Keto Simple: Delicious Low-Carb Meals That Are Easy on Time, Budget, and Effort

by Martina Šlajerová

Best-selling KetoDiet author, Martina Slajerova gives 100 delicious recipes that are easy in preparation and technique, frugal in the number of required ingredients, and can be put together quickly. No stress. No complication. Just a great keto meal from stove to table in minimal time.

Keto has become the hottest health-supportive diet around. However, even the most committed keto follower doesn't always have the time and inclination to cook for 90 minutes or the budget-bandwidth for 14-ingredient dinners. With Keto Simple, you can live your keto lifestyle without it becoming expensive, complicated, or all-consuming. Along with simply amazing recipes, find meal-prepping, planning, and shopping strategies that save you time and money.

Whether you are looking for a quick recipe to throw in your office lunchbox or how to build out leftovers and simple base recipes into tomorrow's menu, Keto Simple has you covered.

Genres: Cookbooks, Health

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2020

About the author

Martina Slajerova is a health and food blogger living in the United Kingdom. She holds a degree in economics and worked in auditing, but has always been passionate about nutrition and healthy living. Martina loves food, science, photography, and creating new recipes. She is a firm believer in low-carb living and regular exercise. As a science geek, she bases her views on valid research and has firsthand experience of what it means to be on a low-carb diet. Both are reflected on her blog, in her KetoDiet apps, and in this book.

The KetoDiet is an ongoing project she started with her partner in 2012 and includes 6 cookbooks, and the KetoDiet apps for the iPad and iPhone. When creating recipes, she doesn’t focus on just the carb content: you won’t find any processed foods, unhealthy vegetable oils, or artificial sweeteners in her recipes. This book and the KetoDiet apps are for people who follow a healthy low-carb lifestyle. Martina’s mission is to help you reach your goals, whether it’s your dream weight or simply eating healthy food.

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm]

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Keto Simple is the newest cookbook from author and keto-lifestyle advocate Martina Šlajerová, published by Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint and available 7th Jan 2020. It's 176 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The main focus of this cookbook is making recipes more streamlined and simple. There aren't very many evenings I come home from work and feel like spending 2 hours+ of my evening cooking complex recipes. Anything that simplifies the process and requires fewer difficult ingredients or very expensive specialty items is a huge bonus for me. This book contains quite a number of recipes which are made with fewer ingredients, less time, and fewer difficult to find items.

Each recipe includes an intro with recipe special features such as nut-free, gluten-free, etc. There is an introduction with other info such as portion control and yields followed by bullet list ingredients in sidebars with prep-time estimates. The recipes' ingredients lists are provided with English/American measurements with metric/SI measures in parentheses. Nutritional info is provided in the footer under the recipe instructions.

The book is very well illustrated with most pages having full color photographs which support and fill out the text. The content is presented in plain and understandable language blessedly free from mumbo-jumbo. It includes a good layman accessible introduction, how to use a ketogenic diet, and what to expect from a lifestyle change which includes replacing some (or most) dietary carbohydrates with fats as a source of energy.

The recipes are arranged roughly thematically: pantry basics, breakfasts, snacks, sides, soups & salads, lunch box, dinners, and desserts. There is a reference/resource guide along with links, and a cross referenced index including single ingredients for looking up related recipes.

I really liked that many of the recipes come with built-in alternatives which make it very easy to switch things up and add even more variation to menu planning without a lot of extra effort. Most of my reluctance to adopt a keto diet has been resistance to how difficult and time consuming it seems. This time of year inspires most of us to make lifestyle changes and I intend to try to incorporate some of them in my own family.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Michelle Ogden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet at 89 pages, Keto Simple will not take up much room on your cookbook shelf, but it will hold a place in your heart. Delicious recipes that are well balanced and contain lots of veggies and healthy proteins.

Some favorite recipes are pesto egg drop soup, chimichurri steak salad, taco mini meat pies, tandoori beef skillet, reuben hot pockets, blueberry cheesecake jars, and dark chocolate mousse.

Less of a diet book, this is more of a family favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Includes are sections on breakfast, soups and salads, snacks, sides, lunch box, dinners and desserts. You will find something to love here even if you don't follow a ketogenic diet.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Warning - mouth watering contents!

This book sounds delicious. Full of simple styled recipies with easy to buy ingredients and encouraging words to go along with these meals. I love it. I cant wait to try some of the recipies in this book and the explanation of keto and what to avoid at the beginning of this book is fantastic!

[roxi Net · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve reviewed other keto books and after my two months of a keto-inspired diet, I’m still not a fan (but that goes with just anything that requires limitation). While I like to think all food is great in moderation to enjoy life, I can’t negate the positive effects keto has had so far and I will be keeping it up but definitely need to review books that 1) encourage the maintenance and 2) simple interesting recipes. The author has great encouraging words and says to ‘find a way to eat to live’. Of all the recipes (think of a variety of eggs, fats, meats) I look forward to trying the breakfast skillet Danish, chocolate pancakes, along with all the desserts (can you tell where I’m struggling?!). I’d prefer numbered instructions, but overall I will be trying these recipes for sure.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A serious amount of Yum! packed in less than 200 pages. I honestly think you could use this book to meal plan for a whole month and not get bored.

I've been gluten-free (due to actual issues) for 8+ years and intermittent fasting for almost 2. I've been in the health care industry for 20 years and try to stay on top of "healthy" and "clean" eating. So with all that knowledge and "experience" I can honestly say --->Nearly every single page here had a great basis for a ketogenic style meal with plenty of flavors and alternates based on your eating preferences to either ease a transition into a Keto diet or to give you a some added kick to your Keto lifestyle. I mean some serious mouthwatering was involved in reviewing this book.

I'm not strictly Keto with my eating but I lean that way most times. I am absolutely looking forward to trying some of these recipes and can't wait to gift a copy to my sister when the book publishes!

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a another book by this author on Keto cookery, so was interested to see what else she could now produce (ie are they different?)

This book has eight chapters which are:
- Introduction
- Breakfasts
- Snacks
- Sides
- Soups & Salads
- Lunch Box
- Dinners
- Desserts

The recipes include both imperial and metric measurements, easy to follow steps and most recipes have a colour photograph to accompany them. It also includes all the nutritional information.

Overall, the book contains new recipe ideas but the odd recipe is similar to one in my other book such as the new one has deviled eggs, whereas the before it also included bacon, or Chard wraps two ways was just chicken chard wraps before, though the sauce is different.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I come across any Keto cookbooks, I have to first of all ensure that the author knows what he or she is talking about. Are the dishes actually safely low-carb? Does he or she actually live a keto lifestyle? Are the ingredients low-carb and easy to obtain? Are the recipes simple and easy to follow? Do the photos make the food look delicious?

On all counts above, Martina Slajerova passes with flying colors. I have seen her beautiful face on a particularly well known and trusted keto website, and have indeed copied some of her recipes featured there. Congrats to her too for her new ketoapp which looks extremely useful!

I spotted a few recipes in Keto Simple that I wanted to try out immediately.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Includes introductory material on Keto while emphasizing keeping it simple. Includes food lists - things to have on hand and things to avoid. Over 100 recipes - breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, soups, salads, snacks and desserts. There are some with what I would call "moderately" fussy ingredients or equipment - things I don't generally buy or equipment I don't have like an immersion blender or a food processor or a double boiler - but there are also several recipes I could make with what I have on hand in my house right now. There are many recipes in this I plan to try. And some of the author's other titles are on my wish list, too.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Keto Simple!

As with all of Martina Slajerova's cookbooks, this one features beautiful photography, easy to follow directions, and delicious sounding recipes! I'm excited to try out several of them, including the chocolate pancakes, cheesy pepperoni twists, and the three different truffle recipes. She includes helpful visuals to know which recipes are dairy free, egg free, nut free, etc and includes recipes for everyone! There is a wide variety for all different palates and if you are doing a low carb, keto diet, I would highly recommend any of her cookbooks!

[Koren | the_blue_eyed_bluestocking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keto is a challenging lifestyle for our family since we have several dietary issues that don't allow for some keto allowances. However, many of the beautiful recipes in this book can easily be modified for such.

I can't wait to try the 3 minute Keto bread and all the desserts! Since we are trying for a healthier lifestyle as a family, let's face it, I need bread and desserts in my life! But even the breakfasts looked especially inventive and delicious (breakfast is always my hang up meal).

This is a great cookbook and I dare say anyone doing Keto would really enjoy these simple recipes.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid ketogentic cookbook!

Books like this are essential in my opinion to any new way of eating, I wish I had this years ago when I started keto! This book is well explained, and covers the basics of what you need to begin and succeed with a ketogenic way of eating.

Easy to understand, simple and yummy recipes for any mood, craving or circumstance!

Thank you so much, Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for review.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always on the hunt for cookbooks featuring healthy, quick and budget-friendly recipes! This is a great book for those interested in a lower carb diet. I appreciate that this book still includes many healthy, plant-based recipes - keto should still be nutritious! I look forward to trying several recipes, including Pesto Egg Drop Soup and Baked Egg Pots.

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are bored of the same old Keto recipes, this book is for you!

It has a photo for every recipe (bonus), has lots of unique Keto recipes and appear to be pretty simple for the home cook. I had to Google a few ingredients but they were available in my local chain grocery store and were not expensive.

I can't wait to get cooking!

[Kirsten Lost 2022 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strict Keto diet isn't a diet for me, but some of the recipes are golden, and this book is no exception. Easy to understand, lots of lovely looking recipes, nice pictures... looking forward to trying some!

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The keto cookbook is fantastic. It has dozens of interesting recipes that I can’t wait to make. The breakfast and salad sections are pure gold. The book seriously has tons of recipes I plan to use often. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review and I highly recommend it.

[Blakeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful layout. I love the photos and the simplicity of the recipes (hence, the title). Each recipe contains complete nutritional facts and macros. Great little cookbook!

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good recipes, though all are keto friendly some are just regular dinners people would eat like meat and veggies (pork chops and brussel sprouts).

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good pictures and well written. Recipes were a little underwhelming.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m having another Fangirl moment for author Martina Šlajerová over her terrific 5 star “Keto Simple“. I’ve read all her cookbooks and loved every single one. If you’re following a Low Carb, Atkins or Keto program, pick up this one to add to your library.

[Maria Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already tried 5 of these recipes and they all been delicious

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook has a great selection of recipes and ingredients that are easy to find.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Keto Cookbook that has a wide range of recipes from breakfast to desserts. These recipes can be prepared by anyone, with ingredients that are easy to find. The preparation is well explained and includes varied options. I've tried the ones that appeal to me and my family with excellent results. It makes sticking to a new way of eating easy and fun. Thank you NetGalley, Martina Slajerova and Quarto Publishing Group - Fair Winds Press for allowing me to try and review this book. I highly recommend it.

[Jen McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Keto Simple!

This cookbook looks amazing!! I'm an extremely picky eater so going Keto to begin with has been very difficult. There are a lot of recipes in this book that look/sound delicious to me. I'm getting ready to head to the grocery store now and will definitely be adding the ingredients for the Cheesy Pepperoni Twists. I'm a major snacker and have been struggling to find snacks to satisfy me that are keto. These sound like they might just do that!

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved a free review copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

I've been doing low carb or keto on and off for years now, mixed up with fasting / omad / carb binges occasionally. I've mainly used to keep control of my diabetes and so far it's worked however it can get boring very fast, especially when i'm working late and don't have much time to cook so i'm allways interested in keto cookbooks.

Right from the start Martina does many things right, too many other books are walls of text, large blocks that can be offputting and almost dark in the amount of black ink on page. This book is well designed, almost light in the visual appearance and well designed with a clean, simple layout.

Information is immediately presented in clear summaries e.g. low carb alternatives for common ingredients, tips on dinning out, as well other pertinent information. Recipes are clearly tagged with relevant information such as dairy free / nut free / vegetarian etc.
Guides on cooking common items and sauces are at the start of the book so by the time you move onto the recipes you're ready for them.

There's a large variety of recipes to chose from, i've tried a few dozen and they were all pretty quick to make, most are very easy though there's quite a few that you need the ingredients in advance sine you may not have them in your kitchen. I would prefer if the book illustrated to a higher level though, with more images of the meals/stages in cooking, however i enjoyed everything i made and found the book simple to use.

Whether you're looking for an introduction to keto cooking or for some more cooking ideas, the book is worth looking at. I

[Vonn Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was finally able to download it, but had to install a different reading app for the book.

Martina Slajerova writes about what Keto is, and breaks down the main “ingredients” of this diet/lifestyle.

I’ve read several different Keto cook books and this one has some good simple recipes for every meal!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of great recipes - and every one of them with the relative photo - to get some new ideas if you are doing a ketogenetic diet!

Molte semplici ricette, ognuna delle quali corredata da relativa foto, per qualche nuova idea se state seguendo una dieta chetogenetica.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!