If you're following the South Beach Diet lifestyle, you're most likely shopping for lots of fresh, nutritious foods. To streamline your visits to the grocery store, your best bet is to stick to the perimeter of the store — it's where you'll find fresh dairy, produce, meat, poultry, and fish. Most of the aisles in between have packaged goods, such as crackers, cookies, canned soups and vegetables, or sugary juices — although there are some healthy territories to explore in the frozen section and elsewhere. For more specific information on navigating the grocery store, check out our handy tips below. (Unless noted, you can enjoy the following items on every Phase of the South Beach Diet.)

• Produce. Load your cart with a variety of fresh, nutrient-dense, fiber-rich vegetables, like spinach, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots (Phase 2), and peppers. Beginning on Phase 2, stock up on fresh fruits too, including apples, oranges, berries, pomegranates, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

• Dairy. There are many items to choose from in the dairy aisle. For instance, eggs, part-skim ricotta cheese, and low-fat cheese are all considered excellent lean protein choices on the South Beach Diet. Low-fat and fat-free milk count toward your daily dairy requirement (two servings per day on Phase 1; up to three per day thereafter), as do low-fat and nonfat plain yogurt and artificially sweetened low-fat and fat-free flavored yogurt (beginning on Phase 2). You can also find unsweetened or artificially sweetened soy milk (avoid any containing more than four grams of fat per eight-ounce serving) in the dairy aisle.

• Meats/Fish/Poultry. Focus your attention on lean cuts of beef and poultry, which include eye of round, ground beef (sirloin, lean, and extra-lean), tenderloin, top loin, and top round, as well as turkey and chicken breast, pork loin, and pork tenderloin. Fish and shellfish are also good choices. Get to know your fish seller — you should aim to eat fish at least twice a week. (Limit consumption of types of fish that contain high levels of methylmercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.)

• Frozen Foods. The frozen aisle offers quick-to-cook vegetables — perfect if you're up against the clock. You can also find soy-based meat alternatives in the produce and freezer sections. Look for those that contain fewer than six grams of fat per two-to-three-ounce serving. If you have a sweet tooth, try frozen fudge bars with no added sugar.

• Miscellaneous. Other foods to seek out from the middle of the store: nuts (avoid honey-roasted or sweetened varieties), canned (or pouched) light tuna fish, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar-free gelatin, vegetable-juice cocktail or tomato juice, sugar-free diet sodas, and sugar-free drink mixes. Beginning on Phase 2, you can also reintroduce whole-grain breads and crackers, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and low-sugar, high-fiber whole-grain cereals.

See all South Beach Diet Tips.