Banting Food List for Beginners

Eat meat, fish, eggs, most veg that grows above ground, and healthy natural fats freely (low-carb). Add small, controlled portions of nuts, seeds, berries, and full-fat dairy (medium-carb). Skip sugar, grains, seed oils, potatoes, and high-carb fruit (high-carb / avoid).

That simple framework clears up most confusion. Many Banting followers aim for around 25g to 50g net carbs a day, spread across meals.

Low-carb: eat freely (to satiety)

These are your daily foundation foods. They contain less than 5g carbs per 100g, have little effect on blood sugar, and satisfy hunger naturally.

Meat covers beef, lamb, pork, chicken (skin-on thighs are best), game meat, boerewors made with zero added rusk or cereal filler, and biltong with no sugar coating. Fish covers snoek, hake, pilchards, trout, and tinned tuna in brine or olive oil. Eggs prepared any way you like. Natural fats cover real butter, ghee, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, lard, tallow, and duck fat.

Veg that works every day: spinach, swiss chard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, courgettes (baby marrows), green beans, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, cucumber, and salad leaves. Full-fat dairy with minimal carbs: hard cheeses (cheddar, gouda, parmesan), butter, and fresh cream.

A quick look at why these fit:

Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy — “Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties”, “Cauliflower, raw”, “Egg, whole, raw, fresh”, “Cheese, cheddar” (FDC 173414). Note: On South African food labels, “Glycaemic Carbohydrate” is already net carbs (fibre is listed separately and already deducted; check separately for sugar alcohols).

Medium-carb: small, tracked portions only

These foods contain between 6g and 25g carbs per 100g. They are real, nutrient-rich whole foods, but the carbs add up quickly. If your goal is weight loss, limit these to small portions or keep them for weight maintenance.

• Nuts and seeds: Macadamias, pecans, and walnuts are lowest in net carbs. Almonds and unsweetened peanuts are fine in a strict 30g handful. Chia and flaxseed work well in porridge or crackers.
• Vegetables: Butternut, carrots, beetroot, sweet potatoes, peas, and onions. Keep cooked portions to half a cup.
• Fruit: Fresh berries only — strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are best; blueberries have more sugar. Keep to a quarter cup.
• Dairy with lactose: Plain full-cream yoghurt, sour cream, and milk. A splash of full-cream milk in tea is fine, but large amounts of milk can slow weight loss for some people.

Read the ingredients on “healthy” peanut butters. Sugar and maltodextrin sometimes sit after the peanuts, while the no-added-sugar jars list peanuts and salt only.

If you want detail on single foods, read is peanut butter banting friendly?, is sweet potato banting friendly?, and is biltong banting friendly?.

Baking extras: rarely (treats and bakes)

Gluten-free baking flours (almond flour, coconut flour) and sugar-free sweeteners (xylitol, erythritol, stevia) are high-carb extras. They make low-carb muffins or bread possible, but they can trigger sweet cravings and stall progress if eaten every day. Treat them as occasional bakes, not meal bases.

High-carb: avoid

The high-carb group covers foods high in carbs, refined starches, sugar, or industrial seed oils, which Banting avoids:

• Sugar in all forms: White sugar, brown sugar, honey, golden syrup, agave, jam, sweets, and soft drinks.
• Grains and cereals: Wheat, bread, rolls, wraps, pizza bases, pasta, oats, rice, corn, mielie meal (pap), and samp.
• Starchy vegetables: White potatoes, potato chips, and crisps.
• Industrial seed and vegetable oils: Sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and margarine spreads. (Banting favours natural fats like butter, lard, and olive oil).
• Processed meats with fillers: Cheaper braaiwors, polony, and viennas containing rusk, wheat flour, or sugar.
• Sweet drinks and alcohol: Beer, commercial ciders, sweetened liqueurs, and fruit juices.
• Commercial “low-fat” products: Diet yoghurts and dressings where natural fat is swapped for thickeners, starch, or sugar.

Two items that catch South Africans out:

Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy — “Bananas, raw” and “Oats” (raw).

One banana can use half your day’s carb budget. A bowl of oats does the same before you even add milk.

How to shop without reading every label twice

Start with the outside perimeter at Woolworths, Checkers, or Pick n Pay. Meat, fresh fish, eggs, green vegetables, and real butter live there. Then pop into the aisles for tinned fish in olive oil or brine, raw nuts, coffee, and pure spices.

A practical rule: if a vegetable or whole food has under 5g carbs per 100g, treat it as low-carb. If it has between 6g and 25g, treat it as medium-carb and measure your portion. On South African packaged foods, check the “Glycaemic Carbohydrate” line — that is already your net carbs (check separately for sugar alcohols)!

For label tips see how to count net carbs and when you are ready to cook, use the 7-day Banting meal plan. You can scan barcodes in Banting Buddy to check whether a specific brand has hidden sugars, cereal fillers, or seed oils. All features are free with ads; an optional ad-removal purchase for 1, 3 or 12 months turns the ads off.

For background on where Banting comes from, the Real Meal Revolution explains the original lists, and you can verify generic foods in USDA FoodData Central.

General information only, not medical advice. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat.

Last updated: 19 September 2026.