Low Carb Yum Simple Keto Meals for Beginners: 125+ Low Carb Recipes for Two or More

Low Carb Yum Simple Keto Meals for Beginners is a how-to keto guide with recipes by Lisa Marcaurele. Due out 28th Dec 2021 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on their Mariner imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

The introduction covers the basics of the keto lifestyle/diet, including a basic primer on ketosis, macronutrients, tips, ingredients, tools, supplies, how-to figure nutritional needs and plan to achieve weight loss.

The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, breads (!!!), appetizers & snacks, soups & salads, side dishes, beef, poultry, pork, seafood, meatless, and desserts. The table of contents lists each recipe by name along with page location.

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American standard measurements only. The prep times, net carbs, servings, and tips and options are listed in well laid out sidebars. The ingredients are listed in a bullet list followed by step by step directions. Special categories (nut-free, paleo friendly, vegetarian, etc) are clearly marked on each recipe. Nutritional information is included in a text box at the end of each recipe and includes: calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein, net carbs, and carbs, protein and fat by percentage weight.

The ingredients will be readily accessible for most readers and can be found at any well stocked grocery store. There are very few exceptions and those can be sourced online or at health food stores (xanthan gum, granular monkfruit sweetener, and a couple others). One thing I noticed is that the recipes tend to be heavy on animal proteins. There *are* vegetarian options, but they're not plentiful. Many of the dishes also seemed a bit high on the calorie count for a book which is ostensibly about keto diet in regards to weight loss.

Four stars. I really like (and use) this cookbook. One codicil, only roughly 20% of the recipes are accompanied by photographs. The dishes and serving suggestions which are pictured are attractive and appropriate, however.

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