11 Best Keto Diet Books

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 (1).

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 (2).

Here are the best keto books of 2022.

Healthline assembled this list of the best keto diet books based on the following criteria:

• 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.

Here are Healthline’s picks for the 11 best keto diet books.

Best keto book overall

‘End Your Carb Confusion’ by Eric Westman and Amy Berger

Price: $$

“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.

Best keto book for weight loss

‘The Obesity Code’ by Jason Fung

Price: $

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.

Best keto book for plant-based eaters

‘Ketotarian’ by Will Cole

Price: $

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.

Best scientific read on the keto diet

‘The Case for Keto’ by Gary Taubes

Price: $

Gary Taubes is a health journalist and co-founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative, a nonprofit organization that helps design and oversee nutrition research studies.

His prior books “Why We Get Fat” and “Good Calories, Bad Calories” renewed interest in low carb diets when they were published more than 10 years ago. “The Case for Keto” is his new book and offers a deeper look into the science behind the keto diet specifically.

The book has more than 1,600 Amazon reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Best keto cookbook

‘Southern Keto’ by Natasha Newton

Price: $$

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.

Best keto cookbook for quick and easy recipes

‘The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook’ by Maya Krampf

Price: $$

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.

Best keto baking cookbook

‘The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking’ by Carolyn Ketchum

Price: $$

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.

Best keto cookbook with meal plans

‘Simply Keto’ by Suzanne Ryan

Price: $$

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.

Best keto book for further reading

‘Metabolical’ by Robert Lustig

Price: $$

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.

Best to learn more about dietary fat

‘The Big Fat Surprise’ by Nina Teicholz

Price: $

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.

Most popular keto book

‘The Keto Diet’ by Leanne Vogel

Price: $$

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.

What are the benefits of following a keto diet book?

Reading a keto diet book is a good choice for anyone interested in trying keto. It can be difficult to identify which foods are keto-friendly and which are not, and a book can help you to tell the difference.

Additionally, many aspects of the keto diet may be challenging, and a keto book can help you navigate these and provide tips for success.

For example, a book may be able to provide advice on following a keto diet as an athlete or following a keto diet on a limited budget.

Do doctors recommend the keto diet?

Yes, many doctors do recommend the keto diet. Some, such as Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. Eric Westman, are practicing physicians who have also written some of the books on this list.

However, other doctors do not recommend it for the long term because it may be unrealistic and unsustainable.

Is there anyone that should avoid the keto diet?

Keto may not be a good fit for anyone who has a restrictive eating disorder or a history of disordered eating. Additionally, you should speak with your doctor before starting keto if you have any underlying medical conditions or are taking any prescription medications.