Quick & Easy Low Sodium Instant Pot Recipes for Healthy Meals

Cook Flavorful Low Sodium Meals Quickly with These Instant Pot Recipes

The Instant Pot has revolutionized home cooking, making it easy to prepare delicious meals in a fraction of the usual time. However, many Instant Pot recipes are loaded with sodium from canned soups, stocks, tomatoes, and seasoning mixes.

For those looking to reduce their sodium intake due to high blood pressure, heart disease, or other health issues, the good news is that you can still use your Instant Pot to make amazing low sodium meals. With a few simple ingredient swaps and smart seasoning strategies, you can easily adapt Instant Pot recipes to be low sodium.

Tips for Reducing Sodium in Instant Pot Recipes

Here are some helpful tips for cutting down on salt in Instant Pot meals:

• Use low sodium or no salt added stocks and broths.
• Replace canned beans, tomatoes, etc. with low sodium or no salt added varieties.
• Skip seasoning salt mixes and instead use herbs, spices, vinegar, citrus, etc.
• Adapt recipes to use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned.
• Leave out or reduce soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and other condiments.
• Use unsalted nuts, seeds, butter, and cream for richness.
• Finish dishes with fresh herbs, lemon, pepper, and other salt-free flavors.

Low Sodium Instant Pot Recipes

Here are some delicious, nutritious low sodium recipes to make in your Instant Pot:

Low Sodium Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 ounces whole wheat noodles
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Place chicken, broth, celery, onions, carrots, thyme and bay leaf in Instant Pot.
2. Secure lid and set to high pressure for 15 minutes.
3. Release pressure. Remove chicken and shred with two forks.
4. Return chicken to pot and add noodles. Secure lid and cook on high pressure 6 minutes.
5. Release pressure and stir in peas.
6. Garnish bowls of soup with fresh parsley.

Low Sodium Vegetable Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in Instant Pot.
2. Secure lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
3. Allow natural release, then serve.

Low Sodium Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed
• 4 cups water
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Hot sauce, to taste

Instructions:

1. Place beans, water, vegetables and seasonings in Instant Pot.
2. Secure lid and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
3. Release pressure and add rice. Secure lid and cook 20 minutes more.
4. Stir in lemon juice and hot sauce before serving.

Low Sodium Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 3 cups water
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Chopped walnuts for topping

Instructions:

1. Combine oats, water, banana, cinnamon and nutmeg in Instant Pot.
2. Secure lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
3. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in brown sugar and divide into bowls.
5. Top with chopped walnuts before serving.

Low Sodium Vegetable Biryani

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1 cup peas
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Place rice, cauliflower, green beans, peas, onion, garlic and ginger in Instant Pot.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Secure lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
3. Release pressure. Stir in garam masala and cilantro.
4. Top each serving with dollop of Greek yogurt.

More Tips for Maintaining Low Sodium Intake

In addition to choosing low sodium Instant Pot recipes, keep these tips in mind:

• Read nutrition labels to compare sodium content
• Flavor food with herbs, spices, citrus, vinegar instead of salt
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Avoid salted nuts, chips, pretzels, and other snacks
• Buy low or reduced sodium versions of condiments
• Skip the salt shaker and remove it from the table

With a little creativity and these simple swaps, you can easily reduce the sodium in your Instant Pot meals and continue to enjoy fast, healthy pressure cooker recipes.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.