The book includes a chart/spreadsheet that contains safe minimum cooking temperatures for beef, lamb, veal, pork, ground meats, poultry, and seafood. Using this chart, you'll be able to prepare meat without worrying about overcooking or undercooking it.
The author writes a little too much about herself.
Embarking on a keto journey is not just about following the diet and cooking the right meals with the right ingredients. Before that, it is about the mindset that you need to develop towards food. With Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss, you'll be able to develop that mindset.
Suzanne Ryan
100+ easy low-carb recipes
Spiral-bound, Paperback, Kindle Edition
Victory Belt Publishing
336 pages
The recipes are heavy on the fat and dairy.
Giving up cheesecakes, biscuits, pan-fried chicken, even breading does not sound very appealing, does it? Well, with Southern Keto: 100+ Traditional Food Favorites for a Low-Carb Lifestyle from Natasha Newton, you'll be able to enjoy traditional dishes that include these ingredients without breaking ketosis.
Natasha Newton
100+ traditional food favorites
Spiral-bound, Paperback, Kindle Edition
Victory Belt Publishing
304 pages
You can choose between Basic, Fasting, Vegan, Collagen-Boosting, Cancer, and Cycling protocols, with each plan geared towards a different goal and fitting different needs, body types, and preferences. The Keto Diet Shopping List includes primarily affordable and easily available ingredients.
A huge percentage of the recipes suggest using a protein powder or supplements, which is not necessary.
Losing weight, balancing hormones, boosting brain health, and reversing multiple diseases is an ambitious but, with this book from Dr. Josh Axe, an achievable goal. Aside from 80+ recipes, the book offers shopping lists, exercises routines, and explains the science behind the keto diet in an accessible fashion.
Dr. Josh Axe
Six 30-day plans (80+ delicious recipes)
Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audiobook (downloadable and audio CD version)
Little, Brown Spark
336 pages
The recipes are divided into separate categories that, apart from standard ketogenic recipes based on meat and fish, include interesting saucy and spicy dishes that will make the diet feel less stale and repetitive. The recipes are dairy-free, making them suitable for lactose-intolerant people too.
Most recipes are not quite budget-friendly.
The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet is capable of turning even the least inspired people into fat-burning machines that can shed weight without restricting themselves and without counting every calorie. As long as you're ready to make a change, this book should work wonders for you.
Leanne Vogel
Five 28-day meal plans (125 delectable recipes)
Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audiobook (downloadable version)
Victory Belt Publishing
448 pages
The recipes include dishes that you can cook without roasting, baking, stewing, or boiling anything, preparing different salads, sauces, and appetizers. Most recipes are based on affordable ingredients that you can purchase practically anywhere. The substitution tips will let you modify these dishes with many variations.
Net carbs may not be correct (especially in the sweets).
People who lead a hectic life with a busy schedule seldom have the time to prepare multiple complex/layered meals every single day. These are the individuals that will find The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Low-Carb, High-Fat Recipes for Busy People especially useful.
Jen Fisch
125 recipes that require no more than 5 ingredients
Spiral-bound, Paperback, Kindle Edition
Rockridge Press
210 pages
Embarking on a Keto Journey
Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss from Suzanne Ryan is among the biggest keto cookbooks you can find today. To some extent, this is the case because this is much more than a simple cookbook, despite what the name might suggest. No, quite the opposite, this book includes everything from tips and suggestions for beginners to grocery shopping tips to keto and weight loss FAQs to a structured 30-day meal plan and 100+ low-carb recipes that even the least experienced cooks can easily prepare.
Some people complain that Suzanne writes too much about herself and we see where they're coming from but, at the same time, that's what makes the book so interesting and appealing in the first place. There are more ketogenic cookbooks out there than you can shake a stick at and you can find countless recipes online but the experience that the author shares with you and the transformation she pulled off, losing more than 100 quids, is not something that you will find among those cookbooks and separate recipes. You will not find details regarding Suzanne's weight-loss journey, you will not find the encouragement that this book is offering, you might not even find the motivation to start the diet without this book.
The Blog and the YT Channel are Alright Too
Both her YouTube channel and her blog (sharing a Keto Karma name) are also full of helpful information, including grocery hauls, recipes, various keto-related tools, tips, and suggestions. But they're not as concise as the book when that's what's necessary and not as personal and motivational as this publication when you need a personal touch and extra motivation.
After all, as Suzanne puts it, keto is about developing a new mindset surrounding food first and following the diet second. With this book, you should be able to develop that mindset and start looking at food and dieting from a new perspective. Even though this keto cookbook has been written with beginners in mind, experienced ketoers will also be able to benefit from the information that the book contains and, at the very least, will probably find a few interesting recipes that they haven't tried yet and follow the author's story, which is quite interesting.
Long story short, Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss will help beginners embark on a ketogenic journey. But even people who have been following the diet for years now and do not about Suzanne's journey should find the recipes plenty appealing.
| Last updated price | $18.18 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | 1628602635 |
Stop Yo-Yo Dieting Now
Southern Keto: 100+ Traditional Food Favorites for a Low-Carb Lifestyle, written by Natasha Newton, is a revelation. As subjective as, well, this subject is, even the book's biggest critics will admit that this publishing offers a unique perspective on a ketogenic diet, letting you enjoy traditional American dishes without leaving the ketosis state. People believe that following this diet means giving up bread, cheesecakes, pan-fried chicken, biscuits, and such. But Natasha has you covered. Applying a little creativity, you'll be able to eat nothing but delicious, mouth-watering meals that you have been eating since day one. You would presume that, at the very least, these meals will taste a little bland but you'd be surprised by the texture, consistency, and moisture that the dishes prepared from these recipes will entail. Besides 100+ scrumptious ketogenic recipes based on traditional American dishes, this cookbook contains multiple theme menu ideas, comprehensive yet straightforward grocery lists, countless tips and tricks that can help beginners get started with this diet, and more.
But, as great as these tips, lists, ideas, and recipes are, most people love the book because its pages are home to Natasha's struggles with obesity going all the way back to her childhood, the years she has wasted yo-yo dieting, and how being diagnosed with the Crohn's disease at 29 has forced Tasha to change her approach towards dieting. As sensitive as this subject is, when you're struggling with an inflamed digestive tract, everything from abdominal pain and fatigue to sudden weight loss and even severe diarrhea become real issues that you need to learn how to prevent and moderate, so the people who are also affected by this disease will find the book especially interesting.
What Makes them Delicious
Sure, the book is not perfect, none are. Due to its traditional disposition, the recipe list is pretty heavy on the fat and dairy, something that makes the meals taste great but also something that does not necessarily make them easy on the digestive tract. Plus, people with severe lactose intolerance might find some recipes basically useless (though, generally speaking, you can replace dairy products with countless dairy alternatives and the recipe will still work).
Bottom line, people who would like to lose weight and try a keto diet but do not want to give up the dishes that they love cannot go wrong with Southern Keto: 100+ Traditional Food Favorites for a Low-Carb Lifestyle from Natasha Newton.
| Last updated price | $15.48 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | 1628603135 |
The Difference Between Success and Failure
Keto Diet: Your 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Balance Hormones, Boost Brain Health, and Reverse Disease sounds pretty heavy, right? Of course, different bodies seldom respond identically to different diets. That being said, most people will find that the promise this cookbook makes with its title is a realistic one. Unlike the books that we have reviewed above, this one does not muddle around. Even though Dr. Josh Axe can also tell a fascinating story or two, this book was written to set the record straight. Despite the fact that the ketogenic diet has gained immense traction during the last few years, most people have no idea what are the key factors that separate success stories and failures, so they end up with disappointing results, frustrated, and relapsing within the first few weeks.
While most keto cookbooks might include motivational stories, tips, and so on, this one, instead, offers step-by-step guidance that will help you achieve and maintain lifelong health. Unlike practically every other book on this subject, Keto Diet from Dr. Josh Axe starts by identifying and detailing five separate ketogenic protocols and explaining why choosing the protocol that's right for an individual's body and adjusting your lifestyle based on that protocol will be the difference between success and failure.
Still, borrowing from the competition's approach, the book also includes shopping lists and over 80 delicious recipes. However, on top of that, this cookbook offers exercise routines accessible explanations regarding the science behind the ketogenic diet, as well as the five aforementioned keto plans and the guide that will help you select that plan that fits your needs and preferences.
Even an Audio CD Version
As you can probably tell, we like the book, quite a lot, actually. But we're not crazy about the fact that a huge percentage of the recipes suggest using a protein powder or supplements, which is not necessary. Sure, we get it, the author is a clinical nutritionist and has worked with athletes most of his life but, again, everyday people seldom need these supplements and different protein powders are not something that we would recommend trying when you can reach your macros without them.
What everyday people will appreciate though is that you can choose between hardcover, Kindle Edition, and an audiobook version of the book, with the latter available in a standard downloadable format as well as an audio CD.
In other words, as much as we generally criticize overly ambitious titles, Keto Diet: Your 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Balance Hormones, Boost Brain Health, and Reverse Disease delivers on the promise that the name of the book makes.
| Last updated price | $15.19 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | 0316529583 |
Your One-Stop Keto Guide
There are cookbooks that focus a little too much on the book part and, as a result, compromise the cook part. Now, we're not saying that the author's story is unimportant and that their personal journey cannot be helpful. We're not saying anything like that. Still, we like our cookbooks straightforward, concise, and to the point, which is why we could not overlook The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet.
To be fair though, suggesting that this book includes nothing but recipes would be a little misleading, so we're not doing that either. No, instead, the book does away with this one-size-fits-all philosophy, where you're offered a customizable approach tailored to individuals' unique needs. Even before the recipes come into play, the book delivers comprehensive and effective tools that empower the readers to create a nutrition plan based not only on their needs but also on their preferences, providing almost limitless options, all while removing multiple restrictions that the traditional approach to the ketogenic diet entails.
What has been described as a one-stop guide to the keto diet, this publication from Leanne Vogel will help you transition and maintain a diet that's based on whole foods and is paleo-friendly, focusing on practical strategies but, even more so, on delicious recipes that anyone can follow. Having said that, following these recipes is one thing but, because the majority of them are not quite budget-friendly, rotating the recipes on a constant/consistent basis is not something that everyone will be able to afford, as unfortunate as it is.
125 Delectable Recipes
Rambling about everything else, we've almost forgotten to talk about the recipes that this book is all about, which would have been a terrible oversight on our part. No, the five 28-day meal plans based upon 125 delectable recipes is what makes this book so attractive in the first place, so we have to talk about them, at least a little.
Aside from the fact that they use paleo-friendly ingredients and whole-based foods, they're primarily healthy recipes, no doubt about that. Nevertheless, they also include chicken crisps, keto sandwich bread, bacon-wrapped meatloaves, chicken pot pies, chocolate-covered coffee bites, and more. With these high-fat takes on traditional dishes, you'll be able to shed weight, reduce inflammation, heal the meat vehicle that you have been neglecting, and regain confidence.
To put it differently, The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet from Leanne Vogel will transform you into a relentless fat-burning machine capable of shedding weight without counting calories.
| Last updated price | $15.88 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | 1628600160 |
On-the-Go Keto
Following most diets is generally tricky but the ketogenic diet might be the trickiest. People, more often than not, consume more carbohydrates than fats and proteins, so the diet can seem very strict, a little complicated, and a bit confusing. But, as long as you're equipped with The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Low-Carb, High-Fat Recipes for Busy People from Jen Fisch, you should have no issues following the keto diet. As always, the book is more than a keto recipe collection. To go with 125 recipes, the book basically creates this simple and adaptable solution to maintaining the keto diet when while leading the most hectic lifestyle.
Unlike the preceding books, this one prioritizes on-the-go keto, including quick, keto-compliant recipes based upon the most basic, easily accessible ingredients. With these recipes, even the least experienced cooks can prepare low-carb meals. Plus, you can modify these meals using the substitution tips that contain delicious variations, customizing the ketogenic-friendly menu to fit different needs and tastes. Following the no-nonsense guidance that the book's offering, you can meal prep like a pro.
Quick, Simple, Affordable, Delicious
Again, the book contains 125 recipes, each made from 5 ingredients or less, so we're not talking about complicated meals that take hours to prepare here, we're talking about no-fuss recipes that you can whip up within minutes. These include an avocado Caprese salad, buttery garlic chicken, Barbacoa beef roast, desserts like strawberry cheesecake mousse, and many, many more. The book proves that cooking and following the keto diet doesn't have to be an expensive, time- and effort-consuming challenge. On the contrary, it can be quick, simple, affordable, and delicious.
But the book, useful as it is, also has its flaws. The biggest issue we have with its contents is that the net carbs aren't always correct (especially in the sweets), so we would recommend double-checking online occasionally. The upside is that the book does not include countless personal stories and gets to the proverbial meat and potatoes from the get-go. Another upside is that the book's pretty cheap, with the hardcover selling for around 10 bucks at the moment.
To rephrase the point we made earlier, following the keto diet with a busy schedule can be a little difficult. When you arm yourself with The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Low-Carb, High-Fat Recipes for Busy People though, this task becomes a lot less difficult.
| Last updated price | $6.76 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | 1939754445 |
What Are Keto Cookbooks?
Today, keto, formally known as the ketogenic diet, is the fastest-growing dietary protocol, and the reason is obvious: when you know what you're doing, the diet burns fat, reduces inflammation, fights cancer, balances hormones, guts bacteria, improves neurological diseases, and can even increase the dieter's lifespan. But the part where we say "when you know what you're doing" is an important one. Thing is, keto is a tricky diet, especially considering that most things we consume today include carbohydrates. Following classic keto, you should be consuming somewhere around 90% fats, 6 proteins, and 4% carbs.
With these keto cookbooks though, even those people that hate cooking should be able to follow the diet to a tee. Barring the 80-120+ recipes that these books are offering, they also provide shopping tips, weight loss suggestions, meal plans, theme menu ideas, and more. Some books include personal anecdotes, stories, and motivational tools, while other books cut straight to the chase and focus on the meat and potatoes instead (proverbial meat and potatoes, of course, we're limiting our carbs here, remember?).
Not convinced anyway? Well, setting keto aside, you can also try these general cookbooks and instant pot cookbooks.
What Features to Compare
Author
This is a little tricky. You see, to some extent, the person behind the book is irrelevant, right? What you need is a recipe, so assuming that the recipe is correct, who cares who wrote that recipe? Not quite. First off, despite the fact that they're cookbooks, most include the author's journey, including different stories, personal anecdotes, you name them.
Second, you need to understand where the person listing the recipes is coming from, even when they're simple recipes. When you understand the mind behind the recipes, you also understand why they are the way they are, you understand the story that these recipes are telling, and you also understand what the meals made from these recipes signify.
Plus, the person's reputation matters quite a lot since we're not talking about science fiction here, we're talking about cooking recipes, meaning that you probably don't want to put your trust in someone who doesn't necessarily deserve that trust, right?
Subject
Again, this part is not as straightforward as you'd expect. Sure, the most important piece here is the recipes, so these books will usually outline the recipe count that they include. The issue here is that, besides these recipes (usually somewhere between 80 and 120), keto cookbooks contain everything from grocery hauls and weight loss FAQs to different ketogenic protocols, meal plans, tips, suggestions, and more. Normally, you won't find out what these books are offering (except for the recipe count) 'till you read them, which is why we recommend, at the very least, reading the reviews above to figure out the book that fits your needs and preferences best.
Book Type
This is the easy part. Just like most books these days, keto cookbooks are available in a spiral-bound, paperback, and Kindle Edition format. Furthermore, some are available as audiobooks (not as often as regular books though), and some can even be purchased in an audio CD format.
Page Count
Cookbooks always include illustrations, meaning that even the most modest and humble publications usually include above 200 pages, with some books even reaching 400+. But, again, because the recipes are always accompanied by illustrations, this is not quite the same as an ordinary book containing 300+ pages. Also, needless to say, most people don't read cookbooks like they read regular books, so even the most inquisitive minds and enthusiastic cooks will not be able to complete a book like that in a few weeks.
Keto vs Atkins vs Paleo
The ketogenic diet lands among the biggest diets today and we see no reason to suspect that the diet will start losing traction anytime soon. Of course, at its core, the diet is all about reducing carbohydrates and substituting them with healthy fats and proteins, which is not that different from the Paleolithic and Atkins diets. Because that's the case, most people confuse these diets or cannot tell the difference between them, believing that, as long as you remove the carbs from the equation, the diets we have listed here are basically the same. That's not true though, not quite. Sure, they're all low-carb diets first and foremost, but they serve different purposes, so let's find and figure out what they are.
The Ketogenic Diet
Again, standard keto tells us that the macros you're trying to hit should be 90% fats, 6% proteins, and 4% carbs. Needless to say, there are countless variations out there but the principle remains, the principle being that the fat intake should heavily outweigh the combined proteins and carbs intake. The purpose here is to send the body in a ketosis state, where the individual's body is using fats as an energy source, not glucose (carbs). To make sure the body enters this state, you need to limit the carb intake to fewer than ~2 ounces per day.
The Paleo Diet
As you can guess from the name, people who are following this diet try eating like people were eating during the Paleolithic era (we're talking ~2.5 million years ago here), meaning that they strive to emulate a hunter-gatherers' diet. Unlike keto (and also Atkins), this diet does not restrict carbs on principle, it's just that the foods the diet cuts out include grains, dairy, legumes, as well as refined and processed foods, so you're not left with many carbohydrate choices.
Technically speaking, the paleo diet does not discriminate between different fat types but advises minimizing trans fats and oils consumption. While you can all but gorge on peanut butter when you're following the ketogenic diet, the Paleolithic diet cuts PB out since peanuts are, again, technically speaking, legumes.
The Atkins Diet
Just like the two diets above, Atkins is a diet that cuts out or reduces carbohydrates as much as possible. But, even though the diet is not that old, there are at least two major variations: Atkins 20, the original variation, and Atkins 40, the plan that was created for people looking to shed <40 pounds.
The classic diet includes 4 phases, with the first phase starting off with you eating ~1 ounce of carbs per day and, with each phase, adding one more ounce to your daily carbohydrate intake, with the fourth phase allowing somewhere around 4 ounces, which's still low-carb as far as an average carb intake is concerned. The biggest difference between this diet and the 2 preceding types is that Atkins does not count all cars the same, taking fibers and sugars into account as well, whereas keto and Paleo do not. What's more, while anyone can prepare Atkins-compliant dishes at home, the program also offers pre-packaged and processed meals that meet its requirements.