Once you understand the principles behind how the ketogenic diet works, then it’s time to get cooking, quite literally! This is a part that many people struggle with— they don’t necessarily know what recipes are “keto friendly”. So we at Keto-Mojo have decided to start adding in some monthly cookbook reviews to help you get started in filling your library and your plate with delicious recipes!
Authored by Keto Bloggers
This month we look at a cookbook by two of the most well-known ketogenic bloggers on YouTube, Megha Barot and Matt Gaedke of KetoConnect. Keto Made Easy is a collection of recipes that cover everything from breakfasts, dinners, snacks, and sides to a few different meal plans that utilize those recipes in the book. Starting with their personal story, the authors then move into kitchen and ingredients tips, how to start keto in five easy steps, and their keys to success.
For someone new to the ketogenic diet this is a great starting cookbook. The explanations and details within the first quarter of the book are important in informing the reader about the different ingredients that will be utilized in the recipes that you may not be familiar with. Not only do the authors do an excellent job of describing the ingredients and their purpose, but they also offer suggestions of their preferred brands. Most ingredients and spices used in this book are staples in ketogenic households. Finally, the kitchen tips provide insight into storing the final products as well as temperature suggestions for preheating and ingredients.
5 Steps to Starting Keto
For those new to keto that have yet to grasp the basics, Keto Made Easy does just that when giving you the five steps to starting keto:
- Cut the carbs: it is suggested to set your carbohydrate intake to no more than 20g net carbohydrate.
- Brace Yourself: With the new change to your body you may feel fatigue and have low levels of energy. This can be combatted with some electrolyte supplementation( sodium, magnesium, and potassium)
- Add some fat: Remember that fat is fuel on the ketogenic diet so not only do you need to cut the carbs, you need to ensure you are eating a high fat diet(a large portion of your calories will need to come from fat)
- Time your meals: Listen to your body and try various eating/fasting schedules to work with your lifestyle.
- Continually improve: Do the best you can and always strive to improve. Baby steps. (Of course we here at Keto-Mojo know how to help you do that with testing!)
More than a Cookbook
These steps are our second favorite thing about this book, the first is actually the keys to success section which offers suggestions to make this a sustainable lifestyle change and not just a diet. Suggestions such as keep it simple, find support, eat all the fat, and DO YOUR RESEARCH. While the basics of the ketogenic diet are simple to understand, implementation is often where people fall short and this motivational pep talk at the beginning of the book can get you in the right frame of mind to succeed and implement these lifestyle changes.
Our Favorite Keto Recipes
Now on to the recipes, or the main course if you will! The recipes are simple in both the instructions and ingredients. This is very helpful to those on a budget that do not want to be spending $40+ to make a single recipe. Megha and Matt do an amazing job of keto-fying many carb-heavy comfort foods like chicken tenders and bacon crab mac and cheese. A Keto-Mojo team favorite is the Mexican Chorizo Casserole, and Missus Mojo regularly serves the Salami Chips with Pesto as an appetizer when she entertains. If sweets are more your style, the Death By Chocolate Cheesecake is a favorite.
Keep an Eye on the Macros
Our only complaint is that there are quite a few high protein recipes (although they generally all have a good fat ratio too) and we would love to see some other lower protein options for those that struggle with going over their protein limits. Which brings us to the meal plans that are provided in the book. While it is always nice to have your day planned out, we noticed that the days are quite high in calories and protein, with only one day under 1500 calories. For females looking to lose weight, these meal plans may not fit your needs depending on your activity level and body. Men may have a much easier time utilizing these meal plans.
Highly Recommended
The cost of this cookbook is $25 for the paperback, and the amount of information in the cookbook justifies the cost in our opinion. The pictures beautifully illustrate the recipes so you have an idea of what your finished product should look like. We would have liked to see a few “in progress” pictures for the recipes, but the instructions were concise and thorough enough that a beginner should be able to manage these recipes on the instructions alone. Overall, we suggest Keto Made Easy as a great cookbook to have on hand for those following the ketogenic lifestyle.
