Eating healthy can be difficult, especially in this day and age. As much as we’d like to eat home-cooked meals all the time, there are just days when popping into a restaurant is so much more convenient. After all, you just sit at a table and order what you feel like eating from the menu- does satisfying hunger get any easier? The pros of eating out ultimately end there, however, for the dishes that you order tend to be loaded with sodium and fat. Sure, the food might taste good, but it’s in no way healthy to be eaten on a regular basis.
Despite that, countless individuals choose to eat their meals out every day. While there’s no issue with that on a short-term basis, things can quickly get out of hand over time, especially once you’ve committed to such a lifestyle. Perhaps one of the most common issues with this is obesity. As you probably know, obesity has grown increasingly worse in the United States over the past decade. If anything, the abundance of fast food restaurants has left more and more young people with unhealthy diets.
How can we fix this? Obviously, the solution would be to eat out less. While that in itself may help some, however, most would struggle with having to cook their own meals at home- especially if they’ve grown used to eating out. This is understandable; after all, who would want to stand in front of a hot stove in order to prepare something after a long day at work?
Luckily for us, a group of individuals has created something that will allow us to whip up yummy meals, without having to do any of that. Enter the Instant Pot- an electronic multi-cooker that gives you the ability to cook a variety of dishes with the press of a button.
The Instant Pot – How Can It Help with Eating Healthy?
Known for consolidating multiple kitchen appliances into one, the Instant Pot has grown extremely popular over the past few years. Often referred to as a 7-in-1, the multi-cooker boasts a wide array of functions- not only is it able to pull off a delicious meatloaf, but it can also be used to make the most delicious of soups, and tons more.
What the Instant Pot Can be Used As:
– Food Steamer
– Saute Pan
– Slow Cooker
– Pressure Cooker
– Food Warmer
– Yogurt Maker
– Rice Cooker
How Does the Instant Pot Help With Eating Healthy?
One of the most amazing things about the Instant Pot is that it’s able to cook up to 70% faster than traditional methods. What does this mean? Less time needed for cooking = greater convenience.
Not only that, but the cooker comes with over a dozen preset smart programs, which allow you to cook a variety of dishes with the press of a button. Simply pop the ingredients into the pot, select the mode, and go! Hopefully, with how easy cooking becomes, you’ll find yourself not having to eat out as often.
But wait there’s more- for those who want to come home to a freshly cooked meal, there’s the delayed start function. Exactly as it sounds, it allows you to set when you want the Instant Pot to start cooking, so that everything will be done by the time you’re home. With this, you can easily get dinner out of the way by popping the ingredients into the cooker in the morning.
Top 5 Instant Pot Healthy Recipes
For those who’d like to take it a step further, we will be sharing some of our favorite healthy recipes below. Not only are the dishes perfect for the health-conscious individual, but they’re also amazingly delicious! Without further ado, here they are.
1.) Homemade Chicken StockÂ
Homemade broth can be used to flavor a variety of dishes from beans to rice! Why buy it in canned form when you can just make it at home?
Ingredients needed:
– Chicken carcass (leftovers of a roasted chicken works well as well)
– Vegetables such as onions, celery, carrots
– Salt for seasoning
Instructions:
1.) Place the chicken into the pot, as well as the veggies
2.)Â Add water up to the maximum fill line, or until it reaches 2/3 of the way up
3.)Â Close and lock the lid, making sure that the vent is closed. Cook for 30 minutes on high pressure
4.) Once it’s cooked for 30 minutes, allow the pressure to release for ~15 minutes.
5.) Carefully pour and strain the chicken stock into a bowl; discard chicken and veggies. After it cools to room temperature, place in the refrigerator.
Health Tip: After a few hours, take the chicken stock out of the fridge- you’ll notice that the fat has risen and solidified at the surface. You can easily use a spoon to skim off the fat.
6.) If stored in an air-tight container, the stock can be kept up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Note: You can easily change up the recipe by substituting the chicken with other meats such as pork.
2.) Instant Pot Beef Stew
Delicious and easy to make, this Instant Pot Beef Stew is guaranteed to be packed with flavor.
Ingredients:
– 1-1.5 pound of beef stew meat
– 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
– 2 tablespoons of water
– 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
– 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or butter)
– 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
– 2 cloves of garlic (mixed)
– 1 large onion (chopped)
– 1 pound of carrots
– 1 pound of potatoes (cubed for best results)
– 2 cups of beef broth
– Salt and pepper as needed
Don’t let the long list of ingredients overwhelm you, this recipe is incredibly easy!
Instructions:
1.) Using the saute function, add the olive oil to the inner pot. Once it starts sizzling, you can add the beef. Afterward, season with salt and pepper.
2.) Once the meat has been browned on all sides, add the beef broth.
3.) Add the tomato paste, potatoes, onion, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce into the pot.
4.) Close the lid and steam valve and cook for 35 minutes on high pressure.
5.) Allow the pressure to naturally release, before opening the pot to mix in cornstarch and water. Stir until the stew is thickened.
3.) Soy Sauce Eggs
Ingredients:
– 4 to 8 large eggs
– 3/4 cup of soy sauce
Health Tip: Use low-sodium soy sauce for less sodium content!
– 6 tablespoon of water
– 1 tablespoon of sugar
Instructions:
1.) Whisk together the water and the sugar in a medium bowl. Next, stir in the soy sauce. Set aside.
2.) Prepare an ice bath with water and ice in bowl, set aside.
3.)Â Add one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place the steamer rack at the bottom, and carefully set the eggs on the top rack.
4.) On manual mode, make sure the vent is set to sealing before setting it to high pressure for two minutes. After cooking is complete, release the pressure.
5.) Remove from pot, and place in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
6.) Remove the egg from ice bath and gently peel away the shell. Once peeled, place the eggs in the marinade, ensuring that they are fully covered. Leave overnight for best results.
4.) Instant Pot Oatmeal
Delicious and easy to make, you can make your own bowl of oatmeal in a matter of minutes! Follow along if you’re interested.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup of steel cut oats
– 3 cups of water
– Optional toppings and spices (e.g. cinnamon, apple, etc.)
Instructions:
1.) Place the oats into the inner pot. Next, add the water.
2.) Close the lid and vent.
3.) Using manual mode, set it to cook for 3 minutes.
4.) Once the oats are done, release the pressure naturally.
5.) Open the lid and give the oatmeal a good stir before adding toppings of your choice such as cinnamon or apple.
5.) Moroccan Chicken
Packed with flavour, the Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken can be made in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
– 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs
– 1.5 cup of chicken broth
– 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa
– 1 can of drained chickpeas
– 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
– 1 large onion (diced)
– 2 garlic cloves (minced)
– 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
– 1 teaspoon of paprika
– 1 teaspoon of turmeric
– 3 tablespoons of olive oil
– salt and pepper as needed for seasoning
Instructions:
1.) Mix together the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and turmeric in a small bowl.
2.) Coat the chicken thighs with the rub, as evenly as possible
3.) Add 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot
4.) Using saute mode, cook the chicken in the pot until it is slightly brown. Remove and set aside on plate.
5.) Add the remaining 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot
6.) Add the ginger, onions and garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Next, add the chicken broth, chicken peas, quinoa and finally the browned chicken into the pot.
7.) Set it to cook for 10 minutes on the Poultry setting.
8.) Once the cooking is complete, turn the knob to venting for quick release
9.) Carefully open the lid, remove chicken from the pot. Set on plate and serve.
…and there you have it! A handful of healthy recipes to try out with your Instant Pot. Believe us, it’s a lot easier to eat healthier when you’ve got a bunch of recipes at your disposal!
