Short answer: Yes, braai is easy to Bant. These 8 sides run 2–7g net carbs per portion (all low-carb whole foods). Skip pap and sheba, braaibroodjies, potato salad, sweet bastings, and beer.

Meat was never the problem at a South African braai. The carbs sneak in through pap, bread, sweet bastings, and beer. Master the low-carb sides and you can feast without feeling deprived.

Side table — portions and net carbs

Figures from USDA FoodData Central. Your chopping and cheese amounts will shift these a gram or two.

Sauces and marinades change recipes often, so read the bottle.

What works on the fire

Cauliflower mash replaces potato salad without anyone complaining. Steam one head till soft, mash with a generous knob of farm butter, sea salt, black pepper, and a spoon of cream cheese or double cream. One head makes four generous portions. Full breakdown: how many carbs in cauliflower.

Grilled halloumi is made for the braai grid. Slice it thick, brush with olive oil, and grill for two minutes a side until golden brown. It delivers 15g of rich fat and under 2g net carbs, completely replacing garlic bread.

Green salad with extra virgin olive oil is crisp and cuts through rich boerewors fat. Stick to whole olive oil and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar rather than commercial bottled dressings, which often hide 4–7g sugar and industrial sunflower oil per serving.

Coleslaw works if you watch the dressing. Commercial deli coleslaw is loaded with sugar (10–14g sugar per 100g). Shred your own red and white cabbage, add a touch of carrot, and dress with an avocado-oil mayonnaise or homemade olive-oil aioli to avoid inflammatory seed oils.

Roasted veg, mushrooms and creamed spinach cover the warm side. Baby marrows, bell peppers, and brinjals tossed in olive oil roast over the coals in 15 minutes. Large brown portobello mushrooms topped with garlic butter and grated cheddar melt right on the grid.

Avo salad keeps summer braais fresh. Half an avo with lime juice, sea salt, and a garnish of diced tomato and onion lands under 3g net carbs.

What to skip (high-carb braai traps)

• Pap and sheba / tomato gravy: Mieliepap (maize meal) is pure starch (~28g net carbs per small cup cooked), and store-bought sheba or chakalaka usually adds sugar. Swap pap for cauliflower mash or creamed spinach to soak up your meat juices.
• Braaibroodjies: Two slices of white or brown bread plus Mrs Ball’s chutney and onion pack 35–45g net carbs before cheese. Grill a giant mushroom cap loaded with cheese and tomato slices instead.
• Sweetcorn (mealies) & potato salad: Both are high-glycaemic starches in the high-carb group.
• Sweet marinades and bastings: Pre-basted spare ribs and sweet BBQ chicken marinades often carry 10–20g sugar per 100g. Baste with melted garlic butter, lemon juice, rosemary, and olive oil instead.
• Beer and cider: A standard 340ml beer carries 11–14g carbs, and cider has over 20g. Dry red wine, dry white wine, or unflavoured spirits with soda water and lemon keep carbs near zero.

You can scan store marinades and sausages in Banting Buddy to verify ingredients before they hit the fire.

Related questions

• Is boerewors banting friendly?
• Banting food list for beginners

General information only, not medical advice. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat, because low-carb eating can change medication needs.

Sources: USDA FoodData Central; SA store labels. Last updated 2026-09-19. For ingredient data see 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: 2026-09-19. Sources listed on each page.