The keto diet is more popular than ever. However, many people struggle to make good keto meals.
Keto cookbooks can help. Today, keto dieters have thousands of options for keto cookbooks.
Some keto cookbooks focus on weight loss. Others focus on energy and immunity. Some are filled with desserts and smoothies. Others focus on hearty keto breakfasts, lunches, soups, and dinners.
What are the best keto cookbooks available today? Which keto cookbook should you buy? Keep reading to discover the best keto cookbooks, recipe books, and meal plans available today.
Ranking the Best Keto Cookbooks & Meal Plan Recipes
Every keto cookbook promises to teach you healthy and delicious recipes. However, many keto cookbooks fall short of that goal. In fact, some keto cookbooks simply copy free recipes found online.
Our editorial team contacted nutritionists, read thousands of recipes, and tested hundreds of dishes to compile the following rankings of the best keto cookbooks:
- Custom Keto Diet
- Keto Smart
- Keto Resource
- Keto After 50
- Keto After 50 Desserts
- Essential Keto Cookbook
- The Keto Desserts Cookbook
- The Keto Breakfast Cookbook
- Keto Snacks Cookbook (Physical)
- Keto Breads & Desserts
- Over 40 Keto Solution
- Keto Soup Detox (14 Day Rapid Soup Diet)
- Keto Shortcut System
- 30 Day Carnivore Diet Challenge
- Speed Keto
- Rapid Keto System
- Healthful Pursuit Keto Beginning
- NS Keto
- Easy Keto
- Authentic Keto Diet
- Keto Liver Detox
- PaleoHacks Keto Sweets
- PaleoHacks Keto Soups Cookbook
- PaleoHacks 21 Day Keto Challenge
- PaleoHacks Keto Slow Cooker
- PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast
- PaleoHacks Keto Instant Pot
- Konscious Keto Meal Plan
- Ultimate Keto Meal Plan
- Nunbelievable Keto Cookies
Now let’s review the top ketogenic cookbooks that offer the best keto recipes and high protein low carb meal plans for all of the ketosis lovers in the world.
Custom Keto Diet
Custom Keto Diet, found online at CustomKetoDiet.com, builds a custom keto cookbook for you. Just complete the quiz, then discover exactly what to eat to lose fat and get healthy – all without starving yourself.
Custom Keto Diet was created by Rachel Roberts. It’s primarily advertised as a weight loss keto cookbook. Many people fail with the keto diet because they make it too restrictive.
When you buy the Custom Keto Diet, you get an eight-week meal plan based on the experience and expertise of industry leaders. That diet is customized to your ideal calorie and macronutrient intake. Plus, you get custom dish recommendations based on your food preferences.
If you want to lose weight while following a custom keto diet program, then the Custom Keto Diet may be the best choice for you. It’s available for a one-time payment of $37, and you get lifetime access to your custom keto meal plan.
Price: $37
Keto Smart
Keto Smart is a keto cookbook that aims to help you lose weight and feel great by intelligently following the keto diet.
Priced at $45, Keto Smart is an all-in-one keto guide and recipe book. In addition to getting keto food and recipe recommendations, you get weight loss tips, healthy keto tips, and guides for following keto the right way.
Keto Smart comes with several eBooks to help you kickstart the keto diet, including the Keto Smart Guide (with tips and guides on starting the keto diet), Keto Smart Recipes (with 25 top-rated keto recipes), and more.
Price: $45
Keto Resource
Keto Resource aims to show you the difference between success and failure on the keto diet. Many people start the keto diet and give up – often because they don’t have the right keto cookbook or are eating keto foods they don’t like.
Keto Resource aims to fix that by providing you with an easy-to-follow 28-day keto challenge. Priced at $37, Keto Resource gives you a full four-week meal plan for starting the keto diet for the first time.
By the end of the 28 day period, you should be lighter and thinner (the Keto Resource website claims you can drop four jean sizes in just four weeks), boost your energy, sleep better, improve your skin and hair, and enhance mental clarity and sharpness, among other benefits.
Price: $37
Keto After 50
Many keto cookbooks are catered to younger adults. When you’re younger, your body works differently. Keto After 50 from James Wilson was designed to address this deficiency. James Wilson partnered with Nutrition Hacks to launch a one-of-a-kind keto cookbook designed to transform your body after age 50.
Keto After 50 is designed to work with your body’s natural hormones to help with fat loss. It’s not a low-calorie starvation diet, nor is it a strict diet program. Instead, it’s designed to deliver effective, long-term weight loss results at any age.
Like other top-rated keto cookbooks here, Keto After 50 contains more than just recipes and meals. The program includes a cookbook, action guide, quick start guide, and general tips for following the keto diet, among other information. Plus, it’s priced at just $17.
Price: $17
Keto After 50 Desserts
A good keto cookbook contains more than just breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. You also want to enjoy low-carb, high-fat desserts on the keto diet, and Keto After 50 Desserts is a great way to do that.
In Keto After 50 Desserts, you’ll discover dessert recipes that strengthen your immune system, boost your metabolism, increase all-day energy, sharpen mental clarity and focus, and satisfy sugar cravings – all while being nutrient-rich and keto friendly.
Sample desserts in Keto After 50 Desserts include cakes, pastries, cookies, chocolates, candies, ice cream, frozen desserts, and other dishes. According to the author, these deserts will improve your cholesterol levels, accelerate fat burning, and lower blood pressure, among other benefits you don’t expect from other keto dessert cookbooks.
Price: $17
Essential Keto Cookbook
The Essential Keto Cookbook lives up to its name by providing essential keto-friendly recipes anyone can make from home, regardless of their cooking experience.
In The Essential Keto Cookbook, you’ll discover unique keto-friendly recipes like popcorn shrimp, chicken nuggets, dry rub ribs, fiery buffalo wings, chicken drumsticks, and mini burgers. You’ll also discover snacks and treats like lemon-fried avocados, crunchy kale chips, and cucumber lime gummies, among other unique options.
If you’re starting the keto diet and interested in unique foods you won’t find anywhere else, then The Essential Keto Cookbook may be the right choice for you. Plus, it’s a free keto cookbook: you just pay a $7.99 shipping fee.
Price: $8
The Keto Desserts Cookbook
The Keto Desserts Cookbook is packed with keto-friendly desserts. Many keto dieters are surprised to find they can eat keto pecan pie, keto chocolate chip ice cream cookie sandwiches, and keto chocolate cake while following the keto diet.
In The Keto Desserts Cookbook, you’ll discover desserts that taste amazing while being low-carb and keto friendly. As the author explains, “you can have your cake and eat it too.”
If you want to follow the keto diet long-term, then it helps to have an arsenal of sweet treats available. In The Keto Desserts Cookbook, you can discover everything from keto candy bars to keto muffins to keto cookies, helping you lose weight while eating great-tasting foods. Plus, it’s priced at just $6.99.
Price: $7
The Keto Breakfast Cookbook
The Keto Breakfast Cookbook features 60+ keto-friendly breakfast recipes and 40+ egg-free keto recipes. You can discover the best ways to start your day with keto-friendly foods and dishes.
Priced at just $9, The Keto Breakfast Cookbook is available in digital form at a discount rate. You get instant access to keto recipes you can start cooking today.
Plus, all recipes come with full nutritional data, making it easy to fit your breakfast dishes into your daily macros. The dishes can also be customized based on your needs, and you’ll find low-inflammation, dairy-free, and paleo options inside.
Price: $9
Keto Snacks Cookbook (Physical)
Keto Snacks Cookbook was created by Kate Bay Jaramillo from Ketogenic Living 101 and the Straight-Up Wellness Show.
As the name suggests, the Keto Snacks Cookbook teaches you easy, keto-friendly, tasty snacks you can make at home. You’ll discover keto muffins, chips, chicken wings, and bacon bites, among other unique snacks.
Whether looking for keto dips, keto appetizers, keto seafood snacks, or keto desserts, you’ll find a surprisingly diverse range of options in the physical version of the Keto Snacks Cookbook. Plus, the keto cookbook is free (just pay a $6.99 shipping fee), and you receive both a physical and digital copy of the book.
Price: $7
Keto Breads & Desserts
Keto Breads & Desserts was created based on the idea that you don’t have to give up your favorite breads, sandwiches, or pizzas to follow a paleo or ketogenic diet.
While most keto dieters stop eating breads and other carb-heavy foods, Keto Breads & Desserts throws that idea out the window. With Keto Breads & Desserts, you can discover crusty dinner rolls, hearty sandwich breads, luxurious loaves, fabulous flatbreads, and sturdy burger buns made with keto-friendly ingredients.
Do you miss bread when following the keto diet? Want to have your keto diet and eat bread too? Keto Breads & Desserts is one of the best keto cookbooks specializing in breads, desserts, and other dishes that are normally loaded with carbs. You can pay $17 for a digital copy or $22.95 for physical and digital copies.
Price: $17 (digital only) or $22 (digital + physical)
Over 40 Keto Solution
Over 40 Keto Solution is a keto cookbook marketed to people who want to lose weight. According to the authors of the eBook, you can expect to lose 7lbs every 7 days while following the program.
Created by nutrition advisors and certified personal trainers Shaun and Karen Hadsall, the Over 40 Keto Solution is marketed to men and women over 40 who want to follow the keto diet to lose weight. Many keto diet guides are catered to younger people. As you get older, your body works differently. The Over 40 Keto Solution was designed to address this imbalance.
Inside the Over 40 Keto Solution, you’ll discover meals that erase sugar cravings, boost brain health, melt stubborn fat cells, and balance blood sugar, among other benefits. In exchange for $19, you get a collection of five keto eBooks covering recipes, meal plans, keto weight loss, and more.
Price: $19
Keto Soup Detox (14 Day Rapid Soup Diet)
Healthy soup is one of the best ways to lose weight and support health. In Keto Soup Detox, you can discover a 14-day meal plan based on eating keto-friendly soups.
While other keto cookbooks emphasize weight loss, Keto Soup Detox advocates using the keto diet for detoxification and cleansing. By following the Keto Soup Detox program, you can cleanse toxins from your body, support your body’s defense against disease, and enjoy other benefits.
Your Keto Soup Detox package includes six eBooks for $15, including the 14-Day Rapid Soup Diet, Weekend Soup Detox, Keto Soup Cookbook, Keto Immunity Smoothies, 14-Day Rapid Soup Diet Quick Start Guide, and Immunity Boosting Soup Cookbooks, among other eBooks.
Price: $15
Keto Shortcut System
The Keto Shortcut System is a series of five eBooks introducing you to the keto diet, the best keto recipes, and general keto tips.
The Keto Shortcut System even comes with a restaurant and dining out guide – something we don’t see with other keto guides listed here. If you want to eat out without sacrificing your keto diet, then the Keto Shortcut System may be the right choice.
In exchange for $47, you receive five eBooks, including the Keto Shortcut System Quick Start Guide, the Keto Shortcut System 30-Day Meal Plan, the Keto Shortcut System Recipe Book, the Keto Shortcut System Instant Pot Guide, and the Keto Shortcut System Restaurant & Dining Out Guide.
Price: $47
30 Day Carnivore Diet Challenge
Created by Grass Fed Girl, the 30 Day Carnivore Diet Challenge is written for people who want to lose weight while following a meat-heavy keto diet. One of the best parts about the keto diet is that you can eat meat – like bacon and steak – while still being keto friendly.
Inside the 30 Day Carnivore Diet Challenge program, you’ll find meal plans, recipe books, and general keto diet tips for targeting weight loss and general health issues.
Do you like eating meat? Do you want to continue eating meat while following the keto diet? The 30 Day Carnivore Diet Challenge is designed to help you lose weight, minimize inflammation, and eliminate cravings – all for just $25.
Price: $25
Speed Keto
Speed Keto is a 30-day keto meal plan that aims to get your body into ketosis and keep it there. You’ll discover tasty, easy-to-make keto dishes for multiple tastes and preferences.
Inside Speed Keto, you get The Speed Keto Quick Start Guide, Complete Guidebook, Shopping List, Calendar, 2-Week Meal Plan Recipes, 2-Week Shopping List, 2-Week Meal Plan, and more.
If you’re looking for a done-for-you keto meal plan that walks you through the first month of following a keto diet, then Speed Keto is one of the best options available today. And, it’s priced at just $39 and backed by a 60 day moneyback guarantee.
Price: $39
Rapid Keto System
Rapid Keto System was created by Caleb O’Dowd, the founder of Daily Keto Meals, a popular Facebook group for keto dieters.
Inside the Rapid Keto System, you’ll discover a way to rapidly lose weight while eating keto-friendly dishes. The core of the program is the 7-Day Quick Start Guide, which gives you specific meals to eat during your first week of following the keto diet.
The Rapid Keto System also gives you a shopping list, nutritional facts, macronutrient information, and more. However, unlike other keto cookbooks listed here, the Rapid Keto System is priced at $9.95 per month – it’s not available for a one-time fee. However, you’re free to cancel at any time.
Price: $10 per month
Healthful Pursuit Keto Beginning
Healthful Pursuit’s The Keto Beginning is a keto weight loss program that aims to get you in the hottest shape of your life without feeling restricted or deprived.
In exchange for $35, you receive 17 chapters, 147 pages, and 70 keto-friendly dishes that will help you reach your weight loss goals. The program aims to give you the power to end food obsession and avoid strict eating schedules – all while following the keto diet for just 30 days.
Inside Healthful Pursuit’s Keto Beginning, you get a beginner’s guide, 30-day meal plan, weekly shopping list, recipes, and more. If you want a done-for-you keto meal plan backed by more research than the average keto cookbook, then Keto Beginning may be the right choice for you.
Price: $35
NS Keto
Norbert Simonis (NS) Keto is a keto weight loss program that aims to transform your body into a fat burning machine – all without exercising or lifting weights.
Norbert Simonis bases his weight loss advice on the idea that fitness is 20% exercise and 80% nutrition. By following NS Keto’s program, you can lose weight while eating tasty foods.
According to customer testimonials shared on the official NS Keto website, readers have lost anywhere from 31kg to 52kg (68lbs to 115lbs) in under a year of following the program, which could make NS Keto the best keto cookbook in terms of weight loss results. However, at $97, it’s also the most expensive keto cookbook on our list.
Price: $97
Easy Keto
Easy Keto is a practical guide to the keto diet. It comes with keto recipes and meal plans for beginners.
Each purchase of Easy Keto comes with the Easy Keto eBook (with ketogenic diets, keto tips, keto-friendly recipes, and more), a Point-by-Point Checklist, a Resource Cheat Sheet, and a 10 Minute Keto recipe book, among other tools.
Priced at just $10, Easy Keto is also backed by a 60 day moneyback guarantee, giving you ample time to try the program, cook a few recipes, and decide if you like the Easy Keto cookbook and keto program.
Price: $10
Authentic Keto Diet
Authentic Keto Diet, also known as the Indian Keto Diet, is an eBook that explains how to incorporate low-carb, high-fat foods into your diet while making unique dishes.
Like other keto cookbooks, Authentic Keto Diet is designed to force your body into a fat-burning state of ketosis for as long as possible. By depriving your body of carbs and giving your body healthy fats, you may be able to burn more fat for energy, helping you lose weight.
Whether you call it the Authentic Keto Diet, the Indian Keto Diet, or anything else, the $36 keto cookbook is a sneakily good option for anyone looking to follow the keto diet.
Price: $36
Keto Liver Detox
Keto Liver Detox is based on the idea that you can lose 55lbs of raw fat in a short period of time while following the keto diet.
Plus, while other keto diets focus on weight loss, Keto Liver Detox focuses on supporting your liver health. By detoxifying your liver, you can prepare your body for rapid and sustained weight loss results.
Keto Liver Detox also finds keto recipes we won’t find in other keto cookbooks, including broths, soups, smoothies, coffees, and more with unique ingredients. Priced at $19 and backed by a 60 day refund policy, Keto Liver Detox is one of the best-value keto cookbooks available today.
Price: $19
PaleoHacks Keto Sweets
PaleoHacks Keto Sweets teaches you how to “keto-fy” snacks and desserts, allowing you to enjoy sweet treats without sacrificing your keto diet.
Inside PaleoHacks Keto Sweets, you’ll find mint brownies, Mexican hot chocolate brownies, pecan butter swirl brownies, almond butter brownie bites, walnut brownies, and other sweet treats that can’t be found in other keto cookbooks listed here.
Whether looking for keto-friendly Oreo recipes, keto popsicle tips, or other unique keto sweets and treats, PaleoHacks Keto Sweets is one of the leading keto recipe books available today. Plus, the book is ‘free’ and comes with a physical and digital copy: just pay a $9.95 shipping fee.
Price: $10
PaleoHacks Keto Soups Cookbook
PaleoHacks Keto Soups Cookbook is the second of six PaleoHacks keto cookbooks on our list. As the name suggests, PaleoHacks Keto Soups Cookbook teaches you how to make keto-friendly soups, broths, and similar recipes.
Inside PaleoHacks Keto Soups, you’ll find unique dishes like creamy cauliflower soup with bacon along with other surprising waist-slimming soups.
According to the official website, people have lost significant amounts of weight while following the PaleoHacks Keto Soups Cookbook program. You eat soup slower than other foods, and soups can be packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, making them a sneakily good way to follow the keto diet.
Price: $11
PaleoHacks 21 Day Keto Challenge
Looking for an easy way to commit to the keto diet for three weeks? The PaleoHacks 21 Day Keto Challenge may be the right choice for you.
Inside the eBook, you’ll discover recipes, meal plans, and keto tips, giving you everything you need to follow a tasty keto diet over a 21 day period.
Expect to find unique energy-boosting breakfast recipes like chia seed vanilla pudding and fluffy keto pancakes, satisfying keto lunches and dinners like keto white pizza and tangy BBQ salmon, and delicious keto snacks like strawberry cashew fat bombs or bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno poppers.
Price: $37
PaleoHacks Keto Slow Cooker
PaleoHacks has launched a Keto Slow Cooker recipe book that gives you everything you need to follow the keto diet while making delicious meals in your slow cooker.
Whether you work all day or are just looking for convenient keto meals, PaleoHacks Keto Slow Cooker shares effective recipes that you can make with just 10 minutes of preparation per day.
Expect to find unique dishes like shakshuka, sausage casserole, breakfast bacon bake, grain-free granola, and raspberry chia coconut yogurt, among other slow cooker options. Plus, get recipes for ghee, bone broth, and buns. If you want to make the most of your slow cooker while following the keto diet, then PaleoHacks Keto Slow Cooker may be the right choice.
Price: $10
PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast
PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast Cookbook is a keto recipe book featuring waffles, French toast, muffins, and more. Like other keto cookbooks, every meal inside is keto friendly. Unlike other keto cookbooks, however, PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast exclusively lists paleo meals.
All breakfast recipes in PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast have no soy, no gluten, no processed sugar, and no toxic or artificial ingredients. And, according to PaleoHacks, the recipes can support energy, blood sugar, digestion, cholesterol, and more.
Some of the unique breakfast options in PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast Cookbook include almond flour lemon pancakes, crispy cauliflower waffles, and almond flour waffles with maple bacon butter. The recipes were created by Kelsey Ale of the PaleoHacks recipe team. Priced at $11 for a physical and digital copy, PaleoHacks Keto Breakfast Cookbooks is also one of the best-value options available.
Price: $11
PaleoHacks Keto Instant Pot
The PaleoHacks Keto Instant Pot Cookbook is designed to help you maximize the use of your instant pot. Just put the ingredients in, press a button, and relax on the couch while you wait to hear the beep.
Inside PaleoHacks Keto Instant Pot, you’ll discover recipes for beef short ribs, Italian meatballs, pork chili, chocolate lava cake, and other unique meals. You discover all of the ingredients to put inside your Instant Pot. From there, cooking is easy. The heat and pressure in the Instant Pot will cook your food more quickly than a slow cooker.
If you want unique and convenient keto meals and you own an Instant Pot multicooker, then PaleoHacks Keto Instant Pot may be the right choice for you.
Price: $10
Konscious Keto Meal Plan
Konscious’s Keto Meal Plan is a keto recipe program that tells you what to eat to lose weight while following the keto diet.
By following the Konscious Keto Meal Plan, you can lose weight and enjoy other keto-related benefits. Konscious creates a personalized keto meal plan for you based on answers to basic quiz questions.
The core of Konscious’s Keto Meal Plan is a 28-day meal plan personalized to your body, weight loss goals, and dietary preferences. By following this program, you can discover a keto recipe book that meets your unique needs. Your purchase includes digital access on any device in exchange for $39.
Price: $39
Ultimate Keto Meal Plan
The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan is a customized keto program featuring several eBooks, recipe books, and guides.
In exchange for $29, the Ultimate Keto Plan features 77 Quick & Easy Keto Dessert Recipes, the 100 Keto Swap Cheat Sheet guide, and other meal plans and recipe books for your convenience.
Ultimate Keto Meal Plan also has a unique pricing model: you pay just $1 for the guide today, while the remaining $28 is charged after seven days. If you’re unhappy with the Ultimate Keto Meal Plan for any reason within the first week, then you can cancel and avoid any future charges. It’s tough to beat a refund policy like that.
Price: $1, then $28 after 7 days ($29 total)
Nunbelievable Keto Cookies
Want to enjoy cookies while following the keto diet? Thanks to keto friendly options like the Nunbelievable Keto Cookies, it’s possible.
Nunbelievable’s Keto Cookies are made from almond flour, pecans, palm oil, and eggs, allowing you to minimize carbs while maximizing healthy fats.
You can buy the cookies online through Nunbelievable.com, where they’re priced at $35 per box (6 cookies per box), with discounts available when ordering multiple boxes.
Price: $35
How We Ranked
All keto cookbooks claim to teach you keto-friendly recipes. However, some cookbooks are no different from free keto recipes you can find online, while other cookbooks were created by registered dietitians and nutritionists.
To separate the best and worst keto cookbooks available today, we used the following ranking factors:
Better than Free Internet Recipes: You can find literally thousands of free keto recipes online today. Why spend money on a keto cookbook? The best keto cookbooks are better than any free recipes you can find online. Some are written by registered dietitians. Others feature unique meals you won’t find anywhere else. Anyone can find a free keto recipe online. We wanted keto cookbooks that delivered something unique. You don’t want to pay $50 for an eBook that features the same information as a free keto blog.
Backed by Experts: The best keto cookbooks are made by registered dieticians, professional chefs, physicians, and certified nutritionists. Anybody can Google ‘keto recipes’ online and make a cookbook of what they found. The best keto cookbooks are created by people who know what they’re talking about.
Keto-Friendliness: The keto diet has never been more popular. That’s good for keto dieters. However, it also allows many people to use ‘keto’ as a buzzword. Some keto cookbooks claim to be filled with keto recipes. In reality, they’re pushing the boundaries of what we consider keto. We considered keto friendliness in our rankings, emphasizing keto cookbooks with high levels of fats and low levels of carbs.
Taste and Flavor: Cooking keto food is easy. Cooking tasty keto food is harder. We tasted at least one recipe from each of the keto cookbooks listed above (and multiple recipes from our top-rated cookbooks). It was clear that some cookbooks emphasized taste and flavor, while others ignored it.
Easy to Follow: A good cookbook is easy to follow. Some cookbooks have invested time into making their recipes easy to follow. They have diagrams, clear labeling, and intelligent information design. Other keto cookbooks are confusing, wordy, or messy, making them difficult to follow. We considered followability when calculating our keto cookbook rankings.
Nutritional Data: Tracking your macronutrient data is important on the keto diet. The best keto cookbooks have full nutritional data, making it easy to see how many calories, grams of fat, and protein you’re getting in each serving. While not all keto cookbooks contain this information, we preferred keto cookbooks with nutritional data.
Moneyback Guarantee: Having a refund policy on a cookbook seems silly. You can buy the cookbook, copy the recipes, and return the book free of charge. However, virtually all of the top-ranked keto cookbooks above have generous refund policies. When manufacturers stand behind their cookbooks with a good refund policy, it shows they’re confident you’ll like their recipes.
Cost, Price, and Value: We believe you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to get a good keto cookbook. That’s why we emphasized good value across all our keto cookbook rankings. The keto cookbooks above are priced anywhere from $5 to $50 and offer incredible value for any budget.
Customizability: No two keto dieters are alike. That’s why customizability is important. The best keto cookbooks can be customized to your unique preferences. Maybe you’re a vegetarian or vegan. Maybe you only eat fish. Maybe you’re allergic to nuts and other keto-friendly foods. Whatever the case may be, we liked keto cookbooks that gave dieters options.
Targeted Goals: Some of the best keto cookbooks are created with targeted goals in mind. Some keto cookbooks emphasize health and immunity, for example. Others help you lose weight. Some are designed for athletes and active individuals. Others are designed for people with diabetes. We considered keto cookbooks with specialized goals in our rankings, although we listed both specialized and general cookbooks.
Top 10 Benefits of Keto Cookbooks: What Does Science Say?
Science tells us that cooking meals from a keto cookbook can be good for your health, weight, and energy. There’s a reason the keto diet is more popular than ever.
Here are some of the benefits of the keto diet, according to science.
1) Lose Weight
Many people follow the keto diet because they want to lose weight. The keto diet forces your body to burn fat for energy, helping you lose weight. Multiple studies have validated the keto diet for weight loss.
In fact, low-carb diets like the keto diet are nothing new: they’ve been used for weight loss for decades. Low-carb diets work for weight loss because they rid excess water from your body and lower insulin levels, which could lead to rapid weight loss within the first one to two weeks.
What makes the keto diet different from other low-carb diets, however, is that it’s easier to stick to long term: the healthy fats leave you feeling satiated, which means you’re not struggling to stick to your low-carb diet every day. Plus, with many cheap, easy, and tasty keto recipes available from keto cookbooks, it’s easy to lose weight with the keto diet.
However, both low-carb and low-fat diets can be effective for weight loss. Although the two diet plans vary in the short term, they appear to be similarly effective over a long period of time. In this year-long study involving 609 overweight adults following low-fat or low-carb diets, the groups lost similar amounts of weight.
2) Cut Stubborn Belly Fat
The keto diet appears to be specifically useful for targeting belly fat. According to studies, the keto leads to a greater proportion of fat loss from your abdominal cavity.
In this study on low carb diets, researchers found that a greater proportion of fat came from the abdominal area of the body compared to other diets. Dieters following the keto diet lost more belly fat than expected during the study period.
If you want to lose stubborn belly fat, then it may be time to buy a keto cookbook.
3) Lower Triglycerides and ‘Bad’ Cholesterol
Some studies have found that the keto diet leads to lower triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are fat molecules in your blood.
If you have high levels of fasting triglycerides, then you have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Many doctors recommend lowering triglycerides for optimal health.
The keto diet may help with triglycerides by lowering carb intake. High-carb diets are associated with elevated levels of triglycerides – especially if you eat simple sugars like fructose.
When you eliminate carbs from your diet (say, when following a keto cookbook), you may experience a significant drop in blood triglycerides. This can lower your cholesterol and lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, among other benefits.
4) Raise ‘Good’ Cholesterol
Studies show that the keto diet may increase levels of ‘good’ or HDL cholesterol. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol appears to lower your risk of heart disease.
Doctors recommend eating healthy fats to increase levels of HDL cholesterol in your blood. The keto diet emphasizes healthy fats, so it’s no surprise that it can raise levels of ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol in your blood.
Similarly, those following a low-fat diet may experience a drop in HDL cholesterol. By advocating for higher fat intake, keto cookbooks could increase levels of ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol in your blood.
5) Control Diabetes Symptoms, Blood Sugar, and Insulin
Many diabetics follow the keto diet. Growing research suggests that the keto diet is linked with better control of blood sugar and insulin.
There’s an obvious connection between diabetes and the keto diet: diabetics struggle with high-carb foods. By cutting high-carb foods out of your diet, you may be able to better control your blood sugar and insulin. As a diabetic, your body struggles to process carb-rich foods.
Studies back up this theory. In this study, for example, people with diabetes who began a low-carb diet were able to reduce their insulin dosage by around 50% immediately. Their bodies needed less insulin to manage their diet.
Similarly, this study on type 2 diabetics following the keto diet found that 95% of participants reduced or eliminated their glucose-lowering medication within six months of starting the diet.
6) Lower Blood Pressure
Studies suggest that the keto diet could lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. By following the recipes in a keto cookbook, you may be able to avoid hypertension (elevated blood pressure).
In this study, for example, researchers found that low-carb diets like the keto diet were an effective way to lower blood pressure. A similar study found that low-carb diets reduced your risk of disease and helped you live longer by lowering blood pressure. Cutting carbs leads to a significant reduction in blood pressure, lowering your risk of many serious diseases.
7) Manage Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of issues including:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High cholesterol
If you have metabolic syndrome, then you have an increased risk of developing many serious diseases, including everything from heart disease to diabetes to kidney disease.
Fortunately, studies show that keto cookbooks could be effective against metabolic syndrome. By making it easy to follow a keto diet, keto cookbooks could help you target all of the symptoms above.
In this 2005 study, for example, researchers found that carb restriction improved the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Similarly, this 2003 study found that low-carb keto diets helped participants manage multiple symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
8) Boost Cognitive Health
Studies suggest that the keto diet could support brain health and even reduce your risk of developing brain disorders.
Your brain needs glucose to function. In fact, some parts of your brain can only burn this specific type of sugar. If you don’t eat any carbs, then your liver produces glucose using protein, breaking down muscle to fuel your brain.
Many people experience a change in cognitive energy when starting the keto diet. That’s because your brain is getting used to using ketones for fuel instead of sugar. A large part of your brain can burn ketones for energy. When you’re fasting or following a keto diet, you have higher levels of ketones. Your brain uses these ketones for energy.
Some people find their brain functions better when fasting. Your brain is using ketones for energy instead of sugars. It may feel like a more controlled, sustainable type of energy than you get with sugar.
9) Defend Against Brain Disorders
Some studies suggest that keto cookbooks can help you defend yourself against brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
In this study, for example, researchers found that the ketogenic diet was linked with neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects. Researchers found that the keto diet may confer long-lasting therapeutic benefits for patients with epilepsy, for example. Researchers also found that the keto diet was linked with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which could help patients manage the risk of degenerative brain disease.
Before the keto diet was popular, it was primarily studied as a way to treat epilepsy in children. Researchers found that children following a keto diet exhibited fewer symptoms of epilepsy. In fact, this study found that the keto diet could cure epilepsy in the majority of children: researchers found that over half of children following the keto diet experienced a greater than 50% reduction in the number of seizures, with 16% of children becoming seizure-free.
10) Suppress Appetite
Many people like keto cookbooks because the keto diet helps them lose weight while feeling full. The keto diet, like other low-carb diets, seems to reduce your appetite, helping you naturally eat less.
In this study, for example, researchers found that a low-carb diet led to an automatic reduction in appetite. Eliminating carbs from the diet, as many keto cookbooks recommend, helps you naturally feel fuller.
When you eat a low-carb diet, you need to get your calories from fats, protein, and other sources. Fats and proteins make you feel full, reducing your appetite and making it easier to lose weight.
The only way to lose weight is by maintaining a caloric deficit. The keto diet could suppress your appetite, making it easier to lose weight.
Side Effects of the Keto Diet
Although many people happily follow the keto diet for long periods, some experience side effects. Many of us have heard about the keto flu. However, the keto diet could also lead to cardiovascular issues and cholesterol problems – especially if you’re following the wrong keto cookbook.
Some of the potential side effects of the keto diet include:
Keto Flu: Some people experience the ‘keto flu’ when following the keto diet for the first time. When you start the keto diet, your body needs to adjust to a new source of fuel – fat instead of carbs. Some people experience headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and digestive issues because of the keto flu.
Mood and Behavior Changes: Because your body and mind are adjusting to new sources of energy, you might experience mood and behavior changes. Some people feel grumpy during the first few days of the keto diet, for example. As you get used to it, however, you should feel more cognitive energy.
Constipation or Diarrhea: Some people experience mild digestive issues when following the keto diet. Try adding fiber to your diet or drinking more water to target digestive issues as your body gets used to eating keto-friendly foods.
Potentially Higher Cholesterol: Some studies have found that keto cookbooks can lower your cholesterol. High-carb diets are associated with high levels of triglycerides. When you eliminate carbs from your diet, you may experience a significant drop in triglycerides, lowering your cholesterol. However, some keto diet studies have found that the keto diet can raise triglycerides. This effect appears to be more noticeable in people who have a high-risk of developing cholesterol issues.
Keto Breath: When your body is in ketosis, it starts to produce ketones. Your body releases ketones through exhaling. Check your breath when following the keto diet and you may notice it has a unique, unpleasant odor. That’s keto breath.
Thirstiness: Some people feel thirstier when following the keto diet. Drink water until you stop feeling thirsty.
Lack of Appetite: One benefit of the keto diet is that you should feel hungry less often. Because you’re eating healthy fats and protein, you should feel full regularly – even when eating fewer calories than normal.
By following the right keto cookbook, you can minimize side effects and maximize benefits while following the keto diet.
FAQs About Keto Cookbooks
We get plenty of questions about keto cookbooks and how they work.
Here are some of the most common questions we receive about the keto diet, keto cookbooks, and keto recipes.
Q: What’s the best keto cookbook?
A: Any of the top-ranked keto cookbooks on our list are among the best keto cookbooks available in 2021.
Q: What is the keto diet?
A: The keto diet is an eating system that emphasizes low amounts of carbs and high amounts of fats. Some keto dieters get 80% or more of their calories through fats and less than 10% through carbs.
Q: Do I need to eat lots of fat on the keto diet?
A: Some people consider any low-carb diet to be a keto diet. Generally, if you’re consuming low amounts of carbs and modest amounts of protein or fats, then you’re following a keto-like diet.
Q: What are macros?
A: Macros are macronutrients, including carbs, protein, fats, and calories in the foods you eat. Many keto cookbooks list macronutrient values, making them easier to follow.
Q: Do I need to eat more fat than protein on the keto diet?
A: Many keto dieters eat more fat than protein. However, there are no strict rules about how much fat or protein you should eat when following the keto diet.
Q: What is the keto flu?
A: The keto flu is a set of symptoms that occur when starting the keto diet for the first time. You may experience fatigue, muscle soreness, headaches, and other symptoms when starting a keto diet for the first time. A good keto cookbook can help you avoid the keto flu.
Q: How do I know if I’m in ketosis?
A: Serious keto dieters may buy a blood ketone meter to test their blood ketone levels, making it easy to check if you’re in ketosis. Some keto dieters also buy pee strips, although they’re not as accurate. Some people can also tell they’re in ketosis based on their breath, as your body releases ketones via breath.
Q: Do I need to fast on the keto diet?
A: Some keto cookbooks recommend fasting while following the keto diet, and some combine intermittent fasting with the keto diet. However, you don’t need to fast on the keto diet, and many people follow a normal eating schedule with the keto diet.
Q: Can I follow a keto cookbook without eating dairy?
A: Yes, plenty of keto cookbooks have recipes with no cheese, milk, or other dairy products. You do not need to eat dairy to follow the keto diet.
Q: Can I follow a keto cookbook if I’m vegetarian or vegan?
A: Many of the top-rated keto cookbooks are designed specifically for vegetarians or vegans.
Q: Is the keto diet bad for my cholesterol or heart health?
A: Some people experience higher cholesterol when following the keto diet. However, if you follow a good keto cookbook or meal plan, then you should be able to avoid potential downsides of the keto diet.
Q: Can I drink alcohol on the keto diet?
A: Yes, you can drink alcohol while following the keto diet. However, alcohol will temporarily stop the ketosis process.
Q: Can the keto diet help me lose weight?
A: Studies show that the keto diet can lead to significant weight loss. Low-carb diets like the keto diet are backed by decades of proof showing they can lead to real, sustainable weight loss.
Q: What is ketosis?
A: Ketosis is the process when your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs. Your body enters ketosis when fasting or when you haven’t consumed many carbohydrates.
Q: Is the keto diet safe?
A: Most people have no safety issues when following a keto diet, especially if working from a reputable keto cookbook. However, talk to your doctor before starting any diet, especially if you are taking medication or have any type of medical condition.
Q: What are exogenous ketones?
A: Exogenous ketones are supplements designed to keep your body in ketosis as long as possible. Some supplements also claim to force your body into ketosis regardless of your diet.
Q: Which foods should I eat on the keto diet?
A: Any foods that are low in carbs are ideal for the keto diet. A good keto shopping list includes oils (like avocado oil, MCT oil, extra virgin olive oil, and ghee), protein (like bacon, tuna, salmon, lamb, turkey, and eggs), fruits (like raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and avocados), nuts and seeds (like almonds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and hazelnuts), dairy products (like cottage cheese, grass fed butter, and feta cheese), vegetables (like spinach, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli), among other low-carb foods.
Q: Which foods should I avoid on a keto diet?
A: Most keto dieters avoid sweets, sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, whole grains, potatoes, breads, breakfast cereals, pastas, and rice when following the keto diet.
Q: How do I stay in ketosis?
A: You can stay in ketosis by limiting your carb intake, increasing your fat intake, increasing your physical activity level, intermittently fasting, and taking keto supplements, among other methods. Generally, the easiest way to stay in ketosis is to fast for as long as possible or to follow a keto diet.
Q: What are the best keto breakfasts?
A: The best keto breakfasts include keto hot chocolate, keto cereal, keto sausage breakfast sandwiches, cabbage hash browns, keto pancakes, keto smoothies, keto breakfast cups, keto muffins, protein shakes, and omelets, among other options.
Q: What are the best keto lunches?
A: The best keto lunches include salads with proteins (like chicken salads), taco stuffed avocados, lettuce wraps, egg salads, broccoli salads, sushi, zucchini noodles, egg bowls, burger bowls, and other low-carb lunch meals.
Q: What are the best keto dinners?
A: The best keto dinners include keto beef stew, keto stuffed cabbage, keto mac and cheese, keto fried chicken, keto broccoli salad, meatballs, pork chops, chicken dishes, sushi, keto casseroles, meatloaf, fish dishes, chili, stuffed peppers, broths, and soups.
Q: What are the best keto snacks?
A: The best keto snacks include keto tortilla chips, avocado chips, keto crackers, bacon bombs, sushi, smoothies, cabbage or lettuce wraps, popcorn, peanut butter bulls, and other low-carb, high-fat snacks.
Q: What are the best keto desserts?
A: The best keto desserts include keto ice cream, keto cookies, keto muffins, keto cake, keto hot chocolate, keto cheesecake, and keto pumpkin pie, among other low-carb, high-fat desserts.
Q: What is nutritional ketosis?
A: Nutritional ketosis occurs when your body is fueled by fats and ketones instead of carbs (i.e. glucose). It’s a natural metabolic state you can reach by following a keto diet.
Q: Does a keto cookbook help with diabetes?
A: Some diabetics have found help while following the keto diet. When eating fewer carbs, for example, diabetics may be able to adjust their insulin dosage.
Q: How much weight can you lose on the keto diet?
A: Keto cookbooks claim to help you lose anywhere from 10lbs to 100lbs of weight, depending on your timeframe, weight loss goals, and commitment to the diet.
Q: What are the best keto fruits to eat?
A: A good keto diet contains lots of fruits. The best keto fruits include low-carb options like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, coconuts, and avocados. A good keto cookbook can explain how to add these fruits to your diet.
Q: What should I look for in a keto cookbook?
A: A good keto cookbook contains medically-backed advice from certified nutritionists or dietitians. Good keto cookbooks also feature clear instructions, complete macronutrient information, and easy-to-find ingredients.
Q: What should I eat on the keto diet?
A: The best foods to eat on a keto diet include seafood, low-carb vegetables, cheeses, avocados, meat, poultry, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and healthy oils (like coconut oil or olive oil). Check a keto cookbook for more details about what to eat on the keto diet.
Final Word
Keto cookbooks come in all different varieties and target different health and wellness goals.
By following a keto cookbook, you can get an easy-to-use meal plan with complete recipe instructions, detailed ingredient breakdowns, and transparent macronutrient information. Again, here is how to buy the best keto recipe books for those following the ketogenic diet meal plans:
Check our list of the best keto cookbooks today to buy a top-ranked keto cookbook and make your keto diet easier.
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