With the rising food costs and general cost of living we always hear how "expensive" banting is - but it really doesn't have to be. It's as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be!
I can make all the meals in week 1 below, for instance, for well under R200 if I plan ahead and buy foods when they're on special - and budget around that.
They're all pretty basic meals - nothing too left field.
The budget challenge will commence the beginning May - here is a preview.
Don't forget to click on respective recipes where applicable to see what you're making - and I'll be adding more as we go along - so bookmark the page!
Week 1
Monday
Breakfast
3 Eggs fried in 1 tbs Holsum served with sliced cucumber
Cost of Meal: R5.50
Lunch
Cucumber (1/4 sliced) with Amasi Cream cheese on top (using about 3 tablespoons amasi cream cheese)
Cost of Meal: R2.90
Dinner
Chicken Livers served with Cabbage rice fried in Holsum (1 portion being around 1/8th of a large cabbage). (Make a double batch for lunch tomorrow too)
Cost of Meal: R7.45
Total Cost for the Day: R15.85
Tuesday
Breakfast
3 x mini quiche (Use this recipe as a base) - but instead of the given fillings, add spinach (about 1/4 of a bunch per 3 quiche) and 30g grated cheddar cheese as well.
Cost of Meal: R8.20
Lunch
Leftover Chicken Livers served with Cabbage rice fried in Holsum (1 portion being around 1/8th of a large cabbage).
Cost of Meal: R7.45
Dinner
Cabbage Lasagne (Use this recipe as a base) but using the following for 2 portions:
1 onion, 200g Chicken hearts (chopped finely), 200g mince, 1 tin tomato, 1 tin tomato paste, 1 grated carrot, 2/8 cabbage (in leaves), 80g cheese, and amasi cream cheese (6 tbs) fried in 2 tbs Holsum.
Cost of Meal: R19.10
Total Cost for the day: R34.65
Wednesday
Breakfast
Cost of Meal: R6.15
Lunch
1 onion, 200g Chicken hearts (chopped finely), 200g mince, 1 tin tomato, 1 tin tomato paste, 1 grated carrot, 2/8 cabbage (in leaves), 80g cheese, and amasi cream cheese (6 tbs) fried in 2 tbs Holsum.
Cost of Meal: R19.10
Dinner
Pilchards with steamed carrots, fried in Holsum to slightly crisp up (use 2 carrots per portion, and half the pilchards for dinner).
Cost of Meal: R8.70
Total Cost for the day: R33.95
Thursday
Breakfast
Falooda Seeds Breakfast (Use this recipe as a base) but use 150ml of Amasi to soak Falooda - sweetener optional.
Cost of Meal: R3.16
Lunch
Leftover Pilchards with steamed carrots, fried in Holsum to slightly crisp up (use 2 carrots per portion, and half the pilchards for lunch).
Cost of Meal: R8.70
Dinner
Tripe Curry (for 2 portions - 300g tripe fried in Holsum, 1 onion, 1 tbs curry powder, 1 tin tomato, 400g soaked white beans served on 1/8 cabbage rice fried in Holsum served with a budget cucumber raita (1/4 cucumber with 50ml amasi))
Cost of meal: R15
Total cost for the Day: R26.86
Friday
Breakfast
Scrambled Egg with 1/4 bunch spinach - all fried in holsum with 30g cheese and cucumber on the side (1/4 cucumber)
Cost of meal: R8
Lunch
Leftover Tripe Curry (for 2 portions - 300g tripe fried in Holsum, 1 onion, 1 tbs curry powder, 1 tin tomato, 400g soaked white beans served on 1/8 cabbage rice fried in Holsum served with a budget cucumber raita (1/4 cucumber with 50ml amasi))
Cost of meal: R15
Dinner
1 gem squash filled with 80g mince, 80g chopped hearts both fried with 1/2 onion with 60g grated cheese on top
Cost of meal: R14.20
Total cost for the day: R37.20
Saturday
Breakfast
Cost of meal: R6.80
Lunch
Roasted chicken skins (200g) with raw tomato slices
Cost of meal: R3.90
Supper
Lamb liver and Onions (Use this recipe as a base) For 2 portions: 300g liver, 1 onion, 125ml amasi all fried in 2 tbs Holsum
Cost of meal: R16.40
Total cost for the day: R27.20
Sunday
Breakfast
2 Egg Fritatta with 1/4 bunch spinach and 3 tbs amasi cream cheese plus 1 whole avo. (Depending on cost) all fried in 1 tbs Holsum
Cost of Meal: R10.50
Lunch
Leftover Lamb liver and Onions (Use this recipe as a base) For 2 portions: 300g liver, 1 onion, 125ml amasi all fried in 2 tbs Holsum
Cost of meal: R16.40
Dinner
Tuna Baked Cabbage (Use this recipe as a base) but use Holsum instead of butter and scale the recipe down to using 2/8th of a cabbage, 20g cheddar, 1 tin tuna
Cost of meal: R14.10
Total cost for the day: R41
Total cost for the 1st week: R216.71
All prices above are based on Checkers, Pick n Pay and Food Lovers Market.
If you can, purchase from street vendors, or pick up specials at Food Lovers Market and stock budget items, you can easily shave off money off this amount by doing so!