Erica Kerwien - Everyday Keto Baking: Healthy Low-Carb Recipes for Every Occasion

Ill dive into a short explanation of the diet below, but remember that its always a good idea to consult with a health professional for support, especially if youre considering the keto diet for health reasons. Your body typically burns fuel in the form of glucose from carbohydratesmostly because it's more accessible. When food or carbohydrates are not readily available, your liver begins to convert fat, rather than carbs, into fuel. This state of burning fats is called ketosis. By eating a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat, you create an environment in your body that favors burning fat. What it takes to get and stay in ketosis varies for each person, and it depends on your age, body weight, gender, and activity level.

To better determine what your goal is for maintaining ketosis, measure the amount of fat to protein to carbohydrates you eat on a daily basis. Here is the general ratio guideline for daily consumption of each type of macronutrient while on the keto diet: Fat: 60 to 75 percent of your calories Protein: 15 to 30 percent of your calories Carbs: 5 to 10 percent of your calories Note that this can vary by person, depending on how each individual body responds to certain foods, as well as each persons activity level. To help you balance your diet correctly, you can use an app on your mobile device or online. See for apps that can help you balance your diet to optimize it for ketosis. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet doesnt mean that you cant eat the things you loveyou just need to consume them smartly and in moderation. While we all need carbohydrates (carbs) for fuel, not all carbs work the same way in our bodies.

Some carbs burn quickly, while others burn more slowly. And thats where the recipes in this book come in. If you love baking and eating baked goods but want to keep eating them while keeping a low-carb profile, you can do it! Here youll find a range of recipes that use low-carb baking flours, such as nut flours and coconut flour, as well as low-carb sweeteners. Lets talk about these ingredients first, so you can familiarize with whats needed before you begin baking.

LOW-CARB FLOURS

I use almond and coconut flours for the recipes in this book because they have the greatest health benefits of all the low-carb baking flours, theyre readily available, and they have distinct characteristics that make them great for baking.

COCONUT FLOUR

When it comes to coconut flour, theres so much to love: its high in fiber and protein, low in carbohydrates, and gluten-free.

Its made from the fiber-rich dried coconut that remains after coconut oil is extracted from coconut flesh. A pure, natural, one-ingredient product, its a healthy alternative to wheat and other gluten-free flours and works well in a wide variety of recipes that call for flour. Its also higher in protein than most gluten-free floursincluding oat bran and ground flaxseedand has about the same protein content as buckwheat and whole wheat flours, making it nutrient-rich while also being wheat-free. You wont need a lot of flour to bake something with coconut flour, but it does require a binding agent, which usually means at least one or two eggs. It also requires more moisture than usual, so youll notice that many recipes have added liquid to aid in moistening the batter and the final baked product. When a cake or other baked item includes coconut flour, I recommend letting the batter sit for a few minutes to give the coconut flour time to absorb the moisture in the batter.

You may notice the batter getting a bit thicker after some resting time. Coconut flour also has the effect of yielding lighter baked goods because it is not as heavy as nut flour. A little bit goes a much longer way, with great-tasting results.

STORING COCONUT FLOUR Coconut flour tends to absorb moisture so its a good idea to keep it well sealed. If youre not using it within a few weeks, I suggest storing it in the refrigerator and bringing it to room temperature before using it in a recipe.

COCONUT FLOUR: BETTER FOR BLOOD SUGAR

Blood sugar (also referred to as blood glucose) is the amount of glucose in our blood, which we rely on for energy.

Blood sugar increases after we eat, and our bodies respond to the increase by releasing a hormone called