It is easy to get carried away with eating unhealthy meals especially when you have a tight schedule. For most people, the major aim of eating especially when they are busy is to keep hunger away.
Little attention is paid to the nutritional value of the food. Many instant pot owners are guilty of this.
The fact that it's called an instant pot and is designed to make cooking easier and faster doesn't mean that you should neglect the nutritional value of the food.
There are myriads of healthy and wholesome recipes that you can make in your instant pot within a short time.
In this post, we will be examining 7 healthy and wholesome recipes that you can cook in your instant pot.
Let's get started.
1. Instant Pot Chicken Meatballs and Marinara
This recipe is healthy and easy to make especially for weeknight meals. It gets ready in just 5 minutes. Below is the list of ingredients you will be needing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoon garlic flakes
- 2 pounds of ground chicken
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ cup of water
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Basil Marinara
- One 24-oz primal kitchen tomato
Instructions
- Spray a thin coating of oil on the bottom of the instant pot
- Add water and the marinara sauce.
- Get a large bowl and mix the chicken, seasonings, and almond flour and mix with your hand.
- When well mixed, begin to roll into one-inch meatballs.
- Place the meatballs into the pot, begin by layering the bottom but don't cram them.
- When the bottom has been layered, add a second layer of meatballs by placing the remaining meatballs on top of the first layer.
- Repeat the process until you have exhausted the meatballs.
- Close the lid, seal the valve, and leave to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, do a quick release and serve.
2. Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
This gluten-free recipe tastes like Chinese takeout but it is a lot healthier and wholesome. It can be served with cauliflower rice, broccoli, spaghetti squash, or any meal of your choice.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sugar-free Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds of skinless and boneless chicken breast (cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces)
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon arrowroot flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup raw / lightly salted cashews
- 2 tablespoon water
- gluten-free mayo
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix coconut aminos, garlic, five-spice, ginger, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, Ketchup, coconut sugar, honey, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well and set aside.
- In a different bowl, coat the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the Instant Pot and set to "saute"
- Sear the chicken in the hot oil for 1 or 2 minutes and press "cancel"
- Pour the sauce into the instant pot and stir to mix it well with the chicken.
- Cover the lid, seal the valve, press "manual" and set the time to 10 minutes.
- Shortly before the cooking ends mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour and 2 tablespoons of water and leave to dissolve.
- When the cooking ends, quickly release the pressure and open the lid. Set the pot to "saute" add the dissolved arrowroot flour mixture and whisk into the sauce.
- Add the cashews and continue stirring until the sauce thickens. You can add more arrowroot flour mixture if you want your sauce to be thicker.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve.
3. Instant Pot Egg Salad
This is one of the best egg salad recipes you will come across, it is creamy, nutritious, and heart-healthy.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- ¼ diced celery
- ⅓ cup mayo (homemade or regular)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
- Get a circular baking or casserole dish that fits in your instant pot and spray it with cooking oil.
- Crack the eggs into the dish
- Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot and place the trivet in the bottom of the pot.
- Place the baking dish on the trivet and cover the lid.
- Cook for five minutes with manual pressure.
- When the cooking ends, manually release the pressure, open the pot and bring out the dish.
- Remove the egg loaf from the dish and place it on a chopping board and chop.
- In a large bowl mix the egg with celery, mayo, pepper, and salt. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
4. Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
This is another simple and healthy instant pot side dish recipe. You can make both roasted and boiled potatoes in your Instant Pot. This recipe is for boiled potatoes. You only need two ingredients to make this yummy recipe.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup of water
- 4 raw sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes until clean.
- Add water to the instant pot and place the trivet in the pot
- Place the potatoes on the trivet.
- Cover the pot with the lid and seal.
- Set the pot to manual mode and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes.
- When the cooking ends, naturally release pressure for about 15 minutes and remove the lid.
- Serve hot.
5. Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
Cooking spaghetti squash in the instant pot is less time-consuming when compared with cooking on the stovetop. This recipe gets ready in 11 minutes. Below are the ingredients you will be needing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Wash the outside of the spaghetti squash with dish soap and a scrub brush.
- Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half.
- Scoop out the squash and seed from the spaghetti squash.
- Spray olive oil on the spaghetti squash and rub all over the open end of the squash.
- Add pepper and salt to the spaghetti squash
- Add water to the instant pot, put the trivet on the pot, and place the spaghetti squash on the trivet with the cut sides facing up.
- Cool on manual for 6 minutes and quickly release pressure when the cooking ends.
- Take out the spaghetti squash from the pot and pull off the spaghetti flesh using a fork and serve.
6. Instant Pot Cinnamon Rolls
This list will be incomplete without a healthy instant pot dessert recipe. For this instant pot cinnamon rolls recipe, you need the following.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon ground
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted and cooled)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the rolls
- 1 cup milk
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups of water for the Instant Pot.
Instructions
- Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl
- Add the butter and milk and mix until a dough is formed.
- Knead the dough gently until it is smooth and set aside.
- Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in another bowl.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 9 by 12 inches.
- Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon mixture.
- Starting from the long side of the dough, roll it into a log.
- Cut into 8 pieces
- Line a springform that fits into your Instant Pot with baking paper and put the cinnamon rolls in it.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot, place the trivet in it and place the rolls on the trivet.
- Close the pot and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure.
- Naturally, release pressure when the cooking ends then open the pot and enjoy your cinnamon rolls.
7. Instant Pot Weeknight Ragu
This is the perfect recipe for busy days. Within just 30 minutes this vegetable-laden pot of goodness will be ready.
Ingredients
- 2 roughly chopped large carrot
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 1 roughly chopped large onion
- 454 grammars Italian sausage
- 1 large bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 cups spinach leaves (blended)
- 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- Two 28oz can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ to ⅛ crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Mash the meat in a food processor or with a potato masher.
- Heat the Instant Pot with the "saute" setting and add the meat when it's hot.
- Cook the meat for about 5 to 7 minutes till it is browned.
- Add the chopped carrot, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper to the meat.
- Add the broth, red wine, crush tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil to the Instant Pot and stir.
- Close the pot and cook on high pressure for about fifteen minutes.
- When the cooking ends do a quick pressure release for about 5 minutes and open the lid.
- Add the blended spinach and mix.
- Serve with any base of your choice.
Conclusion
There you have it, 7 Wholesome recipes that you can make with your instant pot. You can tweak the recipes to suit your taste, especially if there is a substitute ingredient you prefer to use, but ensure that it doesn't alter the taste. Also ensure you adhere to the cooking time, to avoid overcooking your vegetables.
Which of these healthy recipes are you going to give a try this weekend?
Let's hear about it.
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