There are a lot of keto cookbooks flooding the market, but The Frugal Keto Cookbook: 75 Flavor-Packed Recipes That Are Easy on Your Budget (Emily Pierce, Page Street Publishing Co., 2020), is one of the better recent releases.
It’s appeal? Super-duper easy, totally delicious recipes made with common ingredients accompanied by close-up food photos to whet your appetite.
If you’re new to keto cooking or need creative ideas for everyday meals, this book will be a great addition to your cookbook collection. There is one keto caveat. Read on to find out more!
About the Author
Author Emily Pierce had a lifelong struggle with weight when she began the keto diet. Since then, she dropped 120 pounds and began creating keto recipes that focus on whole foods and whole satisfaction. Today, she shares her creations on the blog Keto Copy and in this cookbook. She also hosts a podcast called “The Keto Happy Hour.”
What’s Inside
According to author Emily Pierce, the frugality referenced in her book title lies in buying and cooking with whole foods. Indeed, buying ingredients costs significantly less than purchasing processed or readymade foods. But most cookbooks cook with whole ingredients, so the cost-saving aspect isn’t as much of a standout as you might expect from this book; instead, it’s more about a celebration of everyday-delicious doable, recipes made from scratch using common ingredients. And that’s just fine by us because the recipes within the glossy 168 pages are super simple, totally yum, and yes, a heck of a lot cheaper than buying readymade food!
The book plays up the money-saving aspect through its chapter titles, which are as follows:
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- Money-Saving Mains
- Small Plates, Sides and Starters
- Super Frugal Soups and Salads
- Beats the Bake Shop Breads and Rolls
- Budget-Friendly Breakfast and Brunch
- Dollar-Saving Dips, Chips and Sauces
- “Use It or Lose It” Leftover Land
- Dough-Stretching Desserts
It also features some less expensive ingredients and tips to go with them, such as how to cook cheaper cuts of meat with great results, how using a whole chicken rather than specific cuts is a huge money-saver, or how to save money by buying and freezing ground chicken or chicken breasts when they go on sale. The tips are simple, but good reminders of how to keep costs down while eating well.
There are more expensive ingredients called for, too, like pancetta and Boursin cheese spread for the Pancetta-Wrapped Chicken Breasts. However, the results are so totally worth the expense; they look and taste like a fancy night out at a fraction of the price.
The recipes themselves are practical, approachable, and mostly keto renditions of foods you probably already know and love: Firehouse Chili, Cauliflower Gratin, Lasagna, The Best Cobb Salad, keto burger buns, chocolate donuts, maple pecan shortbread bars, and more are on the menu. But again, Emily’s versions are super simple and fast to make, with surprisingly good results considering the minimal effort.
One thing that will be an issue if you’re on a keto diet and are carefully tracking macros is there are no macros included in any of the recipes. No grams of carbs, net carbs, fats, or anything else. There’s a recipe intro, the number of servings it makes, the ingredients, and the instructions. That’s it. So, if you want to know macros for any dishes in this book, you’ll have to calculate them yourself.
Want to try a few recipes? Check these out (we even calculated the macros for you):
Pancetta-Wrapped Chicken Breasts
Pizza Shop Garlic Knots
Simple Chocolate Pots de Creme
What You’ll Learn
We’re pretty certain, you’ll find some recipes here that will become part of your ongoing meal planning. There are lots of good, super easy ones that are prime for busy weeknight cooking.
What We Like
The recipes are so yummy and easy (as if we haven’t said that enough)! The full-page photos give you a clear idea of what you’re aiming for.
Room for Improvement
We wish the chapter called “Use It or Lose It” Leftover Land was more robust; it features just three recipes that use leftovers.
The Final Word
The Frugal Keto Cookbook: 75 Flavor-Packed Recipes That Are Easy on Your Budget is loaded with easy, super delicious recipes that will make keto meal planning or last-minute cooking, fun and satisfying. Recipes don’t include macros, so expect having to calculate them yourself if you’re tracking macros. But don’t let this deter you from getting the book. It’s a good one for anyone who needs simple kitchen inspiration.
Shop for The Frugal Keto Cookbook: 75 Flavor-Packed Recipes That Are Easy on Your Budget here.
