A night out with friends in a cozy pub, sports bar, or local tavern can be a great way to rejuvenate at the end of the workweek. But as you might have already realized, typical pub fare is not exactly South Beach Diet-friendly. When enjoying a night out at a the pub, you’ll need to be vigilant about sticking with the principles of the South Beach Diet and avoiding traditional bar food, like wings, nachos, and potato skins — not to mention watching your alcohol intake! Fortunately, pubs are offering more and more healthy menu options these days, so the next time you head over to your favorite watering hole, keep the following tips in mind:
Beer, Wine, and
Spirits
Starting on Phase 2 of the South
Beach Diet, you can enjoy alcohol in moderation. It’s recommended that women
limit their intake to one alcoholic beverage a day, and men to one or two a day
(see below for those we recommend). More alcohol than that will only add empty
calories to your diet and potentially sabotage your willpower. Remember that
it’s best to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with a meal rather than on an empty
stomach. Drinks we favor include red and white wine (order white with seltzer
and a squeeze of lime), and extra-brut champagne, prosecco, or cava. Spirits
like gin, ouzo, rum, sake, tequila, and vodka are okay; just watch out for the
sugary mixers. Have the bar tender make your drink with seltzer or diet soda
instead. Don’t go for regular beer; stick with light beer.
Best Pub Grub
Although fried foods, burgers,
pizza, and other pub fare may be tempting, opt for healthier choices. Scan the
menu for grilled chicken or turkey burgers; skip the white bun and pass on any
accompanying fries or onion rings. Instead enjoy a broth-based vegetable or
bean soup a large green salad with lean meat and plenty of other veggies (skip
the croutons and have oil and vinegar on the side), vegetarian chili, sirloin
steak with steamed veggies on the side.
What to Watch Out
For…
Avoid all fried foods such as fried
calamari, fried mozzarella sticks, popcorn chicken, and other greasy
appetizers. Skip the crispy chicken sandwiches, salads topped with fatty meats
or cheeses, buffalo wings, cheese-loaded nachos, and loaded potato skins. Additionally,
steer clear of the communal bowls of pretzels (or other processed snack foods)
sitting on the bar, and enjoy a handful of nuts instead. Just be sure to count
the nuts towards your daily nut/seed serving.
Foods to Enjoy
- Lean "bunless" burgers
- Caesar salad, without croutons
- Grilled chicken salads and other green salads
- Roasted, grilled, sautéed poultry, seafood, and meat
- Broth-based soups
- Crudités with 2 tablespoons of dressing or 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of hummus
- Shrimp cocktail (avoid the cocktail sauce)
- Fresh fruit cup (Phase 2)
Foods to Avoid
- Bacon cheeseburgers
- Panini and white-bread or white-roll sandwiches
- Breaded and deep-fried foods
- Potato and pasta salads, coleslaw
- Creamy soups, such as baked potato or New England Clam Chowder
- Regular beer, wine coolers, sugary cocktails
- Buffalo wings
- Nachos, potato skins, and other fried appetizers
- Cookies, pies, cheesecake, and other pastries
