For those of you following a Banting, or similar low carb lifestyle, odds are that one of the challenges you experience is finding suitable snacks and treats to munch on. Fortunately there are people out there aiming to solve this conundrum by doing all the thought and prep work for you. One such group are the team behind The Banting Baker, who are producing a yummy range of baked goods, which include rusks, muesli and seeded crackers.

The Banting Baker was started by the Els and the Koekemoer families in Cape Town and Cecile Koekemoer is the resident recipe developer and baker. Both families have very active lifestyles and young children, and this served as a huge motivation to ensure that the food and nutrition they were consuming was correct. When we asked Johann Koekemoer why they had chosen this lifestyle, the answer was emphatic “As parents, we have to deal with hectic schedules, children with varied levels of ability, different personalities and needs, and all the boxes need to be ticked by Friday! We feel that lifestyle and nutrition are such important building blocks for our success as a society.”

Cecile has always had a passion for baking, and after deciding to follow the Banting lifestyle, she used her experience to trial and adapt recipes for herself and her family. The yummy snacks she was producing soon gained traction with friends, colleagues and family members following the same lifestyle. The response was so positive, that soon a colleague suggested that she start to sell to the public. The products were introduced to a national food chain employee and the rest as they say… is history.

The current range includes rusks, chocolate biscuits, seeded crackers (we tried these at Crush HQ and we loved them!), yoghurt loaves, muesli, and chocolate, berry and lemon cheesecakes.

The Banting Baker products are conveniently stocked at various Spar stores (in and around the Cape Town metro), as well as some wellness and health shops and pharmacies. They are also available at Banting markets on weekends.

When you pick up a Banting Baker product, you’ll see the company ethos ‘changing lives’ on the label and this principle is two-fold. Not only is the belief that the Banting lifestyle changes lives on a nutritional level, but the company also seeks to help change the lives of destitute individuals. The Banting Baker is staffed with individuals from the M.E.S. outreach program; they are trained and employed, focusing on their personal development and re-introduction into the working society.

What we think has made this venture so successful is a combination of great products, as well as, a great attitude. The Koekemoer and Els families told us “We love people, we love to share, but most of all, we go nuts about BAKING!” When you have passion like this how can you be anything but successful?

The Banting Baker will soon be selling online at:

www.thebantingbaker.co.za

Prices vary from R25-00 for a small cheesecake to about R115.00 for a 550 g tub of muesli. Their Seeded Cracker range sells at about R55.00 per 300 g tub.