Wondering how to tackle this “eat own your own” stuff? Of course you are…this part of the program can be a little intimidating. As you move into the South Beach Diet Success plan, you will be incorporating more DIY meals into your weekly schedule.

But here’s the good news: We’ve armed you with a ton of how-to suggestions and recipes here at the Palm. Plus, every time you eat on your own, you’re preparing you to live the South Beach Diet lifestyle. When you go out to dinner with friends, you’ll know what to order. When you’re cooking breakfast for your family, you’ll know how to make healthy recipes that will please everyone. Be sure to keep reading and get familiar with these healthy breakfasts as you will be making DIY meals in no time!

Now, let’s build the perfect, healthy breakfast…

On our South Beach Diet maintenance plan, you can choose to stick with 50 grams of net carbs per day (Very-Low-Carb meal plan) or increase to 75 to 100 grams each day (Low-Carb meal plan). The meal plan that you choose will determine what your DIY breakfast should consist of.

Use the guidelines below for your specific plan and gender to create a healthy DIY dinner for weight maintenance:

Low-Carb Meal Plan

Women: 1 Protein, 1 Healthy Fat, 1 Good Carb, 1 Fruit

Men: 2 Proteins, 1 Healthy Fat, 1 Good Carb and 1 Fruit

Very-Low-Carb Meal Plan

Women: 2 Proteins, 1 Healthy Fat

Men: 2 Proteins, 1 Healthy Fat

Helpful Hint: You can have all the veggies you’d like, just remember that starchy veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips or winter squash are limited to no more than two servings per day.

Proteins:

Canadian bacon, 3 oz.

Turkey bacon, 4 slices

Turkey sausage, low-fat, less than 6 grams fat per 2 oz. serving

Salmon, 3 oz.

Egg whites, large, 3

Eggs, 1 large

Healthy Fats:

Peanut/Almond/Cashew butter, 2 Tbsp

Chia Seeds, 2 Tbsp

Avocado, ½ fruit

Guacamole, ¼ cup

Olives, ½ cup

Oil (olive, coconut, etc.) 1 Tbsp

Milk, 1 cup

Cheese, 1 oz. or ¼ cup

Cottage cheese, 4% fat, ½ cup

Greek yogurt, full fat, 5.3 oz. container or ½ cup

Need to see these ingredients in menu form? Here’s a week’s worth of yummy breakfasts (just refer to the lists above for quantities of ingredients:

Monday:

Canadian bacon, egg white omelet with red peppers, arugula and black olives

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain toast and a side of berries.

Tuesday:

Turkey sausage, hard-boiled egg and cheddar cheese

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain English muffin and applesauce

Wednesday:

Smoked salmon with ½ avocado (try adding cucumbers, capers, tomatoes and red onion)

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain pita bread and clementines

Thursday:

Scrambled eggs, guacamole and spicy tomato juice

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with black beans and ½ mango

Friday:

Turkey bacon and string cheese

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain crackers and kiwi

Saturday:

Egg whites, ½ cup sweet potato hash browns (with olive oil, onions, and peppers)

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain toast and a side of berries.

Sunday:

Women: Turkey sausage, eggs and ½ cup rutabaga hash (with coconut oil, onions, peppers and mushrooms)

Low-Carb meal plan – serve with whole grain pita bread and a pear