There's a series of specially tailored South Beach recipes available that have been devised for anyone participating in the diet plan. One of the hardest things about starting a diet is giving up food you love, and the South Beach recipes aim to make the transition into dieting less painful. They have created a series of tasty meals that can be prepared without using the 'high GI' or 'bad' carbohydrates that bring on a sugar rush and cause cravings shortly after you've eaten. This is because 'good' carbohydrates with a low GI index break down more gradually in your body, so they keep you feeling satisfied for longer.

The internet is an excellent source of ideas for how to cook interesting and varied meals that stay within the guidelines of the diet plan. Whether you want to cook a full three course dinner, or a small breakfast snack, there are a whole host of suggestions available online, starting with the diet's own webpage. Cooking the recommended meals will eliminate the need to count calories and food portions, as that work has already been done for you. And there are also special meals devised for Phase One of the diet, which cut out all carbohydrates, as well as meals for Phase Two, which use 'good' carbohydrates and fats.

When cooking Phase One meals, you need to check that nothing you make contains any bread, rice, potatoes, pasta or baked goods. It's also important to avoid dessert foods in the first phase, such as fruit, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream and sugar. However, with so many interesting new meal ideas to choose from, it's possible you won't even miss the foods you're cutting out of your diet.