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons sugar substitute 3-3 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour 2 tablespoons gluten flour 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons quick rise yeast In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the water, oil, sugar substitute, whole wheat bread flour, gluten flour, walnuts, salt, and yeast to form a rough dough. Let the dough stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until it has doubled. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Turn the dough onto a board and shape it into an oblong loaf. Coat an 8 1/2" X 4 1/2" bread pan with cooking spray. Place the dough in the pan. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack. Makes 16 slices NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per slice: 130 calories, 5 g fat, 1/2 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium A Guide to Grains and Baked Goods The biggest adjustment for most people on the South Beach Diet is having to change their relationship with carbohydrates. Many carbs are good for you, and they are an important part of this regimen. Vegetables are carbs, and you'll eat them in abundance. You'll enjoy fruit, too, once you've gotten beyond the first 2 weeks of the program. But to many people, carbs often mean comfy, cozy treats like breads and baked goods. Some of these carbs--the highly processed packaged ones--are going to have to become "once in a great while" treats. There's virtually no way to eat them as often as you once did and still lose weight. Nearly all the fiber and nutrients have been removed in the manufacturing process, leaving only the sugars and starches. They cause you to store excess weight, and they create cravings for even more bad carbs. But I recognize that a normal diet also will probably include bread, and even muffins or pancakes once in a while. Luckily, you can go on eating these foods while on the South Beach plan. You may even be able to go on using your favorite, traditional recipes for baked goods. It will simply require a little adaptation--replacing the bad grains, which have low fiber, with better ones. Take bread, for example. The kind that you buy in supermarkets and even in most bakeries is made with all-purpose enriched white flour, from which the whole grain has been removed. Once that grain has been stripped away, the fiber and many of the nutrients go with it. In fact, a useful rule of thumb is that manufacturers use vitamin-enriched flour only when the natural nutrients have been removed during processing. A single slice of white bread contains the equivalent impact on your blood sugar of a tablespoon of pure white sugar, straight from the bowl. Many people eat that bread with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can imagine the effect of six or more slices a day on your attempts to lose weight. If you take any recipe and replace at least some of the white flour with whole wheat flour, or rye or soy flour, you increase the amount of fiber and decrease the degree to which it raises your blood sugar level. You still won't be able to consume six slices a day, but bread will be back on your eating plan without wrecking your diet. The same is true for muffins and pancakes. You can usually find several kinds of flour in the supermarket, nearly all of which are better for you than the traditional bleached white, all- purpose kind. Here's how to get bread and baked goods back into your diet, once you've reached Phase 3. In Phase 2, you should still try to avoid white flour. Bread: You can take any recipe for white bread and replace half the flour with whole wheat flour. It's that simple. You can also try rye flour, which comes in three varieties: light, medium, and dark. Rye flour imparts an interesting, slightly sour flavor to bread. Because rye flour is denser than white flour, you should increase the amount of yeast so that the bread rises properly. If you use light rye flour, replace half the white flour with it. If using medium rye flour, replace one-third of the white flour. If using dark rye flour, replace no more than one-quarter of the white flour in your bread recipe. There's even something called dark rye meal, which will give you pumpernickel bread--dark, dense, and very tasty. You can also make bread using buckwheat flour or oat flour. Replace one- quarter of the white flour with the oat flour, and increase the yeast slightly, too. "Quick breads" and muffins: "Quick bread" means any kind made using baking powder and baking soda instead of yeast. The dough doesn't rise--you just bake the batter. You can simply replace half the white flour with whole wheat. Whole wheat flour is coarser than white flour, so do not try to sift it. Quick breads made with whole wheat flour will have a nutty flavor and may have slightly less volume than those made with white flour. You can make muffins with oat bran instead of flour, too. You can also use barley flour, which has a mild taste, or oat flour, which is especially good in cookies. Pancakes: You can readily find pancake mixes made with buckwheat. The taste may take a little getting used to, but they're quite good served with sugar- free maple syrup and one of the heart-healthy (trans-free) butter substitutes. Or if you're making pancakes from scratch, replace up to one- fifth of the white flour in your favorite pancake recipe with buckwheat flour. You can also make homemade pancakes using whole wheat flour. Even oat bran can be used to make terrific pancakes. PHASE 2 Breakfast Popovers with Parmesan Here's a popover that's sure to please. For variety, you can swap the Parmesan for other cheeses, such as freshly grated Romano or Asiago cheese. 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute 1 1/4 cups whole grain flour 1 cup + 2 tablespoons fat-free milk 1 tablespoon trans-free margarine, melted 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat 8 custard cups or popover-pan cups with cooking spray. Whisk the egg substitute in a medium bowl. Add the flour, milk, and margarine, and whisk until the ingredients are combined. Stir in the cheese. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cups. Place the cups on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the popovers are puffed and golden. Remove the popovers from the cups and serve hot. Makes 8 popovers NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per popover: 110 calories, 2 1/2 g fat, g saturated fat, 6 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 1/2 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium PHASE 3 Quick Nut Bread This is called a quick bread because it is made without yeast. You can easily alter this recipe to include your favorite flavor with a couple of simple ingredient changes. This bread may be baked in virtually anything that you can put in your oven; just remember to fill the container only three-quarters full. If you don't, it will overflow when it expands, and you'll have a big mess to clean up! 1/3 cup sugar substitute 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup finely chopped walnuts Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" X 5" loaf pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the sugar substitute, sugar, oil, and egg. Stir in the milk. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir until smooth. Fold in the nuts. Place the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the loaf is brown on the top and firm to the touch in the center. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack. For easiest slicing, refrigerate to cool further before slicing. Makes 16 slices NUTRITION AT A GLANCE Per slice: 200 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 15 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium PHASE 3 Pancakes with Peachy Compote This delicious combination will fast become a breakfast favorite. Excerpted from The South Beach Diet Cookbook: More Than 200 Delicious Recipies That Fit the Nation's Top Diet by Arthur Agatston All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.