Banting on a Budget in South Africa
Base your week on eggs, chicken thighs, mince, tinned fish, cabbage, and spinach, and skip fancy steaks and imported “keto” snacks. Basic braai meat, eggs, and local green veg keep costs down. (Remember: on South African food labels, “Glycaemic Carbohydrate” already gives you net carbs — check separately for sugar alcohols.)
Fancy steaks and imported “keto” snacks push costs up. Basic braai meat, eggs, and local green veg keep them down. Your carb target does not change, only where you buy the food.
Cheap proteins ranked
Cheapest first, roughly: eggs, chicken thighs with skin, tinned pilchards, beef mince, pork rashers. Carb figures from USDA FoodData Central entries for each food (see sources at the end).
| Protein | Net carbs per 100g | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 0.7g | Cheapest per meal, usually per dozen or 30-pack |
| Chicken thighs with skin | 0g | Buy with skin, cheaper than breast |
| Beef mince regular | 0g | Brown with cabbage to stretch it |
| Tinned pilchards | 0g | In brine or oil, check for added sauce sugars |
| Pork rashers / chops | 0g | Watch sweet cures and marinades |
| Beef biltong plain | about 2 to 4g | A treat snack, not a base meat |
Cheapest days are eggs, thighs and pilchards. Mince twice a week keeps flavour up without breaking the budget. Biltong is a treat snack, not a base meat.
A one-week trolley
Eggs (a large pack), chicken thighs, beef mince, tinned pilchards and tuna, bacon without sugar cure, butter, cream, cheddar, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, salad leaves, avo, peanuts. House brands of butter and cheese are usually cheaper than name brands for the same trolley.
Cook once, eat twice. Roast thighs Sunday, eat cold Monday lunch. Brown 1kg mince with cabbage Tuesday, pack half for Wednesday. Boil six eggs for grab snacks. Soup from bones and leftover veg stretches to Friday.
Veg to favour: cabbage, spinach, gem squash, green beans when on special, frozen cauli rice when fresh is dear. Fruit: stick to half an avo or a handful of frozen berries. A banana looks cheap, but at 23.8g net per medium fruit (USDA: 22.8g total, 2.6g fibre per 100g) it blows your day.
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
Store habits that save Rands
Shop with a list from the 7-day Banting meal plan. It was built to reuse leftovers.
Check the meat markdown fridge first. I got pork chops at 30% off at 9am at Checkers, froze them the same day. Tinned fish in brine or oil beats tomato sauce versions with added sugar. Plain full-cream yoghurt in 1kg tubs costs half per 100g of little flavoured cups.
Woolworths is great for quality but brutal for budget Banting. I buy butter, cream and bulk nuts at Checkers or Pick n Pay, then only grab marked-down veg at Woolies if I pass one. Your favourite store may differ, prices shift by suburb.
Skip Banting-branded bars, breads and crackers till your budget allows. One loaf with 3g net per slice is fine as a treat, but eggs fill you more. For swaps that are worth it, see banting flour and sweetener swaps and keep portions small. If labels confuse you, how to count net carbs shows the 20-second check, and the Banting food list for beginners marks what to buy. Scan barcodes in Banting Buddy when you are unsure in the aisle. Tracking and lists are free.
Compare prices and products on Open Food Facts with attribution, and verify generic nutrition 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.