8 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes We’re Loving for Winter
Updated: Jan. 27, 2020
Combat the winter sniffles and blues with these Instant Pot recipes.
Instant Pots are still popular and with good reason.
These gadgets save valuable time since they don’t need the constant attention required for stove-top cooking. Plus, there’s only one pot to clean. The highly pressurized environment combines steam and heat to cook food quickly. And, best of all, the nutrition benefits abound with the pressure cooking method. Steaming food decreases the amount of nutrients lost in boiling water or ultra-hot cooking methods. Food scientists’ research in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition shows pressure cooking increases the availability of carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin), as well as vitamin C and other antioxidants, when compared to other cooking methods.
These Instant Pot recipes will have you eating in comfort all season long.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Here’s a plant-based breakfast for the win. New York-based dietitian and chef Abbie Gellman, RD, shares her Peanut Butter Oatmeal recipe. “Oats are one of the most nutrient-dense foods we eat on a daily basis. This means for every calorie, oats contain a large amount of nutrients like manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B5, and vitamin B1. Oats are also higher in protein than many other grains.”
Sorghum Succotash
Have you tried succotash? According to Gellman, owner of Culinary Nutrition Cuisine, “My version has edamame, corn, red pepper, and the gluten-free ancient grain sorghum. My Instant Pot Vegan Sorghum Succotash is simple to make, full of flavour, and provides a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. It makes a great side dish or it can be served as a vegetarian main dish.”
Chicken Jambalaya
Judy Barbe, RDN, a dietitian nutritionist and the author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest offers a great meal prep recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Jambalaya. “I boosted the healthy quotient with more vegetables and used brown rice rather than white rice,” Barbe says. Flavours develop over time and it may stretch to two or three meals.
Marinated Mushrooms
Mushrooms tout nutrition benefits like potassium, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins including folate, in a low-calorie package. Combining them with onions, herbs, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar makes a simple yet elegant side dish for any meal. This Marinated Mushroom recipe is fancy enough for special occasions, too.
Lentil Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin is super rich in potassium, vitamin A and fibre. Using the canned version is very convenient, while making this high-fibre Lentil Pumpkin Soup rich and creamy without the fat calories.
(Psst: Check out our roundup of healthy comfort soup recipes to try now.)
Chicken Tikka Masala
Looking for a warm, satisfying, and spicy meal for your pressure cooker? Then this one is for you. Tracee Yablon Brenner, RD, a registered dietitian and certified holistic health counsellor of Triad to Wellness, created this tasty and healthy version of Chicken Tikka Masala, packed with cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots and spices. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, or a dinner party.
Vegetable Barley Soup
This completely vegan recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Barley Soup calls upon the flavours of mirepoix—the classic French trifecta of onions, carrots, and celery. Sharon Palmer, RDN, the plant-powered dietitian nutritionist, advises, “You can mix up this recipe a bit by swapping out some of the veggies—for example, try bell pepper, green beans, or peas instead of celery, carrots, or mushrooms. You can also trade barley for another grain, such as quinoa, farro, or sorghum. To make it richer and more satisfying, add one cup of lentils.”
Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
Palmer also shares, “This Black-Eyed Peas and Greens recipe features the classic food traditions of the South. The peas are a plant-based protein source—rich in protein, fibre, and nutrients. When paired with greens and served with whole-grain bread or cornbread, it’s a quick, easy healthful meal in one.”
Next, learn tips that will help even the busiest people prepare nutritious home-cooked dishes in no time.
Next, learn easy hacks to speed up kitchen prep.
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