Will Cooking with an Instant Pot make you Fat?
The one downside of being a foodie or a keen cook is that food contains calories. Those calories are consumed and along with fats and sugars help to add pounds to your body. Of course, eating a sensible diet and taking regular exercise can counteract this unwanted side effect but still, it remains that some foods and cooking methods are not diet-friendly.
There are many methods and techniques that can be employed in cooking and some of the tastiest dishes are the ones that are bad for you. Is an Instant Pot a good way to cook healthy food or does the way it operates mean that you will be fighting the bulge?
What is an Instant Pot?
You could essentially describe the Instant Pot as a souped-up pressure cooker. These types of cookers have been around for years but now the Instant Pot has upped the game by cooking quickly just like a pressure cooker but also by being fitted with a host of extra features.
An Instant Pot cooks through a combination of high temperature and steam which results in pressure being created which cooks the ingredients quickly. They can also slow cook and perform some other cooking methods too depending on which model you purchase.
What sort of food would you cook in an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot can cook a variety of different meals so there is a definite risk that you could spend a lot of time making tasty treats. But, if you are looking to eat healthily and avoid foods that are bad for losing weight then there is no problem. The Instant Pot can cook a variety of healthy meals. It is just your own will power that is needed.
Can you use the cooker to aid in a healthy lifestyle?
An Instant Pot is ideal for those who are trying to improve how they live but have difficulty with their schedules. It is also ideal for beginners when it comes to cooking as you can literally choose from one of the many recipes at corrie cooks and then throw the ingredients in the pot.
One of the features of the pot is that it can be pre-programmed, this means that you could set the timer after putting all the ingredients in and then go to the gym. When you come back the meal is ready. This could also be done before you go to work in the morning so that you don’t have to worry about cooking and have time to exercise.
You could also say that the ease of use combined with the time-saving features means you have fewer excuses to eat out or phone the takeaway so often.
How would an Instant Pot help with eating healthily?
There are many healthy foods that can help with a diet plan but how you cook them will also make a difference. For example, you could take a variety of lovely, fresh vegetables and coat them in batter and deep fry them. Those healthy vegetables are now soaked in fat and calories.
Generally, when cooking with the Instant Pot you won’t be using any oil so there is minimal added fat. Of course, you could choose recipes that include heavy creams and cheeses but there is no need as there are many healthy recipes available. An Instant Pot essentially cooks with moisture and all of that will be from the ingredients you add plus any extra water or stock. Therefore your meals from the pot will be moist, tender, and importantly, low in fat.
What health benefits are there to using an Instant Pot?
Well, it depends on what you cook as you could enjoy the food so much that it negates the benefits but eating a balanced diet can help in many areas. The pot itself cannot improve your health but if used wisely you could find yourself eating less fat, less sugar, more vegetables, and less fried food.
The health benefits of this could result in losing weight, improving blood pressure, lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease. A healthy diet can help with sleep deprivation and research has shown it can help with anxiety and depression.
Summary
An Instant Pot could indeed make you fat if you cook the wrong meals and eat too much. Luckily the way it cooks means you are likely to be eating dishes that contain much less fat than usual. The faster cooking times also result in the food keeping more nutrients and vitamins in than other cooking methods including steaming.
Unfortunately, the Instant Pot can only help as part of a balanced lifestyle but with the timer and pre programming features, it can be used as part of your fitness and health regime. If you do slip and decide you want a treat there are even attachments so you can have food that tastes fried but uses air to cook instead of oil.
