Do mention the B word
A FEW years ago few people had heard of Banting. But then health guru and author Tim Noakes turned his sportorientated carbo-loading regime on its head, threw out the idea of carbs altogether, and in came the B word.
A Kloof family of foodies has taken the Noakes idea just a bit further and has adapted his revolutionary eating concept, opening a banting-style restaurant in the Outer West, called Not Just Banting.
The name tells you that adaptations are very much part of the cuisine, so too are new ways to edge around the lowcarbs thing.
Co-owner Calvin Botes, in his late 20s, says that the banting idea first took root a couple of years ago when his parents, Paul and Jenny, suffered a bout of ill health.
“My mum developed a condition where her short-term memory became impaired and my dad suffered a mini stroke and high blood pressure.”
Doctors suggested that a ketogenic diet was possibly the answer to address his mother’s short-term memory loss and that a dietary change could assist his father with controlling high blood pressure.
“My parents and I then came up with the concept of opening an eatery that embraced healthier options and my mother developed all the baked goods from her own research and development of recipes. I suppose, being a bit of an entrepreneur, it made good sense to combine the ketogenic concept, which focuses on the essential fatty acids, Omega 3s and Omega 6s, as well as banting.
“My parents are both excel- lent chefs with lots of experience, so they were able to add a wealth of experience and knowledge to the venture.”
The informal eaterie in a sunny little corner of Kloof is where you will find eye-catching offerings like low-carb Christmas cake, low-carb icecream and deli items you never thought possible to enjoy if you wanted to keep the weight off.
Botes, who does most of the preparation, prides himself on his home made low-carb Mexican burgers – served on a low carb-bun – and a creamy sauce to go with his eggs Benedict.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats such as butter, macadamia nuts, avocado, egg yolks, and coconut oil, are all part of the health medley.
“Our idea is to make eating out, informal café style with our own designer coffee, a great experience without having to worry about your waistline,” he said.
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