Vegetarians are delighted with this book by Rita Venter, Natalie Lawson and Kim Blom. The authors, using up to date research, encourage readers to follow a vegetarian lifestyle observing a Low Carb, Banting or Keto diet.
Spanning 212 pages and over 40 vegan recipes, the publication includes more than 100 easy-to-prepare recipes, food lists, meal plans, and tools and practical advice to live a nutritionally balanced, low-carb, sustainable, meat-free lifestyle. One can also find ongoing support on the very popular Facebook group.
Lovemore Makhanya shares her testimony: “I started with replacing one meal with a Banting meal. Twelve months on, I have lost 40 kg. Throughout my journey I have thought about going meat-free. Most of my meals have a lot of veggies and leaves anyway. I am not an activist for animal rights but I felt that I would have a better experience with Banting if it was meat-free, and it would be healthier. I’m excited at trying new things. So now I want to change to a new normal and start my vegetarian journey. With the help and guidance of this new Banting vegetarian book, I strongly believe one would have even better results.”
Katherine Megaw, a paediatric dietician, writes in the Foreword: “Our oath as medical practitioners is ‘first do not harm’, and on that I have judged the information in this book. It is safe and rational, and also realistic. […] Four things jumped out at me: the ease of finding the ingredients, the efficiency of cost, how easy they are to make, and the delicious flavours. […] Delightful recipes and delicious flavours, as well as the stunning layout, mean this book will soon become a firm favourite in homes everywhere.”
Although a vegetarian diet and a traditional Banting diet seem to contradict each other, “the cornerstone of Banting is eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods, refined carbohydrates and sugars. There is no reason why this can’t be done as a vegetarian. The answer is to include plenty of low-carb veggies, good fats, nuts and seeds, avocados, eggs and full-fat diary” (17).
The authors thoughtfully provided tables of carb and protein values of most foods, and also the fat, protein and carb content for all the recipes in this book. They also discuss the different types of vegetarians, namely lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians. They give advice such as: “Sourcing eggs from free-roaming hens is the most eco-friendly, ethical and healthiest choice as they are not routinely treated with antibiotics, and their eggs contain a higher level of omega-3” (29). They list the 10 superfoods to have in one’s pantry as eggs, cheese, avocados, quinoa, coconut, nuts and nut butters/milk, seeds (including chia & hemp), vegetables, legumes and nutritional yeast.
With recipes such as protein-packed granola bars, mushroom stroganoff, ricotta lasagne, vegetable curry with coconut rotis, chickpea & tomato soup, sunflower nachos, ginger caramel cheesecake, chocolate cupcakes with ganache, and bread sticks, Banting 7 Day Meal Plans Vegetarian promises to be a winner on the shelves. It is published by Quivertree Publications.
Order your copy here.
