100 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Are Instant Pot meals healthy? ›

Cooking in an “instant pot” or pressure cooker is a great method for preparing your food on many levels — including the nutritional level, according to registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD. “Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says.

In fact, there are a handful of foods that just shouldn't be pressure-cooked. Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks.

Pressure-cooked meat-based dishes show a significant reduction in unsaturated fat contents, but it appears that iron is not lost. In addition to making foods like grains and legumes more digestible, pressure cooking does not create any of the unhealthy chemicals associated with baking and grilling methods.

Often, this means that there's not enough liquid in the pot or that the liquid hasn't reached all the bottom corners of the pot, which is easy to fix by adding more liquid. You may also need to let your pot cool down if you've been sautéing on high heat for a while.

Con– The Instant Pot uses steam under pressure to cook food and not everything is meant to be cooked in the Instant Pot. I attempted a crustless quiche which turned out well but it was too wet and moist to my liking and I prefer to cook it in the oven with dry heat.

When it comes to preserving nutrients, the Instant Pot's high-pressure cooking generally wins the battle. If you're looking for quick, healthy meals with minimal nutrient loss, the Instant Pot is your go-to. For rich, complex flavors and fall-off-the-bone tenderness, the slow cooker takes the crown.

Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy products to curdle or separate, ruining the texture, taste and flavour of the dish. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers.

No, it doesn't. The speediness at which Instant Pots cook might seem like a cause for concern, but according to the majority of scientific evidence, it isn't. One 1995 study dubbed pressure cooking the best out of several other cooking methods because the pressure-cooked foods retained more nutrients than the others.

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

Instant Pot Prop 65 Warning:

The Prop 65 Warning is usually issued when the appliance is found to host carcinogens that potentially make humans vulnerable to developing tumours or cancer.

Can bacteria survive Instant Pot? ›

Not only did Instant Pot's pressure cooker manage to do away with food-spoiling bacteria, but it actually proved to have disinfecting capabilities that are on par with those of an autoclave, a scientific tool that hospitals and scientific institutions often use for sterilizing equipment.

Is it healthy to cook rice in a pressure cooker? Yes, cooking rice is one the best pressure cooker uses, and is not just a common practice but a healthy one too! It's like the unsung hero of every kitchen, making the rice-cooking game a breeze.

"In reality, Instant Pot's owners borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars and spent a significant chunk of that money on R&D, developing new products and employing lots of people in the process." This was a high-risk strategy — one that failed, but it's not necessarily all bad for everyone in Instant Brand's orbit.

Not adding any liquid to the Instant Pot.

Without sufficient liquid, pressure won't build — and you'll likely get the dreaded “burn” error. Follow this tip: Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, use just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure.

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

Unfortunately, most ready-made meals are high in energy, saturated fats and sodium and are often low in fibre and micronutrients.

Cooking with a pressure cooker locks in and preserves every ounce of nutrient goodness in your food with its sealed lid. It's like a nutrient-saving superhero, ensuring your meals are not just tasty but healthy too.

Though instant ramen noodles provide iron, B vitamins and manganese, they lack fiber, protein and other crucial vitamins and minerals. Additionally, their MSG, TBHQ and high sodium contents may negatively affect health, such as by increasing your risk of heart disease, stomach cancer and metabolic syndrome.

Such risks include obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and various cardiovascular conditions. This is because most fast food is high in sugar, salt, saturated fat, trans fats, processed ingredients, and calories. It is also generally low in antioxidants, fiber, and many other nutrients.