The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Low-Carb, High-Fat Recipes for Busy People on the Keto Diet by Jen Fisch

Title: The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Low-Carb, High Fat Recipes for Busy People on the Keto Diet

Author: Jen Fisch

Publisher: Rockridge Press

Rating: 5/5

Diagnosed with two auto immune disorders: psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, Fisch decided to take up a keto diet earlier on in her life at the age of 18-19. As the tagline of the book describes, it is full of low carb, high-fat recipes for busy people on a keto diet. Looking for ways to alleviate pain, she followed her doctor’s advice and started a low carb diet by cutting out sugar intake.

Following a keto diet helps body to burn fat/ ketones for energy instead of burning sugar for energy. Mental clarity, reduced inflammation, and increased energy are some of its benefits. Macronutrients are the major nutritional elements that make up the caloric content of food. The trick is to avoid low-quality fats. Intermittent fasting can be adopted as a part of a ketogenic lifestyle. She then goes on to provide a basic guideline about managing electrolytes to maintain a keto diet that necessitates drinking a lot of water.

Paleo is often used interchangeably with Keto. It is not as high in fat or low in carbs as keto and has several differences as well as types. It is possible to follow a keto diet while following principles of both. Fisch mentions some must have kitchen equipment as well before getting to the nitty gritty of her recipes. The chart about foods to enjoy and foods to avoid is very helpful. It is wise to have a well-stocked pantry and some pantry essentials include pink Himalayan salt, ghee, olive oil and grass-fed butter. She enlists some of her favourite keto products including Kerrygold Butter, Fat Snax Cookies, Miracle Noodles and Miracle Rice and many more. Details about keto cooking is provided in a few short paragraphs under sub headings. Its short, easy to understand and offers a prelude to the recipes that are to follow. The amazing thing about these recipes is that they can be cooked in a single pot, in a single pan, within about 30 minutes and are vegetarian. Each recipe calls for only 5 main ingredients.

The recipes are provided with the ingredients to the left along with their cooking time and the procedure on the right. A short ingredient tip is provided below each of these. The book is extremely organized with recipes divided into smoothies and breakfast; soups and salads; side dishes and snacks, fish and poultry entrees; pork and beef entrees and ultimately some really yummy desserts and sweet treats. The chapter on sauces and dressings is a bonus with its innumerable number of creative and delicious sauce combos. The recipe title index at the back of the book makes recipes easily accessible.