The 5-Ingredient Low-Carb Diet Cookbook: 100 Easy Recipes for Better Health Paperback – March 10, 2020

Having been lucky enough to sample Bek’s cooking, I was excited to hear she was writing a cookbook! She’s been kind enough to share pictures of many of her creations on social media and I never see anything she shares that doesn’t make me hungry! Bek’s food ALWAYS looks pretty! Pair that with each recipe consisting of only five ingredients and amazing flavors and that’s a win/win! I look at recipes a lot and a long list of ingredients is an immediate turn off for me, from time spent shopping for the ingredients to then preparing the food with a starving 15 year old staring at me wondering when dinner will be ready. Keto or not, I think everyone can find recipes they love in this cookbook!

I loved how easy and simple the recipes were in this book and how the ingredients were ones that I stocked on a regular basis!! I've made over a dozen of the recipes at this point and have yet to find one that wasn't awesome and a new fave for my family. Great addition to your healthy kitchen.

I have mixed feelings about this cookbook. There's A LOT to like: The author provides a helpful overview of what low-carb means and the benefits of a low-carb diet, a list of pantry staples, and suggestions for getting started. The recipes are pretty straight forward, so anyone not especially comfortable in the kitchen will find plenty of options. There are a few things that newbies might be confused by (e.g. spiralized zucchini, the use of parchment paper), but a quick online search will quickly answer any questions. And the ingredients are all pretty easy to find - no exotic herbs in these recipes! 3 things I don't care for - first the editing. It sounds silly, but there are tons of inconsistencies throughout the book that drive me bonkers. For instance, total cook times in the recipe headers frequently don't match the times shown on the sidebars or in the recipes themselves, garnishes can be mentioned in the recipe description or even the instructions, but not included on the ingredient list, and recipe summary bars under the recipe are especially inconsistent, to the point that I found them unreliable for quick searches. More annoying to me is that the author includes helpful recipe nutritional details such as calories, fat, carbs, etc, but doesn't break out saturated and monounsaturated fats. This can lead people to think they're getting acceptable levels of good fat while limiting carbs - which is frequently not the case.Finally, some of the recipes are just bland! For each great recipe I've tried and love, there's another one that isn't worth the effort, or that could easily be elevated with a few simple changes. For instance, the Mixed Berry & Lime Sorbet is super easy to make and absolutely delicious - I've already made it multiple times, but I substitute almond milk for half and half to reduce the SAT fat, amd it tastes wonderful! On the other hand, the Scallop and Asparagus with Zoodles was pretty, but almost flavorless and a little mushy. Blanching the zoodles, searing the scallops and adding parmesan as a garnish improve the texture and make the flavor so much better. Same with the Edamame Bowl that had great, fresh ingredients, but lacked seasoning and would be especially unsatisfying as a main course. The Hearty Chili was somewhere in between, but adding edamame to the recipe, and greek yogurt as a garnish took the recipe up a notch and it's now one of my favorites. To be fair, the author is trying to keep to no more than 5 main ingredients and 5 staples (salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and lemons) in each recipe, but IMO, this doesn't work. Maybe having a secondary list of optional spices and garnishes might help? Regardless, there are good recipes in this cookbook that are simple to follow, and the book is reasonably priced, so I recommend it - just know that if you aren't comfortable seasoning and adjusting on your own, some of the recipes aren't as good as others.

I'll give the recipes a chance but some of them have 8-10 ingredients. Agree, many of them are "staples" like olive oil, salt and pepper, but some aren't like garlic, lemons. The Salmon Super Food Recipe literally has 12 ingredients. Yes, some are used over and over but you have to prepare the Salmon, Prepare the Vinaigrette, then prepare the salad...this doesn't feel like a quick and easy 5 ingredient meal you can put together easily if you are a busy working person. I should have done more research.

Realistic meals.Gluten Free optionsDairy free optionsVegan & Vegetarian options5 ingredients.Easy 5 minutes prep.All recipes serves 4.Calorie countMacro countsWith fiber and net carb.

Was excited to get this cookbook. And the recipes look so easy to make. Can't wait to get started.

Great recipes and easy

Recipes were simple enough that even i could follow them.