Simple carb swaps that work in a South African kitchen

This is the final article in our carbs series. We've covered what the research says, what refined carbs do, what's in your bread and how much you need. Now for the practical part: small, realistic swaps you can make in a South African kitchen, without giving up pap, bread or potatoes.

The aim isn't to cut carbs. It's to trade refined carbs for ones that come with fibre, which is the change the research supports most strongly.

Breakfast

Tip: adding protein to breakfast keeps you full for longer and helps avoid the mid-morning slump we described in part 2.

Bread

• Choose whole-wheat, rye or seeded bread with whole-grain flour as the first ingredient. Remember, brown bread isn't whole grain (see part 3).
• Go open. 1 slice with a generous topping instead of a 2-slice sandwich.
• Freeze it sliced. Bakery bread without preservatives keeps well in the freezer and toasts from frozen.

Pap and maize meal

Pap doesn't have to go. Maize meal in South Africa is sold in grades set by law, from super (the most refined) through special and sifted to unsifted, which keeps more of the kernel and more fibre.

• Move down a grade: try special or unsifted instead of super, or mix half and half while your family gets used to it.
• Change the ratio: a smaller portion of pap, and more chakalaka, morogo or other vegetables.
• Add protein and beans: pap with beans, mince or chicken is a far steadier meal than pap on its own.

Rice, potatoes and pasta

• Rice: brown rice, or half brown and half white. Samp and beans (umngqusho) is a whole meal with plenty of fibre.
• Potatoes: baked or boiled with the skin on, rather than chips. Sweet potato is a good alternative.
• Pasta: whole-wheat pasta, or regular pasta with lots of vegetables and a smaller portion.

Beans and lentils: the budget swap

South Africa's dietary guidelines recommend eating dry beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly, and they're among the cheapest foods you can buy. They add fibre and protein to almost anything:

• Stretch mince with a tin of lentils in bolognaise, cottage pie or bobotie.
• Add beans to stews, curries and soups.
• Make hummus from chickpeas for a snack with raw vegetables.

Snacks and drinks

Cutting sugary drinks is the single biggest change for most people. Our guide How much sugar is too much? shows where else sugar hides.

Baking at home

• Replace half the white flour with whole-wheat flour in muffins, rusks and pancakes.
• Add oats, seeds or grated vegetables to batters.
• Cut the sugar in most recipes by a quarter; you rarely notice the difference.

When you want a lower-carb meal

Lower-carb meals have their place, especially if you're managing your blood sugar. These recipes from our blog build meals on vegetables, eggs and legumes:

• Chicken soup with cauliflower rice
• Air fryer lentil meatballs
• Basil scrambled eggs with wilted spinach and seared baby tomatoes
• Mushroom brunch
• Air fryer low-carb bread

Start with 1 swap

You don't need to change everything at once. Pick the swap that's easiest for you this week, maybe oats instead of cereal, or lentils in the mince, and add another once it feels normal. Small changes you keep are worth more than a big overhaul you drop.

The full carbs series

1. Are carbs bad for you? Good carbs vs refined carbs explained
2. How refined carbs affect your blood sugar, energy and cravings
3. What's really in supermarket bread and pasta?
4. How many carbs do you need, and does it change with age?
5. Simple carb swaps that work in a South African kitchen (you're here)

The sources

• Reynolds A et al. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet 393:434–445. View →
• World Health Organization (2023). Carbohydrate intake for adults and children: WHO guideline. View →
• Vorster HH (2013). "Make starchy foods part of most meals": a food-based dietary guideline for South Africa. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition 26(3 Suppl):S28–S35. View →
• Department of Agriculture. Regulations relating to the grading, packing and marking of maize products intended for sale in South Africa. View →

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes or another condition affected by diet, speak to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat.

Also in Health