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Whether you choose to go big on Banting, or cruise the Mediterranean – both diets have their pros and cons. Here’s what you need to know.
Med mania
You hear “Mediterranean”, and picture an idyllic scene overlooking a white sandy beach. In this scene, you’re scarfing down delicious olive oil-drenched bread, soft cheeses and salty olives.
The Mediterranean diet includes good fats, carbs and a big side of vegetables. The diet is good for your heart because it replaces saturated and trans fats (which clog your arteries) with unsaturated fats.
It’s not a difficult diet to stick with as you don’t have to starve or cut out too many foods. Throw in some daily exercise, and you could also shed some unwanted weight!
Let's eat Med
- Fill up with loads of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil.
- Include lean sources of protein like poultry and fish, and avoid red meat as it has saturated fats.
- Choose sourdough bread over pasta.
- Make olive oil the main fat in the diet.
- A glass or two of red wine a day is fine.
- Stock up on strawberries, fresh figs, grapes or apples. For dessert or snacks, opt for dried fruit and nuts.
- Avoid processed foods as far as possible.
- Replace meat with fish like salmon and tuna, which will give you healthy fats like Omega-3-fatty acids.
- Have at least two meals per week that consist of legumes (beans and lentils).
- Snack on unsalted nuts to keep you going during the day and opt for healthy unsaturated fats.
Banting
At this point, who hasn’t heard of Banting? Basically, it’s all about minimal carbs and good fats. Banting fanatics swear it’s a great way to lose weight fast. A low-carb, high-fat diet is best suited to people with an insulin resistance (the ability to tolerate carbohydrates).
Let’s Bant
- Banting foods are split into three colour categories, namely, green, orange and red. Green is an all-you-can-eat list which can include 5-100g of animal protein, dairy, fats, flavourings, condiments, nuts, seeds and sweeteners.
- The orange food group consists of ingredients containing 6-25g of carbs per 100g. This includes fruits, nuts, sweeteners and vegetables.
- The red food group is the one that should be avoided as far as possible as they’re usually high in carbohydrates. Baked goods, soft drinks, dairy, dairy-related products, meat, starchy vegetables and sweeteners are included in this group.
- Eat enough animal fat daily as this will help to keep you fuller for longer and stop you from overeating.
- Include all vegetables in your diet, except butternut and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
- Avoid eating too much protein and stick to the 100g limit.
- Don’t have too many fruits and nuts as they naturally contain fructose, high contents of sugar.
- If your goal is to lose weight while Banting, do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.
