7-Day Banting Meal Plan That Works
Each day below stays near 30 to 45g net carbs. (Remember: on South African store labels, “Glycaemic Carbohydrate” is already net carbs). You get eggs or plain full-cream yoghurt for breakfast, quality protein with above-ground veg for lunch and supper, plus healthy fats to keep you full.
Drink water, rooibos, herbal tea, or black coffee (or with a splash of cream). Salt your food generously — when you cut carbs, your kidneys shed sodium faster. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat.
The week at a glance
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Supper | Est. net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 2 eggs fried in butter, 100g spinach | Tinned pilchards (in brine or olive oil) 120g + olive oil mayo, salad | Beef mince 150g, fried cabbage in butter | 32g |
| Tue | Plain full-cream yoghurt 150g, 50g berries, chia 10g | Leftover mince on cauli rice 150g | Hake 150g, butter sauce, broccoli | 38g |
| Wed | Cheese omelette, 2 eggs + 30g cheddar | Chicken thighs 150g, green salad with olive oil | Clean boerewors (no rusk) 150g, braaied peppers and courgettes | 30g |
| Thu | 2 boiled eggs, half avo 75g | Tuna 120g, olive oil, cucumber | Pork chops 150g, cauliflower mash | 34g |
| Fri | Coconut porridge, almond flour 30g + cream | Snoek 150g, coleslaw with olive oil dressing | Chicken curry, coconut cream, green beans | 40g |
| Sat | Bacon 60g + 2 eggs, tomato 50g | Biltong 40g, cheddar 30g, macadamias 20g | Braai: steak 180g, braaied mushrooms and green salad | 28g |
| Sun | Yoghurt 150g, pecans 20g | Roast chicken 150g, roasted courgettes and peppers | Egg and bacon bake, side spinach | 36g |
Totals are estimates from USDA FoodData Central, plus SA labels where noted. Your brands will shift them by a few grams.
What a day looks like in numbers
Tuesday shows how the maths works:
| Tuesday food | Amount | Total carbs | Fibre | Net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-cream plain yoghurt | 150g | 7.1g | 0g | 7.1g |
| Blueberries | 50g | 7.2g | 1.2g | 6.0g |
| Chia seeds | 10g | 4.2g | 3.4g | 0.8g |
| Cauliflower rice cooked | 150g | 7.5g | 3.0g | 4.5g |
| Hake + broccoli + butter | 150g + 100g + 15g | 7.3g | 2.6g | 4.7g |
| Other bits, coffee with cream | - | ~7g | ~0g | ~7g |
Sources: USDA FoodData Central; yoghurt label, 4.7g glycaemic carbs per 100g.
You do not need to weigh forever. Weigh for three days, then eyeball. Most people overeat nuts and undercount milk in coffee. Those two fixes solve half the stalls I hear about.
Shopping once for the week
Meat and fish: eggs 18, beef mince 500g, hake 300g, chicken thighs 600g, clean boerewors 400g (check ingredients for zero cereal or rusk), tinned pilchards and tuna in brine/oil, snoek 300g, bacon 200g (no sugar cure), biltong 100g. Dairy: real butter, fresh cream 250ml, cheddar 200g, plain full-cream yoghurt 1kg. Veg and fruit: spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, salad leaves, cucumber, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, avo x3, lemons, frozen berries. Pantry: extra virgin olive oil, coconut cream, almond flour, chia, salt, pepper, curry powder, and avocado-oil mayo (or make your own with egg yolks and olive oil to skip industrial sunflower seed oils).
Prices move by store and week, so use this as a quantities list and compare shelf prices as you shop.
Checking labels in the aisle?
Scan the barcode in Banting Buddy to see net carbs and flagged ingredients.
Get Banting Buddy on Google PlayFree download with ads · No account · Works offline · Ad removal for 1, 3 or 12 months
Swaps when you get bored
Boredom kills meal plans faster than hunger. You can swap any lunch with any other lunch. Keep the portion of protein near palm size plus a thumb of fat, then fill the plate with green veg.
No fish? Use eggs or leftover braai meat. No cream? Use butter or olive oil. Craving bread? Fry a wrap from the banting flour and sweetener swaps page, but keep it to one. Need snack ideas? The banting-friendly snacks in South Africa list has portions that fit this plan.
New to the lists? Start with the Banting food list for beginners and read how to count net carbs if labels confuse you. Tracking and lists in Banting Buddy are free, which helps for the first week.
For method background see Real Meal Revolution and check generic items in USDA FoodData Central.
General information only, not medical advice.
Last updated: 19 September 2026.