2017 was a great year for the ketogenic diet. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Ketogenic Diet Books of the year! And a great giveaway of some of those books for one lucky winner.
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2017 was a fantastic year for the ketogenic diet. It has exploded in popularity, with more and more people coming to recognize the value of this healthy way of eating. For many, it’s no longer a fad or a quick way to lose a little weight but a true way of life, one that helps them manage a myriad of health issues. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s the best way to manage my diabetes. And I am truly glad to be on the vanguard of such a revolutionary sea change in our concept of health.
My only concern is that, as with other health trends, the message gets diluted as more and more people try to capitalize on its popularity. I’ve watched this happen with the gluten-free trend and the paleo trend, and I fear it’s already happening with keto. Companies are promoting products as “keto” when they really aren’t, simply because it’s a hot keyword. Or they are creating products that technically are keto, but are made with pretty junky ingredients. I suppose it’s inevitable, and it is up to the true keto warriors to separate the chaff from the proverbial grain.
Because I am well-known in the keto and low carb diet worlds, I receive a lot of books to review. And 2017 saw the debut of many, MANY a keto book, including my own. Some are cookbooks, some are how-to books, some are educational. Some are really good and some are…not as good. So as the year draws to a close, I thought I give a nod and a review to some of the best of those books. That is “best” in my own personal, possibly not-perfectly-objective, opinion. I like big beautiful books with lots of great photos and information that is based in true science. What can I say, I am stickler for evidence!
I am also giving a nod to some of the most anticipated books coming out for 2018. Looks like it’s shaping up to be an even bigger year for the keto diet!
Best Keto Books of 2017
The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen: These are in no particular order but of course I have to give my own keto cookbook the first mention. I am pretty sure my publisher would have my head if I didn’t! False modesty aside, I really am proud of this book. It’s got a full colour photo for each recipe, along with full nutritional information. And a fantastic photo index at the back for the ease of finding just what you want to make. My recipes are reliable and creative, it’s what I am known for as a blogger, but I flatter myself that the information in the front matter is helpful to new and old keto-ers alike. I really feel like I achieved what I set out to do – to make the keto diet accessible to everyone. It’s called The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen because it’s a cookbook you can use every day.
The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel: A very thorough and well researched treatment of the keto diet. How to do it, how to get started, and how to maintain it. I think it’s almost more valuable for the information in the front than for the recipes. It also has meal plans for every level of keto dieter, from beginner to advanced.
Keto Comfort Foods by Maria Emmerich: Maria is basically the queen of keto cookbooks, with…goodness, I’ve lost count of how many she’s put out in the last few years. This is my favourite of her recent books because who can’t use some good comfort food recipes?
Keto Slow Cooker and One Pot Meals by Martina Slajerova: My friend Martina is the mastermind behind Ketodiet App. She’s also a great recipe writer and photographer. And everyone loves slow cooked meals! I just got a copy of this book and I am so excited to give it a go.
The Ketogenic Bible by Dr. Jacon Wilson and Ryan Lowery, PhD: This ain’t no cookbook, my friends. This is a serious book on the science behind the keto diet. It’s quite a tome and has a list of references after each section, which the science geek in my kind of loves. You aren’t going to sit down and read this cover to cover but it’s fantastic reference book for understanding all aspects of the keto lifestyle. I wish I’d had this book in my hands when I was writing my own, so I could have referred to it and made sure I was correct on some of the more scientific aspects. As it was, I referred frequently to another great book, Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman…but that one wasn’t written in 2017!
Low Sugar, So Simple by Elviira Krebber: It may not mention Keto in the title but make no mistake, most of Elviira’s recipes are perfect for the keto diet. I love her “So Simple” approach, both in her book and on her blog. Simple recipes with minimal ingredients make the keto more accessible to everyone.
Fight Cancer with a Ketogenic Diet by Ellen Davis, MS: This is a self-published book by a wonderful keto expert with a MS in applied clinical nutrition. People are beginning to understand that many cancers are fed by excess sugar and a keto diet can help slow, if not entirely stop, the progression. This is a great treatment of the subject and how to use ketosis as therapy.
The Keto Paleo Kitchen by Vivica Menegaz: I do not yet have a copy of this book but I am hoping to get one! I have always loved Vivica’s approach of marrying the two popular diets. I love dairy too much to go paleo but I see the appeal of it. And as I know Vivica’s work from her blog, I am confident this would be a great addition to your collection.
Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan: A relative newcomer on the scene, Suzanne shot to keto stardom with her Keto Karma Instagram account. She’s been very frank about her own weight struggles and how keto has helped her find herself again. And she put together a beautiful book that embodies her openness and her accessibility. It’s a pleasure to flip through this book and drool over the simple and straightforward recipes.
Easy Ketogenic Diet Slow Cooking by Amy Ramos: I got a chance to review this book earlier and thought it was quite good. I made the Slow Cooker Lemon Custard, which was excellent. My biggest issue with the book is the lack of photos for all the recipes.
Most Anticipated Keto Books of 2018!
I can hardly wait for these books to come out! Two of them are my own, actually, so of course I can’t wait to see how they do. But I have my eye on a number of others that I think will be best sellers.
Craveable Keto by Kyndra Holley: My friend Kyndra has 3 or 4 books coming out this year (because she’s crazeeeee!) and I think all of them will be spectacular. But this one is her headliner and I can’t wait to get my hands on it and start craving.
Easy Dairy-Free Ketogenic Recipes by Maria Emmerich: You know the queen of keto is going to bring it…again! I actually already have a review copy of this one. Looking good.
Easy Keto Dinners by Carolyn Ketchum (hey, that’s me!): Getting healthy food on the table isn’t always easy…but I am going to show you how to make it a whole lot easier! It comes out in May but it’s available now for preorder.
Easy Keto Desserts by Carolyn Ketchum (oh hey, that’s me again!): You know I love dessert and I think it has a place in a healthy keto diet. And I bring my pretty rockin’ dessert skills to these recipes so you know it’s going to be good. It comes out in the summer but is also already available for pre-order. It doesn’t even have a cover yet but it’s only $13.35 on Amazon.
Keto Living Day by Day by Kristie Sullivan: Kristie actually got her start in keto cooking using many of my recipes. She then branched out on her own and has been seeing huge success. So this one ought to be good!
The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook by Jen Fisch: I just got a review copy of this book and my kids gave the Garlic Paprika Chicken Legs a huge thumbs up!
Best Keto Books Giveaway!
Want to get this great collection of books? One lucky winner will get 1 copy of The Keto Diet, one copy of The Ketogenic Bible, 1 copy of Keto Comfort Foods and 1 copy of Simply Keto. Plus I will pre-order the winner one book of their choice on the 2018 list!
Your keto bookshelf will be bursting at the seams…
(note that the bundle does not include my own book at this time…I do lots of giveaways for signed copies so keep your eyes peeled for that!). And if you already own my cookbook, then you get extra entries for this giveaway.
