Reviewed by annieb123 on
Plant-Based Ketogenic Diet Cookbook is a recipe and meal plan collection by Amber St. Peter. Released 2nd Aug 2022 by Callisto, it's 248 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a well written and organized collection of recipes for keto adherents who also wish to incorporate more plant based foods in their diets.
The introduction covers the basics of the foods, cooking and essential accessories as well as an intro to the keto lifestyle/diet, including a basic primer on ketosis, nutrients, tips, ingredients, tools, supplies, and how-to.
The following chapters include the 14 day meal plan and preparations, followed by the recipes arranged thematically: breakfasts, snacks & sides, salads & handhelds, soups & stews, hearty meals, and desserts & staples. I found the recipes inclusive and varied. It's important to note that many of the recipes use keto non-compliant ingredients (orange juice, agave nectar!, maple syrup, etc), although (presumably) the end results are keto-friendly.
Ingredient measurements are supplied in imperial (American) standard measurements only. There's a conversion chart for metric measures included in the appendix. The nutritional information: fat, carbs, protein, fiber content, macronutrients, etc are listed for the recipes as well as serving sizes. Each recipe has a header with special labels such as one-pot, worth the wait (takes a bit longer to prepare), 30 minute meal, etc; with a short description of the recipe and approximate prep-times. Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in text boxes in the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made for the most part with easily sourced ingredients (not all though, sweeteners for example, will likely need to be sourced from specialists). Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex.
The photography is not abundant; only about 10% of the dishes are accompanied by a photo, but the photographs which are included are clear and well done. I wish there had been more photographs and serving suggestions, but I do understand that extra photography increases the price of book projects very quickly and the lack is not crippling because this is a fairly simple recipe collection. The resource list includes interactive links to a number of relevant online resources about keto and the health benefits.
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 27 August, 2022: Reviewed