How Many Carbs Can You Eat on Banting?

December 21, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Real Meal Revolution, the Banting diet limits total daily carbohydrate intake to between 25 and 50 grams, depending on your level of insulin resistance. This approach is structured into phases, each with its own carb guidelines, designed to help followers transition from burning sugar to burning fat for energy. Understanding how many carbs can you eat on Banting is crucial for achieving ketosis and weight loss goals.

Quick Summary

The Banting diet specifies carbohydrate limits based on its four phases, with the strictest phase targeting under 25g daily for achieving ketosis. Tolerances increase slightly during the maintenance phase. Success relies on following food lists, prioritizing low-carb vegetables, healthy fats, and protein, rather than strict macro-counting.

Key Points

Phased Carb Limits: The amount of carbohydrates you can eat on Banting depends on which of the four phases you are in, ranging from observation to long-term preservation.
Strict Transformation Phase: For significant fat loss and ketosis, the Banting diet recommends a very low carb intake, often targeting under 25g per day.
Green List Focus: Rely primarily on the Green list of foods, which includes low-carb vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins, to stay within your daily carb limit.
Personalized Maintenance: The long-term Preservation phase allows you to find your unique carb tolerance by gradually reintroducing certain foods from the Orange list.
Focus on Whole Foods: Banting prioritizes eating real, unprocessed foods and avoids all grains, sugars, and unhealthy oils for better health and satiety.
No Obsessive Counting: Unlike some keto approaches, Banting emphasizes listening to hunger cues and focusing on food lists rather than meticulous macro tracking.
Temporary 'Banting Flu': Some people experience flu-like symptoms during the initial adaptation phase as their body switches to fat-burning, which can be managed with increased electrolytes and hydration.

The Banting diet, popularized in South Africa by Professor Tim Noakes and the Real Meal Revolution, provides a low-carb, high-fat framework for weight loss and health improvements. It is distinct from the ketogenic diet through its phased approach and emphasis on food quality over obsessive macro-tracking. A core tenet is restricting daily carbohydrate intake, with the specific amount varying depending on the individual's needs and the current phase of the plan.

Understanding the Banting Carb Limits

The Banting diet is structured in four distinct phases: Observation, Restoration, Transformation, and Preservation. The carbohydrate limit changes dramatically across these stages, guiding your body's adaptation from using glucose to burning fat for fuel. The most intensive carb restriction occurs during the Transformation phase, where the goal is to achieve ketosis for accelerated fat burning.

Phase 1: Observation (Week 1)

This initial phase requires no dietary changes; instead, you track your normal food intake to understand your current eating habits and how your body responds to certain foods. This step helps in establishing a baseline before you begin restricting carbohydrates. Carb intake during this period reflects your typical daily consumption, which for many, is far higher than the subsequent Banting limits. The purpose is to build awareness, not to impose restrictions yet.

Phase 2: Restoration (Weeks 2-12)

In this phase, you begin to restore gut health and gradually acclimatize to a lower carbohydrate intake. You rely heavily on the diet's "Green" food list while eating moderately from the "Orange" list. At this stage, the daily carbohydrate limit is generally under 50g, preparing your body for the stricter Transformation phase. This gradual reduction helps minimize the symptoms of the "Banting flu," such as fatigue and headaches, as your body transitions to fat-burning.

Phase 3: Transformation (As long as needed)

For serious weight loss, the Transformation phase is the most restrictive, focusing on pushing the body into a state of ketosis. This requires a significant reduction in carbohydrate intake, with targets often falling under 25g per day. During this phase, you should stick primarily to the Green list foods, while largely avoiding the Orange list. By limiting carbs this strictly, the body's insulin levels drop, allowing it to efficiently access and burn stored body fat for energy.

Phase 4: Preservation (For life)

Once your goal weight is reached, the Preservation phase focuses on long-term maintenance. This phase introduces more flexibility, allowing you to test your personal tolerance for carbohydrates by reintroducing some Orange list foods in moderation. Your final carb limit will be unique to you, determined by finding the right balance that sustains your weight without triggering cravings. Some may find they can handle slightly more carbs than in the Transformation phase, while others need to remain stricter to maintain their results.

Banting Food Lists and Carb Counts

To manage your carbohydrate intake on Banting, it's essential to understand the three primary food lists, which are color-coded like a traffic light:

Green List (Eat to Hunger): These are foods you can eat freely. They are naturally low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats and protein. Examples include leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, eggs, meats, most fish, butter, and olive oil. Sticking to this list is the cornerstone of the strictest phases. Most items contain less than 5g of carbs per serving.
Orange List (Exercise Self-Control): These foods contain higher carbohydrate levels and should be consumed in moderation, especially during the Restoration and Preservation phases. This list includes items like full-fat dairy, some nuts, certain fruits (especially berries), and starchy vegetables like carrots and butternut squash.
Red List (Never Eat): These foods are high in sugar, refined starches, and processed ingredients and are to be avoided entirely. This includes all grains, sugars, processed foods, and unhealthy vegetable oils.

Comparison: Banting Carb Limits Across Phases


Feature	Phase 2: Restoration	Phase 3: Transformation	Phase 4: Preservation
Primary Goal	Adapt to LCHF, restore gut health	Achieve deep ketosis, rapid weight loss	Long-term weight maintenance
Daily Carb Limit	Under 50g (gross carbs)	Under 25g (gross carbs)	Varies by individual tolerance
Focus Foods	Green list + Moderate Orange list	Almost exclusively Green list	Green list + controlled Orange list
Reintroduction	N/A	N/A	Gradual testing of Orange and some Light Red foods
Duration	2 to 12 weeks	As long as it takes to reach goal	Indefinitely (for life)

Conclusion: Personalizing Your Banting Carb Count

Determining how many carbs you can eat on Banting is not a single, fixed number but a journey defined by the diet's four phases. The strictest phase, Transformation, aims for under 25g of daily carbs to induce ketosis for significant weight loss. However, the broader Banting philosophy is about understanding your personal carbohydrate tolerance, moving towards a sustainable low-carb, real-food lifestyle. This makes it more flexible and sustainable for many than a standard ketogenic diet. By using the traffic light food lists, you can manage your carb intake effectively and make informed choices for lasting success. For more detailed information on the food lists and plan, referencing the Real Meal Revolution is recommended.

Common Banting-Friendly Meal Examples

Following the Banting diet is about focusing on real, unprocessed foods and healthy fats. Here are some simple meal ideas that align with the diet's carbohydrate restrictions, particularly in the stricter phases:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs cooked in butter with spinach and a sprinkle of cheese.
Lunch: A large mixed salad with leafy greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and grilled chicken breast. Top with olive oil vinaigrette and some avocado slices.
Dinner: Pan-seared steak with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower, dressed with melted garlic butter.
Snack: A small handful of macadamia nuts or a slice of hard cheese.

This is just a small sample, as the Green food list is extensive and allows for many satisfying combinations without needing to obsessively count every gram of carbohydrate. The focus remains on nutrient-dense food sources that keep you full and energized throughout the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

During the Restoration phase (Phase 2) of the Banting diet, the general carb limit is under 50 grams per day. This phase is designed to gradually adapt your body to a lower carbohydrate intake before the more restrictive Transformation phase.

To achieve ketosis for accelerated weight loss during the Transformation phase (Phase 3), the daily carbohydrate intake is typically restricted to under 25 grams. This is the strictest phase of the diet.

The Banting diet traditionally refers to gross (or total) carbs rather than net carbs. The recommended daily limits, such as 25-50g, typically refer to the total carbohydrate content.

The Banting 'Green' list includes foods that can be eaten freely because they are low in carbohydrates. Examples are leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, avocados, eggs, meats, and healthy fats like butter and olive oil.

Yes, but with caution and depending on the phase. Most fruits are on the 'Orange' list, meaning they should be consumed in moderation. Berries are generally more favorable than high-sugar fruits like bananas, mangos, and grapes.

While both are low-carb, Banting is a phased approach that focuses on whole foods and listening to your body, with less emphasis on obsessive macro-tracking. A standard keto diet has a fixed, strict carb limit (usually under 50g) with the sole purpose of achieving and maintaining ketosis.

Consuming carbohydrates above your set daily limit can break the state of ketosis, causing your body to revert to burning glucose for fuel instead of fat. This can stall weight loss and may increase cravings for high-carb foods.