Product Description

The long-awaited cookbook is here! Great food that's good for you&mdashthat's the foundation of the South Beach Diet and the reason millions of people around the world have adopted it as their lifelong eating plan, shedding unwanted pounds in the process. Created by leading Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., the diet emphasizes good fats and good carbohydrates, the kind that stave off cravings for unhealthy sugary food and promote long-term weight loss. It's not "diet" food&mdashit's satisfying, flavorful dishes that are good for your health and your waistline. Whether you're already a South Beach Diet success story or brand-new to the program, you'll find a wealth of inspiration in The South Beach Diet Cookbook to keep you on track without feeling deprived. The recipes are simple enough to make every day but delicious enough to serve on any occasion: Oatmeal Pancakes, Buttermilk Salmon Chowder, Caribbean Baked Chicken with Mango, Grilled Filet Mignon with Roasted Garlic Chipotle Pepper Chimichurri, Mexican Lasagna, Sage and Rosemary Pork, Red Snapper with Avocado Salsa, Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry, and Chocolate Pie with Crispy Peanut Butter Crust. Each recipe is marked "Phase 1," "Phase 2," or "Phase 3," so you'll know immediately where it falls in the diet; there are also 25 all-new recipes from the top chefs and restaurants in Miami. Illustrated with 50 full-color photographs and packed with extras like shopping lists and a pantry guide, The South Beach Diet Cookbook is an essential addition to your kitchen shelf.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1140 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-01
• Released on: 2004-04-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 344 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Cardiologist Agatston (The South Beach Diet) follows up his blockbuster book on weight-loss with this volume of more than 200 recipes, a number of which are culled from the kitchens of chefs in Miami Beach and other cities. Each recipe is designated as Phase 1, 2 or 3 to help readers discern the segment of the diet for which they are appropriate. Carbohydrates are off-limits during Phase 1, but "good carbs" (like whole grains) are gradually reintroduced in Phase 2. Phase 3 segues into a less restrictive but still healthy eating regimen. Among the Phase 1 recipes are the simple Reuben Wrap (which calls for cabbage leaves instead of bread; the author notes readers "will have to have a 'rye' sense of humor for this"), as well as more complex main dishes such as Coconut Chicken and Sage and Rosemary Pork. Phase 2 and 3 eaters will find delicious options such as Sesame Baked Chicken, Crab Royale and Couscous Salad. Noting that a variety of foods and recipes combats the repetition and boredom that are many dieters' downfall, Agatston presents a wide array of choices, with plenty of enticing fish and vegetarian dishes. He also includes breakfasts, snacks and desserts, as well as ideas for home entertaining "South Beach-style" with a focus on fresh veggies, fat-free dips, shrimp and nuts for appetizers, and main dishes of grilled tuna or flank steak. Agatston leaves no stone unturned, even providing shopping lists and recipes for homemade condiments that forgo sugars.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly on The South Beach Diet
"Despite the glitzy title, this is one of the more appealing diet books among the new 'anti-carb' programs."

Linda Richman, author of I'd Rather Laugh
"Dr. Arthur Agatston isn't a diet doctor; he's a life doctor who prevents diseases . . ."

Customer Reviews

Has anyone but me had problems with these recipes?
I thank Dr. Agatston for an alternative to a low fat diet. My husband and I have both lost weight. I have tried several of these recipes and some of these are a disaster. The Zesty Crab Cakes fell all apart and the cooking time was much more than stated. I have made the Peachy Walnut Torte twice with bad results both times. The instructions aren't clear whether it is to be stored in the freeze or what. The Sesame Baked Chicken is wonderful but it takes 3 times the amount of coating for the amount of chicken called for. Some of these recipes use every bowl in the kitchen. The amounts of ingredients called for are split up when you read the instructions. It seems to me, this was put together way to fast and the recipes not tested well. I also don't understand how they divided the Class 2 and 3 recipes. There is one class 2 recipe, Aruglua and Basil Pesto Linguine, that is a class 2 with 520 calories, 21 g. fat and 65 g. carbs. Should this one even be in the book? Recipes I have tried with good results are the Chicken Salad, Mexican Lasagna, Pizza Meat Pie, Chocolate Swirled Cheescake, (With FF cream cheese, not Ricotta that never gets smooth),Flourless Chocolate Cake, Breakfast Cups and the Oven Fried Chicken with Almonds.
This is not a cookbook for beginers. Recipes have to be read carefully. I was curious if anyone had had the same problems?

Not a fad
Please ignore the useless review about hitting the gym by a guy who clearly hasn't read the SBD books. I've worked out in the gym regularly for 8 years (45 min. cardio plus weight training 4-6x week) but always carried around extra weight because I was addicted to starchy, sugary foods! Once I turned 30, it became clear that exercise wasn't enough anymore, I had to address my eating habits too. This diet is all about breaking that addiction and learning about which foods create healthy blood chemistry, thus causing you to lose weight. It is not low carb, but good carb. I lost 10 lbs the first two weeks.

I agree, VERY poor organization...but GREAT recipes!
The books sectioned into Breakfast, Appetizers & Snacks, Soups, Salads, Side Dushes, Fish & Poultry, Meats, Veggies, and Desserts. The majority of the recipes call for easily found ingredients while some call for ingredients I've never heard of let alone know where to find. I'm sure they there can be substitutions.

My only complaint is the lack of organization. Instead of starting with phase one it jumps around making it a little frustrating when I'm looking for a phase one recipe or phase two or three. The best thing to do would be to bookmark all of them which is a waste of time in my opinion.

There's a lot of variety from Fried Green Tomatoes and Mashed Potatoes to Mexican Lasagna. Plenty of meat and fish dishes too. There's also Lemon cookies, Cheesecake and Chocolate Pie for the sweet tooth!
The carb count looks to be under 25 grams (a lot under 10) for most of the dishes and fat is low too.

It's worth it's weight in gold!