Things all Banting Beginners should know:
- Eat: All Meats (except polonies or viennas), offal, fish, eggs, vegetables, natural fats (like butter, EVOO, holsum, ghee, coconut oil).
- Avoid: Sugar, sweets, chips, chocolates and starchy foods like bread, pasta, pastries, rice, margarine, heat extracted or hydrogenated vegetable or seed oils.
- Eat when you're hungry and only till you're satisfied.
- Try to reduce and/or limit your fruit intake, especially if they're 7g net carbs or over (Orange list).
- Remember to drink to thirst - around 2 litres of water a day.
- Stick to water, tea or coffee - an generally only 2-3 cups of coffee per day.
- The best way to start is to ease yourself into low carb by first including orange list, then slowly working your way down to strict green list. What this does is minimises the effects of low carb (headaches, fatigue, etc)
- Remember that this is a low carb, medium protein high fat lifestyle - what this means is that most of our "fuel" is in the form of healthy fats - this doesn't mean we eat a little bit of veg - we eat loads of it - but we try to limit it to the lower carb varieties so that we can eat more of it. What this helps with is nutrient intake as well as fibre intake.
- If you don't eat anything on any of the lists - you don't have to eat it. If eggs aren't your thing - go for something else you do eat. It's really as simple as that.
- Although this is a high fat lifestyle - fat is meant to fuel you and keep you full - your body uses your excess body fat as fuel too - so don't go overboard on the fats.
- If you want to do this right, clean out your cupboards - ask if something falls on the red list if you're unsure. That way, when temptation strikes and you're home - it's easier staying on the straight and narrow.
- Don't go shopping when you're hungry. This can often lead to impulse buys - have your meal before you go.
- You don't have to be in ketosis to lose weight.
- Low carb is classified as anything under 200g - but we advise 25g. Why? To optomise weight loss!
- Before you're thinking of that little cheat - consider why you're banting - write it down and keep it with you - when you are feeling weak - read it to yourself. Rather look for something banting friendly that you CAN have.
- When starting out - adding extra salt to your food is a great idea to minimise any effect a low carb diet can have on you. Starting a low carb diet can change the water and mineral balance of your body - hence adding the added salt.
- You may experience fruity smelling urine or bad breath - don't be alarmed - these are signs of ketosis - ketosis is the desirable state most banters want to find themselves in (not to be confused with ketoacidosis!)
- For minerals, try taking 3000 - 4000 mg of sodium (which you will be doing in the form of added salt to foods), 1000 mg of potassium and 300 mg of magnesium per day to minimize side effects of going completely green list. (These figures are according to authority nutrition). Some need the extra help in the form of mineral supplements, however - most do not - so see how you feel.
- You may find yourself constipated - but please remember to drink your water, eat your vegetables and if this is your issue - often adding a magnesium supplement can help with that (please see above).
- DOWNLOAD your FREE book - Beginners guide to Banting by Joining Banting 7 Day Meal Plans then going to The post to download it.
Use these guides as to choices of the best low carb Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, and Alcohol you can use for Banting:
The ultimate weight loss tool we recommend is the Carb Wise App.Download the CARB WISE APP here for Android devicesor here for Apple Devices.
