QUICK KETO MEALS IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

100 Easy Prep-andcook Low-carb Recipes for Maximum Weight Loss and Improved Health

Martina Slajerova, Far Winds Press Softcover $24.99 (192pp), 978-1-59233-761-3

For those who have been stymied in the past trying to follow a low-carb diet, Quick Keto Meals may motivate them to try again with its bounty of colorful, flavorful recipes. The self-professed science geek advocates a ketogenic diet to regulate the hormones that control appetite and burn fat rather than sugars for energy. This approach is perfect for those on a gluten-free regimen, or anyone who wants to boost metabolism or trim their waist without feeling deprived. While starchy and processed foods are verboten, there are plenty of proteins, fats, dairy, nuts, and even some decadent sweets to savor.

The key to Slajerova’s approach is discipline in maintaining portion control and a weekly kitchen prep routine so that one can draw from stashes of pre-chopped vegetables, crispy bacon, soaked and dehydrated nuts, homemade condiments, and baking mixes to speed up mealtime preparations during the busy week. Each recipe is labeled with detailed nutritional information about whether they are vegetarian or free of nuts, dairy, or eggs.

While there are familiar low-carb options like main-dish salads and frittatas, the majority of the recipes are novel and delightful un-diet-like: Full English Breakfast (the traditional toast and baked beans are swapped out for avocado and spinach), Easy Chicken Korma (served with steamed cauliflower bits instead of basmati rice), and Beef Arrabiata Ragu (sautéed spiralized zucchini “zoodles” replace carb-rich pasta). The author’s kitchen experimentation fills the dessert cart with keto-friendly takes on brownies, raspberry cheesecake, and even Tiramisu!

There’s a nice blend of ethnic dishes to choose from; some draw from Slajerova’s Czech heritage while others rework her partner’s Greek heirloom recipes. Breakfast is given a healthy keto makeover with such temptations as a glazed coconut flour pancake with cinnamon swirl, and many fun, single-serve meal ideas are easy enough to apportion and pack for lunch, like Ham and Cheese Egg Muffin in a Mug or Buffalo Chicken Salad in a jar. With these kinds of enticements, enhanced by the author’s many photographs, there is motivation aplenty to dive into a healthierway of eating.