Low Carb, Banting, and Keto: What’s the Difference?

In the world of healthy eating, it’s easy to get lost in the jargon. Terms like "low carb," "Banting," and "keto" are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different dietary approaches. In this article, we’ll break down each diet, their benefits, and which one might be the best fit for you.

What Is a Low-Carb Diet?

A low-carb diet is simple: it involves reducing the intake of carbohydrates, which include sugars, starches, and fibre. The main goal is to replace carbs with healthy fats and proteins, which can help with weight loss, improve metabolic health, and lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Examples of Low-Carb Foods: Leafy greens, eggs, fish, nuts, and seeds.

Benefits: A low-carb diet can lead to reduced hunger, better blood sugar control, and easier weight management.

Understanding the Banting Diet:

The Banting diet originated in South Africa, inspired by the work of Dr. William Banting and popularised by Professor Tim Noakes, who championed its low-carb, high-fat principles for better health and weight management. Banting focuses on eating real, unprocessed foods while avoiding carbohydrates and sugars. Unlike other low-carb diets, Banting puts an emphasis on natural, whole foods like grass-fed meats, butter, and low-carb vegetables.

Banting’s Guiding Principles: No sugar, no refined carbs, moderate protein, and plenty of healthy fats.

The Banting diet is built around three essential food lists that help guide your eating choices:

The Green List: Foods you can enjoy freely, including healthy fats, proteins, and low-carb vegetables.

The Orange List: Foods to eat in moderation, such as certain dairy products, legumes, and higher-carb vegetables.

The Red List: Foods to avoid completely, like sugar, grains, and processed foods.

You can view the full Banting lists for easy reference here: https://www.caringcandies.com/pages/lists.

All the products in our Banting Collection are suitable for those of you following a low carb diet: https://www.caringcandies.com/collections/banting

What is the Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbs for energy. This switch can result in rapid weight loss, mental clarity, and improved blood sugar control, making it ideal for diabetics.

Foods to Eat on Keto: Avocados, cheese, fatty fish, meats, and oils.

Why It Works: When carbs are cut to under 20–50g per day, your body produces ketones, which provide an alternative energy source to glucose, stabilising insulin levels.

Tip:

If you're a beginner, starting with a low-carb or Banting diet might be easier to follow, while the keto diet can be more demanding. We recommend small changes, such as swapping out sugary drinks for water or eating more protein-rich snacks.