There are several Banting food products that I am seldom without. These all come in under R100/kilo so don’t include nuts and coconut oil!
1. EGGS
You can get 18 free range eggs for about R30. They are designed to make an entire chicken, so you can understand that they are jam packed with rich minerals and protein that is like rocket fuel. Their versatility knows no bounds – scramble, fry, boil, omelette, stuffed – however you like them they are good for you.
You can get a variety of cheese for under R100/kilogram. Adding cheese to your diet adds calcium, protein and flavour.
3. BUTTER
You can get 500g of butter in SA for about R40. Butter is another versatile product. Use it for frying or for adding to Bullet Proof Coffee (which I never have – I don’t like it!). You can use it for sauces, add it to hot veggies and mix it with scrambled eggs. Make the switch to butter from margarine because margarine contains transfats, which you are trying to avoid.
4. AVOCADOS
When in season, these are one of the best, least controversial Banting products going. The greatest Banting critics will never argue about Avos. Selling at about R5-6 each in winter, they are a basement bargain Banting baby that should always be ripening somewhere in your kitchen. Add them to salads or as an addition to your cooked breakfast. Eat them on their own with salt and pepper. Make them into bread. Mash them and serve with seed crackers.
5. SALAD INGREDIENTS
These are always available in my fridge. If I’ve had a busy day, a multi-ingredient salad becomes the main vegetable at dinner time. I add anything and everything, from raw veggies and seeds, to nuts and sometimes a taste of fruit. The family love it!
6. MUSHROOMS
These are going for about R10-15 a punnet depending on where you shop. I use mushrooms in just about everything. They make a fantastic sauce – chopped and sautéed in butter with cream added, it’s hard to beat. Serve them over steaks, fish or in a stir fry. I put them in salads, fry them for breakfast and grill the large ones with melted cheese. You can also buy a couple of large ones, slice them in half and use them in making burgers.
7. OTHER VEGGIES
The most inexpensive Banting foods, apart from avocado, definitely will include a variety of veggies. You can make an amazing vegetable bake, simply by combining cooked cauliflower, broccoli, a little butternut, sweet potato, courgettes, mushrooms, onions, patty pans, olives, spinach, green, red and yellow peppers. Make a cheese sauce with cream, whole milk and cheese. Bake in the oven covered with grated cheese and crumbled feta. Right there you can feed a large family a delicious meal on a budget. Stuff peppers with mince mixture and grill them with a cheese topping for a fabulous supper option.
8. FISH
Tuna salad, or tuna on it’s own is fatty, filling and fabulous. A tin of tuna goes for about R13 – get the one in water instead of in the unknown oil. If you do buy pilchards, also watch out for added ingredients such as tomato sauce which will be sweetened. Other fish such as hake is also an inexpensive filling protein to use as a main meal.
You can get chicken fillets surprisingly cheap. I saw them going for something like R30/kilo. They are most versatile. I will cook them on a griddle and serve them in a variety of ways. You can make them into chicken burgers, using massive mushrooms as the ‘bun’. Using these fillets is the healthiest way of making a burger. I may cut them into strips and then add mushrooms and cream. Or I may toss the strips into a salad. Brain, liver and kidneys are also very inexpensive Banting options.
10. CREAM
This is my coffee companion. I mainly use cream in coffee. I don’t have too much. If I’m after dessert, I’ll add cream instead of ice cream and I’ll also use it for sauces.
There must be others! Let me know yours.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip
Helga xx
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