30 Low Carb Healthy Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

If you haven’t hopped on the Instant Pot love train, it may be time. Healthy instant pot meals have taken the internet by storm and healthy eating advocates have realized how much an Instant pot can change your life! If you’re looking to lose weight, a kitchen appliance may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but you’d be surprised to find out all the benefits of this amazing cooking gadget! Intrigued? Read on!

What is an Instant Pot?

An instant pot is a multi-cooker that takes on the job of pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming, yogurt making and more! If there’s one tool you need for your kitchen, an instant pot is it. Not only do you save money by not having to buy all these items separately, it also clears up counter and cupboard space you would lose having to store them.

Instant Pots have built-in heating devices and an internal thermostat to make cooking a breeze. All you need is an electrical outlet, your ingredients and you’re good to go!

Just throw all your food into the instant pot and it cooks it for you in a single pot. You can even cook frozen veggies and meat since the instant pot defrosts and then cooks the food. It comes with preset programs depending on what you’re cooking, so you can rest easy that you’ll have a perfectly cooked meal!

How Can Cooking with an Instant Pot Help Me Lose Weight?

With busy schedules and so many convenient take out food options, many people aren’t cooking at home anymore. Eating fast food and eating out in general, is one of the biggest contributors to weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle.

People are turned off from cooking at home because they think it will take too long or it’s too complicated, and it can be. But if you want to lose weight, you need to cook your own meals, and an instant pot makes home cooking easy and convenient! There are so many healthy instant pot ideas out there, from instant pot meals with meat to vegan instant pot recipes. There’s something for everyone!

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Using an instant pot is a great way to get your vegetables, proteins and vitamins all in one meal. Plus, an instant pot makes it easy to make and save leftovers for the week. If you’re always stuck on what to bring to work and end up buying your lunch every day, an instant pot will keep you from having to do so!

Are Instant Pots and Pressure Cookers the Same Thing?

An Instant Pot is an electrical brand of pressure cookers. Traditional stove top pressure cookers goes right on your gas or electrical range. You’re limited to cooking on low pressure or high pressure, so you have to adjust via your stove range.

With an Instant Pot, you don’t have to watch it on the stove like you would a stove top pressure cooker. You can set it and forget it, choosing your cook time or type of food, and the timer will let you know when it’s done.

There are also electrical pressure cookers. These don’t have the slow cooking function or the delay timer like the Instant Pot does. The delay timer is ideal for when you want to have food perfectly timed for when you get home or when you wake up in the morning. It allows you to plan ahead and it’s one of the favourite features for Instant Pot users!

4 Things to Consider When Buying an Instant Pot

1. It cooks two to six times faster than conventional cooking methods
The instant pot saves you tons of time, cooking braises like pulled pork and beef stew in under an hour!

2. It doesn’t always save time
Although it cooks some foods faster, making something like soup would take the same amount of time on a stove top. However, if you plan on making a lot of meals that usually take lots of time to cook, then it’s incredibly ideal!

3. It’s not ideal for small kitchens
An Instant Pot isn’t designed for small kitchens or kitchens without counter space. It takes up quite a bit of real estate, so make sure you’ll use it enough to justify having it in your kitchen.

4. There are plenty of healthy instant pot recipes
Due to the popularity of the Instant Pot, you’ll never be in short supply of healthy recipes. Check out 30 healthy instant pot recipes below!

10 Keto Approved Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

1. Lemon Garlic Salmon | The Natural Nurturer
2. Ropa Vieja | My Heart Beets
3. Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo | Stay Snatched
4. Beef Bourguignon | Savory Tooth
5. Low Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup | Kalyn’s Kitchen
6. Keto Crack Chicken | The Keto Queens
7. Boneless Pork Chops | Eating on a Dime
8. Mexican Braised Beef | Health Starts in the Kitchen
9. Chicken Jalapeno Pepper Soup | This Old Gal
10. Spinach Artichoke Chicken | How to This and That

10 Weight Watchers Instant Pot Recipes [with Points]

1. Beef and Barley Stew | Slender Kitchen (7 Points)
2. Chicken and Dumplings | Meal Planning Mommies (5 Points)
3. Unstuffed Cabbage Bowls | SkinnyTaste (8 Points)
4. Beef Drip Sandwiches | Slender Kitchen (8 Points)
5. Turkey Meatball Stroganoff | SkinnyTaste (7 Points)
6. Chicken Curry with Potatoes | Cookin’ Canuck (9 Points)
7. White Bean and Bacon Soup | Skinny Kitchen (1 Point)
8. Mango Pineapple Chicken | Pressure Cooker Meals (0 Points)
9. Salsa Chicken | The Holy Mess (0 Points)
10. Sweet Potato Lentil Soup | Cookin’ Canuck (3 Points)

10 21-Day Fix Instant Pot Recipes

1. Broccoli Cheese Soup | The Foodie and the Fix
2. Beef Gyros | My Crazy Good Life
3. Asian Chicken Thighs | Confessions of a Fit Foodie
4. Pork Roast with Mushroom Gravy | Health Starts in the Kitchen
5. Chicken Fennel Soup | Paleo Cajun Lady
6. Burrito Bowl | My Crazy Good Life
7. Balsamic Chicken | Confessions of a Fit Foodie
8. Korean Beef | Cookies and Cups
9. Mac and Cheese | Confessions of a Fit Foodie
10. Swedish Meatballs | My Crazy Good Life

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The Instant Pot is one of the most popular kitchen tools right now, and for good reason! Get yourself one today and whip up these recipes for epic weight loss!

Did you love these healthy Instant Pot recipes? Please share this post on Pinterest!

30 Low Carb Healthy Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Loss (1)

And if you’re looking for more health recipes, make sure to follow our Food board!

30 Low Carb Healthy Instant Pot Recipes for Weight Loss (2024)

FAQs

Does cooking for yourself help you lose weight? ›

And it's really worth doing, especially if you're trying to lose weight. “Home-cooked meals tend to be lower in calories, added sugar, and sodium compared to restaurant meals,” says Julie Upton, R.D., a registered dietitian and co-founder of the nutrition news company Appetite for Health in San Francisco.

How can I lose weight without knowing how to cook? ›

Ways to Eat Healthy Without Having to Cook
  1. Precooked Whole Grains. 1/13. ...
  2. Frozen Veggies. 2/13. ...
  3. Precooked Chicken Strips. 3/13. ...
  4. That's a Wrap. 4/13. ...
  5. Deli Chicken. 5/13. ...
  6. Lower-Sodium Soups. 6/13. ...
  7. Canned Salmon. 7/13. ...
  8. Ready-to-Eat Boiled Eggs. 8/13.
Aug 28, 2023

How do you split meals to lose weight? ›

When it's time to eat, most of us pack more calories into a meal than we need. Koff suggests splitting your meals into mini-meals consumed every three hours during the day. This way, Koff says you'll give your body the fuel it needs for optimal energy, without extra that can be stored as fat.

Can you lose weight while cooking? ›

That's right. Cooking more meals at home and sharpening some basic kitchen skills is associated with weight loss, eating fewer calories and fat, and eating more nutritious foods, according to a study of more than 9,000 people published in Public Health Nutrition.

What cooking methods are the most effective to lose weight? ›

✓ Season food with herbs, spices, lemon juice, red wine vinegar or salsa rather than butter, creams and sauces. ✓ Use low fat cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, microwaving, poaching and steaming.

Can diet alone reduce belly fat? ›

Intra-abdominal fat can be reduced by diet and/or exercise, but there is no general agreement on the most effective way to reduce fat in this specific area.

What is the fastest way to lose weight without? ›

10 Simple Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting
  1. Swap Beverages. Skip sodas, including diet sodas, and high-calorie coffee drinks. ...
  2. Prioritize Sleep.
  3. Eat Early in the Day. ...
  4. Choose a Smaller Plate. ...
  5. Keep a Food Journal. ...
  6. Sign Up for a Newsletter. ...
  7. Use a Fitness Tracker. ...
  8. Take the Stairs.
Sep 12, 2021

How can I eat healthy while eating out? ›

Order Wisely
  1. Choose baked, steamed, grilled, or broiled instead of fried, breaded, crispy, or creamy to reduce fat and calories.
  2. Ask for veggies instead of fries or other high-calorie side dishes.
  3. Avoid items that seem healthy but aren't, such as salads loaded with dressing, cheese, croutons, and bacon.

Can you eat healthy and not cook? ›

Can you eat healthy without cooking? If you don't feel like cooking, or can't face the kitchen, it doesn't mean you have to miss out on healthy, nutritious food. You can still get a healthy balanced diet from pre-made and packaged food if you read the food labels.

What is the 2 meals a day meal plan for weight loss? ›

The premise of 2 Meal Day is that by eating just two meals in a day — either breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, thus introducing a daily 16-hour fasting period — you can retrain your body to become "fat adapted," meaning you burn stored body fat for energy, rather than being dependent on sugars from food.

What is a good eating schedule to lose weight? ›

1: Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day. Make lunch mid-size and dinner the smallest. 2: Eat dinner four hours before bedtime, rather than right before bedtime. 3: Eat lunch earlier, and always before 3 p.m.

How many calories should I eat to lose 2 pounds a week? ›

Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity. Depending on your weight, 5% of your current weight may be a realistic goal, at least for an initial goal.

Does cooking with an air fryer help you lose weight? ›

Using air fryers can promote weight loss

A higher intake of fried foods has direct links with higher obesity risk. This is because deep fried foods tend to be high in fat and calories. Switching from deep-fried foods to air-fried foods and reducing regular intake of unhealthful oils can promote weight loss.

Does chicken lose weight when cooked? ›

Chicken typically shrinks by about 25% to 30% when cooked. This shrinkage occurs due to the loss of moisture as the chicken is exposed to heat. Keep this in mind when preparing meals with chicken, especially if you need to serve a specific amount of cooked chicken.

Will I lose weight if I burn what I eat? ›

Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple. If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight. In the past, research found about 3,500 calories of energy equaled about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat.

Is it better to cook for yourself? ›

Benefits of cooking for one

One of the easiest ways to improve your mental and physical health is by preparing more meals at home. Cooking for yourself gives you greater control over the ingredients in your meals, enabling you to cut down on the additives and calories often loaded into takeout and convenience food.

Are people who cook at home healthier? ›

A study from the University of Washington School of Public Health revealed that people who cook at home tend to have healthier overall diets without higher food expenses.

Is it good to cook for yourself? ›

You eat fewer calories without even realizing it.

That's because when you cook for yourself, you control which ingredients you use and their quantities, explains nutritional counselor Sarah Jacobs, cofounder of the Wellness Project NYC, a consultancy that works with corporations to promote good health among employees.

How much weight is lost in cooking? ›

When you cook meat, poultry, or fish, they usually shrink by around 25 percent. So, when you buy raw meat, keep this in mind. For instance, if you want each person to have 200g slices of meat after cooking, you should buy about 250g of raw meat to start with.

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