Tips for Visiting Prague While on the South Beach Diet

Planning a trip to glorious Prague in the Czech Republic, but worried that you won't be able to keep eating South Beach-style healthily? If you've heard that everything in the Czech Republic comes with dumplings or sugar be prepared for a happy surprise! Here are a few tips for keeping yourself on track.

It's all in the phase!

If you are on Phase 1 it's not going to be easy to stick to your diet. Even the official books recommend that you don't go out to eat during the first couple of week as, let's face it, those first two weeks are pretty restrictive. If your trip was an emergency and you have no choice you may have a struggle. Otherwise, why not wait until your trip is over and then start your diet in a better frame of mind where you are familiar with what food is available?

Breakfast

The biggest problem you are likely to have on Phase 2 is breakfast. If you are lucky enough to be staying somewhere that offers a cooked breakfast, i.e. eggs, everything should be alright. Most places advertise a continental breakfast and this generally means rolls, butter, jam and pastries. The yoghurt will probably be full fat and there may be tinned fruit. You'll want to steer clear of both. There may also be sliced meat and cheese. While I wouldn't recommend the cheese, the meat should be OK unless it is some fatty salami. Most places have some form of lean ham. It is unlikely to be honey roast because eastern Europeans are not known for liking sweet meat.

Also look at the bread because although most of it is white, there is also some really great rye and seeded bread available in Prague. OK so it may not be whole rye, but a slice with some lean sliced meat might be an option for breakfast.

Lunch

If you're sticking to the tourist destinations, the supermarket chain Tesco has a large store near Mustek metro station in Praha 1 and a small express store near Nameste Miru metro in Praha 2 where you can get raw vegetables, tubs of salad and fruit. They also sell "light" cheese, cottage cheese, sliced meat and nuts. The "light" cola is diet and there's plenty of choice of bottled water. "Perliva" is sparkling. "Jemne perliva" is gently sparkling.

As you walk around you will see people selling fresh fruit and vegetables in alleys between the buildings. Don't be afraid to take advantage of these for fresh tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, plums and other portables to munch while walking to keep the hunger at bay.

Most pubs will serve some sort of chopped salad with either tinned tuna or chicken. Be sure to ask for "no dressing", but some places will provide a bottle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Don't go too crazy with this, but a little can make a dry salad seem very special. The oil is generally good quality and if you get some of the wonderful rye bread and you've got the carbohydrate count available, dipping it in the oil is wonderful!

Supper

For supper how about trying a steak? If you are near the Rudolfinum try a steak at The Belle Epoch. Their Fillet Belle Epoch comes with green beans done with the European type very lean bacon and is delicious! In fact, if you're careful while exploring the menu most places seem to have potatoes, rice and dumplings as a side order rather than part of the meal. Don't be afraid to ask. Most places have an English translation of the menu or someone who can tell you what something means in English. Leave the dumplings and order a mixed salad to share with a friend and you'll leave stuffed!

Perhaps you'd rather something Mexican? Mezcal in Praha 2 near Namesti Miru metro station serves a delicious combo plate of fajitas with chicken and Argentinean beef where the tortillas come on the side. You can give them to a friend or send them back! You'll need to keep an open mind, though. These fajitas are not like the ones you'll get in South Tucson.

So when in Prague so you'd like something Czech? I can certainly recommend the rabbit at Chesky Raj near Mustek metro station. The sauce was probably not entirely South Beach legal, but I didn't scoop it up and the rabbit wasn't swimming in it! If you're looking for something a little more up-market and atmospheric you might like U Modre Ruze (the Blue Rose), where I shared a very tasty and memorable chateaubriand with a friend. The Blue Rose is located in a cellar between Staromestska metro station and Wenceslas Square.

Treats

As I mentioned earlier, eastern Europeans don't seem to care for sweet cured meat. Typically, even things that are sweet are nowhere near as sweet as they seem to be in America. However, the Czechs have various cakes and fruit desserts. Strudel and kuchen seem pretty popular. There are various ice cream and frozen yoghurt stalls throughout Prague. There is a multilayered dessert called Marlenka that comes in different varieties. I've seen the chocolate and the honey varieties and watched someone at a table next to me obviously enjoying his slice. There are little pastries filled with various fruit, nuts, cheese or poppy seed. That's all before we start on the beautiful candies and there's probably much more that I haven't seen (or wanted to really!).

In anyone's wildest imagination none of these things is South Beach legal!

You are going to have to decide whether you are going to sample any of these treats or leave it to someone else. If you are going to feel like you've missed something, you might be better off having a bit. I can't tell you whether it's OK or not for you to sample something and only you know how much you will beat yourself up if you do. What I will say is that you are (probably) on vacation and I expect you'll be getting quite a bit of exercise and walking a lot or perhaps you can increase your exercise to walk off what you have indulged in.

The beautiful city of Prague doesn't have to defeat you if you visit while you are on a diet. By using some ingenuity and imagination you can have your cake and eat it too!