** Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for us (at absolutely no extra cost for you). Please know that we only recommend tools, products, and companies that we personally use and love. We always have our readers’ best interests at heart.
There is a common misconception that eating a healthy vegan diet is expensive. Many people think it costs too much, and feel this is a barrier preventing them from trying a plant-based diet. Today we are going to look at why this couldn’t be further from the truth, which is that the fruits and veggies in your cart will cost less than the meat and dairy products that are the staple of the Standard American Diet. But mostly, this is to beat our drums for the Instant Pot. It is one of the most used appliances in our kitchen.
So, let’s begin by telling you about the benefits of using the Instant Pot. Using this versatile small appliance helps to save your time and money. Using the pressure cooking function will enable you to save time getting your nutritious meal on the table in 70% less time. Just that one function of the Instant Pot makes a huge profit in time for you. Question–how much is your time worth? What can you do with that time?
But this device has SO many different functions. We’ve introduced you to the pressure cooking function, but it can do so much more. The IP is also a rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sous vide, sauté, food warmer, cake maker, and stock pot. While it is a bit of an investment up front, you can find a lightly used version at any website for selling goods, or even at GoodWill or Salvation Army. And if you can catch it on sale, that’s good too.
In the summer when it’s so hot that you don’t want to turn on the stove or oven, the Instant Pot shines. It is a sealed unit and is insulated, so it doesn’t contribute to heat in your home. Not to mention because it saves you cooking time, you are using less energy to cook your meals.
The Instant Pot not only saves you dinero while saving time, it can also reduce food costs. Take for instance (pun intended– did you see how I did that?) a one-pound bag (16 oz) of dry pinto beans costs, right now, $1.00 and will make twelve ½ cup servings of cooked beans. A 15 oz. can of store brand pinto beans costs $0.79, and each can provides three ½ cup servings. To get a dozen servings of beans from cans you would have to spend $3.16, more than three times the cost of a bag of beans!
With savings like that, how much further will you be able to stretch your hard-earned money? The Instant Pot Makes cooking dried beans and grains so easy– no need to soak the beans, and they still finish cooking in less than an hour! If you were to soak the beans prior to heading out to work, and then come home to cook them, they are ready even quicker, and still have the taste of beans that have cooked all day from scratch.
Now, consider this: a 10 oz. Ribeye steak currently costs $10.99 plus tax at my local King Soopers. This is enough for 2 servings, coming out to roughly $5.50 per serving and this is ONLY for the meat in that meal. Eating a half cup serving of cooked (from dried) beans costs just over 8 CENTS per serving. So $10.99 vs $0.17 for just this one portion of the meal makes for substantial savings.
Nutritionally, you are getting complex carbohydrates, fiber, more potassium and less sodium from the beans. Additionally, they boast no fat, thereby no cholesterol. All of this makes beans much more nutritionally valuable than the steak, and this only considers a portion of one meal! Meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish are the most expensive items in a typical grocery cart, none of which vegans consume.
Ok, back to the Instant Pot. You can not only cook beans and grains, but also bread and cakes in it. (Yes, I have made a chocolate cake in mine, and it was moist and oh-so-tasty!) You can make your own vegan yogurts, steam veggies, and even use it as a slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker if you so desire. Thus, if you are so inclined, you could downsize to this one small appliance to replace your crockpot, rice cooker and more.
When cooking in the Instant Pot, food retains up to 90% of its water-soluble vitamins. This is a great benefit when you consider that typically, the longer a food is cooked, the more nutrients are lost to the cooking process. Pressure cooking also enhances the natural flavors of foods.
I have used my Instant Pot to cook many different foods each weekend. I don’t use it throughout the week only because I batch cook our meals so that we just heat and eat through the week. Makes the eternal “What’s for Dinner” question easy to answer!
Now that I’ve had an Instant Pot, I will never go back to living without it. It offers a ton of convenience in such a nice package!
So please tell me: if you have an Instant Pot, what are the staples you make? What are your favorite desserts made with it? And if you don’t yet have one, have we convinced you that you need one in your kitchen? Please share in the comments below. We’d absolutely love to hear from you!
Below is our Free Holiday Gift Guide– sign up for your copy now, Instant Pot is featured!
