Jump on the Bant wagon
by Nick Charlie Key
Delicious low carb
by Sally-Ann Creed
Human and Rousseau
Review: Chantel Erfort
Having recently switched to a low carb Paleo lifestyle, I was very interested to read Key and Creed’s latest offerings because I needed some inspiration to make my meals a bit more exciting.
I’m also a keen baker and so I’m trying to learn as much as I can about how to adapt my methods when using low carb substitutes like almond and coconut flour.
What I enjoyed most about both books was that the recipes were simple and easy to follow. All are accompanied by striking images and if one were to compare, I’d say Key’s book is the one that’s more appealing to the eye.
Because following a low carb diet can become heavy on the pocket if you’re going to buy a ton of substitutes instead of simply staying away from certain food groups, I was happy to see that both books placed focus on “quick and easy foods on a tight budget” (Key) and “healthy practical affordable realistic” (Creed).
At the start of Key’s book, you can read about the scary diagnosis that led to him switching to the Banting diet and blogging about his experience. There’s also a short section that explains the key principles of Banting. The chapters in his book include breakfast, starters, light meals, mains, sides and baking and desserts. Creed’s content list is a bit more extensive with chapters on soups; bread rolls and pizzas; finger foods; condiments and sauces; breakfast; mains; sides; food for kids; snacks, cakes, cookies and treats; desserts and beverages.
I tried the dark chocolate chip biscuit recipes in each of the books and while both were delicious, the one in Key’s book was better.
It was also more expensive to make, taking a cup of almond butter and a full cup of chopped 85% dark Lindt chocolate.
Creed’s, on the other hand, used coconut flour (which is pretty affordable) as a base and only two table spoons of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. These also didn’t have the crunchy texture of a biscuit.
I also made the almond tart from Creed’s book. In all instances I used coconut sugar instead of xylitol, which seemed to have little impact on the final result.
While Key and Creed’s recipes are Banting-friendly, I had to adapt some of them because the Paleo diet excludes dairy products. In many cases, coconut milk or cream worked just as well as the dairy alternatives.
I regularly dip into these books for some low carb inspiration – and if you prefer your inspiration in Afrikaans, books are also available as Klim op die Bant Wagon and Lekker Low Carb.
