If you’re interested in doing the low carb, high fat keto diet, you may want to dive into a good book on the subject to learn all you can about it.
Keto is a low carb, high fat diet that was originally developed for children with epilepsy. However, it has gained popularity in recent years as a diet for weight loss and blood sugar management.
Researchers have found that it may be effective to help manage obesity and type 2 diabetes because it switches the body from burning primarily carbs to primarily fat and, as a result, may help reduce appetite and regulate blood sugar levels.
However, keto is much lower in carbs than other low carb diets, consisting of only 50 grams of carbs or fewer per day.
Making a sudden change to a keto diet can affect many aspects of your health, such as physical performance and electrolyte balance, so it’s a great idea to read up before you get started.
- Ratings: Does the book have high ratings and favorable reviews?
- Author expertise: Does the author have an degree, experience, or credentials that boost their credibility as a keto diet expert? This is important when shopping for books about health and fitness. We looked for books written by health professionals, such as doctors or dietitians, and cookbooks written by experienced or professional cooks.
- Thoroughness: Does the book provide a thorough and comprehensive look into the keto diet?
- Price: Most books on this list are right around $15, but some may be more or less expensive. Newer or more thorough books tend to be slightly more expensive.
- Type of book: Are you looking for an informative guide to keto, a review of the science, or a cookbook? This will significantly narrow down the list of books that are a good fit. We’ve included a variety.
Top keto diet books
1. ‘End Your Carb Confusion’ by Eric Westman and Amy Berger
“End Your Carb Confusion” is a comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide to the keto diet that explains the science behind the diet and provides lots of practical advice about how to be successful with it.
It was written by Dr. Eric Westman, a physician and weight management specialist who uses the principles of the keto diet in his outpatient weight loss clinic at Duke University.
The book has nearly 2,000 reviews and a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
2. ‘The Obesity Code’ by Jason Fung
Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist who operates a medical clinic that uses the principles of ketogenic diets and fasting to help patients lose weight and improve type 2 diabetes.
His books “The Obesity Code” and “The Diabetes Code” share why this approach works, as well as how to implement it.
This book is a solid recommendation for those who are completely new to keto, offering a wealth of information about how and why the diet works, as well as advice for starting and maintaining it.
“The Obesity Code” has more than 24,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
3. ‘Ketotarian’ by Will Cole
This book is a worthwhile read for vegans, vegetarians, or pescatarians who are interested in keto. Will Cole, a chiropractor and natural medicine doctor, wrote this book, which offers a plant-based approach to the ketogenic diet.
The diet outlined in the book is not vegan but can be made so with a few small changes. In addition to information about the diet, the book includes recipes and meal plans.
It has more than 2,900 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
4. ‘Southern Keto’ by Natasha Newton
Natasha Newton runs a popular keto recipe blog called Keto Is Life.
In addition, she offers this cookbook that contains a collection of more than 100 keto-friendly versions of recipes that are popular in the southern United States, such as biscuits and sausage gravy.
The book also contains grocery lists and a key to help you easily identify recipes that suit your specific dietary needs. It has more than 11,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
5. ‘The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook’ by Maya Krampf
Maya Krampf operates the wildly popular keto recipe blog Wholesome Yum. In “The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook,” she shares family-friendly recipes that require 10 or fewer ingredients and are easy and quick to prepare.
Examples include keto-friendly garlic breadsticks and chicken fingers. The book has more than 6,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
6. ‘The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking’ by Carolyn Ketchum
Carolyn Ketchum runs a successful low carb recipe blog called All Day I Dream About Food.
“The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking” contains more than 150 tested keto baking recipes, along with a comprehensive guide to the tools and ingredients you’ll need for making keto-friendly baked goods.
It has more than 4,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
7. ‘Simply Keto’ by Suzanne Ryan
Suzanne Ryan is a popular keto blogger who lost a significant amount of weight by following the keto diet. Her blog features many low carb and keto-friendly recipes.
Her book “Simply Keto” contains more than 100 recipes, along with meal plans and information about how to follow a keto diet and why it works for weight loss.
However, it’s worth noting that Ryan is not a credentialed health professional. The book has more than 9,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
8. ‘Metabolical’ by Robert Lustig
Robert Lustig is a pediatric endocrinologist and professor at the University of California San Francisco. He became renowned in the low carb world after presenting a lecture for University of California TV called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” in 2009.
Although his book “Metabolical” isn’t explicitly about the keto diet, it presents research showing the many ways in which sugar and highly processed foods can damage your health.
The book has more than 1,900 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
9. ‘The Big Fat Surprise’ by Nina Teicholz
Nina Teicholz is a health reporter and the executive director of the Nutrition Coalition, a nonprofit organization that strives to ensure the scientific rigor of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Her book “The Big Fat Surprise” is a deep dive into the benefits of dietary fat and the flawed science that led to the low fat craze of the 1990s. The book has more than 2,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
10. ‘The Keto Diet’ by Leanne Vogel
Leanne Vogel is a certified holistic nutritionist and well-known keto diet blogger and podcaster. Her book “The Keto Diet” provides a thorough and comprehensive look at the why and how of the keto diet, as well as recipes and meal plans.
Note that while this book may contain valuable information, holistic nutritionists aren’t required to complete thorough training and educational programs like those required of medical doctors or registered dietitians.
The book has more than 7,000 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
11. “Keto Answers: Simplifying Everything You Need to Know About the World’s Most Confusing Diet” by Anthony Gustin
Written by Perfect Keto founder Anthony Gustin and Perfect Keto head of education Chris Irvin, this book explains the role of nutrition for improving health and avoiding disease and everything you should know about starting and staying on the keto diet.
Consider this one of the best keto books for beginners and those who need a refresher on keto. While it’s comprehensive, you’ll love that it’s easy to read and eliminates jargon. Plus, it has a chapter that teaches you how to self-experiment and track on keto for the best results.
12. “The Case for Keto: Rethinking Weight Control and the Science and Practice of Low-Carb/High-Fat Eating” by Gary Taubes
“The Case for Keto” reveals that the idea of restricting calories, exercising more, and eating less doesn’t work for everyone. If you’ve been relying too much on the advice of lean people but have not seen the weight loss results you desire, this book is for you.
This book is written by Gary Taubes, an investigative science and health journalist, and co-founder of the non-profit Nutrition Science Initiative. It’s a wonderful read not just for regular individuals, but also for health professionals and trainers interested in using keto for their clients.
Available for $12.80 on Amazon (paperback) or $17.00 on Penguin Random House (paperback)
13. “Lies My Doctor Told Me” by Dr. Ken Berry
Dr. Ken Berry is a family physician and has helped patients overcome obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. In his book, he exposes the dangers of eating whole grains, avoiding cholesterol, and relying only on “calories in, calories out.”
This book is honest and backs keto information with a lot of science and research. It has over 4,500 ratings on Amazon with an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
Available for $19.49 on Amazon (paperback) or $9.99 on Barnes and Noble (eBook)
14. “Quick & Easy Ketogenic Cooking” by Maria Emmerich
Maria Emmerich, a nutritionist specializing in the keto diet, wrote this book to help people who are busy and stressed prepare meals that support ketosis without taking so much time. It features recipes for breakfast, snacks, soups, desserts, and more.
Like her other keto cookbooks, Maria starts by showing an introduction of the keto diet, its benefits, how you can become keto-adapted, and ways to test for ketones.
Available for $16.79 on Amazon (paperback) or $34.95 on Barnes & Noble (paperback)
15. “The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally” by Dr. Jason Fung
Type 2 diabetes affects 90-95% of Americans, including children, teens, and young adults. In his book, Dr. Jason Fung discusses the fact that this disease can be fully reversed and prevented, and how conventional diabetes treatments actually make problems much worse.
His book educates you on the role of insulin, the calorie deception, metabolic syndrome, and intermittent fasting. Dr. Jason Fung is a nephrologist and a leading expert on low-carb diets and intermittent fasting.
16. “Carnivore Cure: The Ultimate Elimination Diet to Attain Optimal Health and Heal Your Body” by Judy Cho
Judy Cho is a certified nutritional therapy practitioner and she works closely with clients to create individualized plans that support their long term health.
Her book, “Carnivore Cure,” teaches a meat-based elimination diet to individuals suffering from food sensitivities and other physical symptoms.
“Carnivore Cure” is one of the books on keto diet if you want to learn more about using animal foods for optimal nutrition.
In addition, it shows you a list of plants you can safely reintroduce into your diet and how to eat them. You’ll love the colorful illustrations and tables in this book for easy reference on food lists, nutrient profiles of meat, and more.
Available for $36.95 on Amazon (paperback) or $20.49 on Barnes & Noble (audiobook)
17. “Unlocking the Keto Code: The Revolutionary New Science of Keto That Offers More Benefits Without Deprivation” by Dr. Steven Gundry
“Unlocking the Keto Code” offers a unique perspective on the keto diet. This book tells you that ketones are not a super fuel (contrary to popular belief) and discusses a bio-cellular process called mitochondrial uncoupling.
After showing you his keto code program, Dr. Steven Gundry shares delicious recipes, such as MCT-infused salad dressings and brownies, muffins, casserole, and more. Dr. Steven Gundry is a cardiologist, heart surgeon, medical researcher, and host of The Dr. Gundry Podcast.
Available for $19.19 on Amazon (hardcover) or $26.09 on Barnes & Noble (hardcover)
18. “The Complete Guide To Fasting (Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting)” by Dr. Jason Fung
With more than 16,000 ratings on Amazon, “The Complete Guide To Fasting” explains the history, benefits, myths of fasting, and how to use it for various purposes — for example, weight loss, type 2 diabetes, and heart health.
If you’re having difficulty with losing weight and controlling blood glucose — this is for you.
In addition to the science and methods of fasting, this book shares multiple recipes to try as part of your fasting plan. Nephrologist Dr. Jason Fung wrote this book along with veteran health podcaster Jimmy Moore.
Available for $15.39 on Amazon (paperback) or $23.95 on Barnes & Noble (paperback)
The keto diet is wildly popular, and you can find hundreds — if not thousands — of keto diet books online. However, not all of these books are credible. To identify credible books about the keto diet, look for those that are written by keto diet experts.
These experts may be physicians, dietitians, or other healthcare or wellness professionals with experience working with the keto diet. Or, in the case of cookbooks, they may be food bloggers or chefs who are familiar with recipe development and testing.
You should also avoid books that make dubious or outlandish claims about the keto diet. While the keto diet has many potential benefits, it’s not a cure-all.
