Before I opened The Balanced Plate: Healthy Recipes With Keto Alternatives, I believed keto was just another health trend destined to fade away. Everywhere I looked, there were dramatic “before and after” photos, endless macro debates, and aisles full of “keto-friendly” products that only made things more confusing. Keto felt complicated, rigid, and honestly a little extreme, nothing like a lifestyle I could see myself sticking with.
Then I found Chef Monika Jensen’s The Balanced Plate, and everything changed.
Instead of rules and restriction, this cookbook introduced me to a completely different way of thinking about food. It showed me how balance, intention, and simple swaps can reshape not just a menu, but a mindset. That’s when it clicked: keto isn’t just a diet, it’s a healthier, more mindful way to live.
Keto Without the Pressure
What I love most about The Balanced Plate Keto Cookbook is how approachable it feels. Monika doesn’t treat keto like a set of commandments; she treats it like a guide. Her recipes and insights help you make thoughtful choices without judgment or stress.
The book isn’t about trading every carb for cauliflower or never enjoying a meal again. It’s about understanding what food does for you, and making decisions that help you feel your best.
Monika shares her own story in the introduction, talking about how cooking for loved ones with different health needs inspired her to experiment with keto-friendly swaps. She didn’t start with a diet in mind. She started with care, wanting to create meals everyone could enjoy together. That’s what makes her voice so authentic. It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about creating balance.
Food That Feels Like a Treat, Not a Trade-Off
Every recipe in The Balanced Plate carries that same energy, real food made with purpose. One of my first favorites was her Keto Crack Chicken. It’s rich and satisfying, with all the flavors of comfort food but none of the heaviness. You feel full, not sluggish.
Then there’s the Cauliflower Fried Rice, which completely changed my opinion of what “healthy” food could taste like. It’s light and flavorful with just the right crunch. You’d never guess it’s low carb. These recipes don’t make you feel like you’re missing out; they make you feel like you’ve discovered something better.
That’s the genius of Monika’s approach. Her meals aren’t restricted. They’re about freedom, the freedom to eat what you love and still feel good afterward.
A New Way to Think About Health
As I cooked more from The Balanced Plate Keto Cookbook, I started to notice something bigger happening. I wasn’t just changing my recipes; I was changing my relationship with food.
Keto, as Monika teaches it, is less about counting carbs and more about awareness. It’s about noticing what makes your body feel strong, what gives you energy, and what drags you down. It’s mindful eating disguised as simple, delicious home cooking.
I stopped labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” I stopped feeling guilty for wanting something warm and comforting. Instead, I started focusing on balance, on how to nourish my body without punishment or pressure. That shift alone changed everything.
The Mindset Shift That Lasts
Monika’s approach isn’t about perfection. She doesn’t promise a quick fix or a miracle transformation. What she offers is something more valuable: perspective.
She reminds readers that eating well isn’t about deprivation, it’s about discovery. Every meal is a chance to feel better, think clearer, and connect with yourself and your family in a meaningful way.
Following this mindset, I’ve learned to slow down, savor my meals, and make choices that support how I want to feel, not how I think I “should” feel. And that mindset sticks. Even when I’m not strictly cooking keto, I find myself using the same principles Monika teaches balance, mindfulness, and joy.
Keto as a Way of Living, Not Limiting
The Balanced Plate Keto Cookbook doesn’t sell you a diet. It invites you into a lifestyle built on awareness, confidence, and flavor. Monika Jensen redefines keto not as something restrictive, but as something expensive, a way to care for yourself and the people you love through food that nourishes and satisfies.
The more I cook from this book, the more I realize that balance isn’t just something we achieve on our plates. It’s something we build in our lives, one thoughtful choice at a time.
Keto, when done this way, isn’t about what you give up. It’s about what you gain, clarity, strength, energy, and peace of mind.
The Balanced Plate turned keto into a celebration, not a sacrifice. And that’s a mindset worth keeping.
Discover The Balanced Plate Keto Cookbook
Transform the way you think about food with The Balanced Plate: Healthy Recipes with Keto Alternatives by Monika L. Jensen—a cookbook that teaches you how to balance nutrition, flavor, and joy in every meal.
Explore more at chefmonikajensen.com or find it on Amazon.
