Whether you’re starting your day or looking to get out of your afternoon slump, this natural energy drink recipe can boost your energy in a healthier way. This sugar free energy drink uses the natural sugar in fruit and lightly caffeinated green tea to give you a helpful energy boost.

Why do I need an energy drink?

There are a lot of reasons someone might want an energy drink:

• to get through a workout
• something to drink instead of morning coffee
• as an afternoon pick me up
• to replenish energy after a hard workout or long run
• if you’re not getting enough sleep, your energy levels might be low and you might rely on a daily energy drink to get by

Making your own energy drink helps to hydrate and naturally energize you without making your blood sugar crash after. While less sugar is always best, no added sugar is king.

Traditional store bought energy drinks and energy shots contain several unnecessary ingredients. For example, a popular one lists these as their ingredients: Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid, Taurine, Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Caffeine, Niacinamide (B3), Calcium Pantothenate (B5), Pyridoxine HCI (B6), Vitamin B12, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors.

Sucrose, glucose, natural and artificial flavors, and colors are items that are not optimal to be consumed daily.

A few years ago, I compared several popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster Energy Drinks, and other energy beverages that give you a quick energy boost because my son was asking to drink them. I laid it all out so other parents could benefit from my research and what I found was that some of these energy drinks contain as much caffeine as three cans of Coke. The sugar content was less but many products contain artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, so I’m not convinced that’s a win.

When you’re consuming that much caffeine, your body crashes when it starts to leave your system. Making your own homemade energy drinks with a small amount of caffeine allows your body to benefit from the extra energy without the crash afterward.

Ingredients in this Homemade Energy Drink

Each of these ingredients were chosen because they’re beneficial for energy and nutrition:

• Watermelon: This fruit is super hydrating and contains vitamins C & A. Watermelon also helps post-workout because it could help relieve muscle soreness and lower inflammation in your body, and contains amino acids that help improve circulation.
• Cherry: Contain natural sugars that don’t cause spikes in blood pressure, and they’re anti-inflammatory.
• Lime: Fresh lime juice has anti-inflammatory properties and contain magnesium, which your body needs for energy production.
• Honey: Honey is a natural sweetener, there is no added sugar in this recipe. I prefer using raw honey. You could also use maple syrup.
• Unsweetened Green Tea:
  • I started drinking green tea a few years ago after hearing about some of its health benefits. The nutrients in green tea are anti-inflammatory and provide antioxidants. There is caffeine in green tea, but nothing like the levels in store bought energy drinks that tend to make a lot of people jittery or shaky.
  • You can easily make your own green tea, but it’s ok to buy store bought too. You’re going to want to check the label to make sure the tea doesn’t contain anything other than green tea–I like using Pure Leaf brand unsweetened green tea when I don’t have time to make my own.

How to make these healthy energy drink:

1. Juice the limes and measure out the cherries, honey, and watermelon into a blender or food processor. Add the honey.
2. Blend on high speed for about one minute.
3. Divide the contents of your blender into two 12 ounce bottles, then fill to the top with unsweetened green tea. This mixture will be about 4 ounces, so measure two ounces into each bottle. I think the perfect ratio is 10 oz green tea to 2 ounces juice.
4. You can keep this in the fridge for up to five days or so.

Can you freeze this homemade energy drink?

Definitely. You can actually freeze the juice itself in 2 oz portions or freeze the entire 12 ounce drink. I love doing this so it stays fresh and I know it’ll be easy to put one together quickly when I want one.

What other flavors can I make?

SO many! The possibilities are literally endless. Let me share a few of my favorite ingredients to mix into these:

SO many! The possibilities are literally endless. Let me share a few of my favorite natural ingredients to mix into these:

• lime and lemon juice: help with hydration and provide magnesium to help make energy. Lemons are considered to be an alkaline forming food, and they help your body heal. Even adding a lemon slice to your energy drink will help with this!
• berries: they’re rich in antioxidants and provide natural energy because of the sugars.
• pineapple: pineapple is very anti-inflammatory as well as hydrating.
• ginger: is anti-inflammatory. Ginger also helps speed up recovery and reduces muscle pain and soreness.

You can use this juice mixture to make homemade electrolyte and hydration drinks, as well! I’ve written up an entire post about why you might want to use them but know that it’s as simple as adding coconut water instead of green tea.

Recipe Tips:

• You can also freeze this mixture into ice cubes and add them to a bottle or cup of water. I love doing this during a hard workout.
• Adding a squeezed lemon slice, thin slices of ginger, or even some chia seeds to this drink mixture are a great way to power it up a bit.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers

One serving of this homemade energy drink without the honey is 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 0 Blue Plan Point | 0 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points. Adding the honey to this drink would make it 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Points | 2 Green Points | 2 Purple Points.

21 Day Fix/ Portion Fix / Portion Fix

One serving of this energy drink counts as one sweetener teaspoon (honey) and 1/2 purple container (for cherries and watermelon). The unsweetened green tea is not counted.

More Healthy Recipes

• Cloud Bread with Greek Yogurt
• How to make pancakes without flour
• Starbucks Egg White Bites Recipe
• Air Fryer Artichoke Recipe
• Healthy Crepe Recipe
• Healthy Crack Chicken
• Starbucks Egg Bites Recipe

Print

Easy Homemade Energy Drink (VIDEO)

Homemade energy drinks are less expensive than store bought and so much healthier! These diy energy drinks are sugar free and so delicious–they'll give you a boost of energy with no jitters! Made with green tea, honey, and fruit.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword energy drink

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 drinks

Calories 62kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Vitamix Blender
• Glass Milk Bottles

Ingredients

• 2 limes squeezed
• 6 cherries pitted
• 2 tsp honey optional
• 1/4 cup watermelon
• 20 ounces unsweetened green tea

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Juice the limes and measure out the cherries, honey, and watermelon into a blender or food processor. Add the honey. 2 limes, 6 cherries, 2 tsp honey, 1/4 cup watermelon
• Blend on high speed for about one minute.
• Divide the contents of your blender into two 12 ounce bottles, then fill to the top with unsweetened green tea. This mixture will be about 4 ounces, so measure two ounces into each bottle. I think the perfect ratio is 10 oz green tea to 2 ounces juice. 20 ounces unsweetened green tea
• You can keep this in the fridge for up to five days or so.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plan Information:

Drinking this homemade sports drink allows this type of drink to fit into most healthy eating and diet plans. There is no added sugar or calories, and it gives you a natural energy boost.

Weight Watchers:

One serving of this homemade energy drink without the honey is 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 0 Blue Plan Point | 0 Green Plan Points | 0 Purple Plan Points. Adding the honey to this drink would make it 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Points | 2 Green Points | 2 Purple Points.

 

21 Day Fix/ Portion Fix:

One serving of this energy drink counts as one sweetener teaspoon (honey) and 1/2 purple container (for cherries and watermelon). The unsweetened green tea is not counted.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 22.7mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Easy Homemade Energy Drink (VIDEO) appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Homemade rotisserie chicken has less sodium, better taste, and it’s so easy to make. I’ve made five whole chickens five different ways: crock pot, oven, grill, Instant Pot, and Ninja Foodi–I’m sharing links to recipes, seasonings, and thoughts about each method below.

How to make a rotisserie chicken:

It’s so easy to make a rotisserie chicken without the actual rotisserie. I think when people say “rotisserie chicken” these days what they mean is a whole chicken–one that you can use for many purposes and eat for a few days. Here’s how to prep your whole chicken for any recipe.

After you purchase a whole chicken, keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook it. When you’re ready to make the chicken, remove the chicken from the fridge and carefully unwrap it over the sink –there will be a lot of liquid that comes out of the package and it’s best to contain it and reduce the splashing as much as you can.

Do I need to rinse or wash my whole chicken? 

Nope! I always want to rinse my chicken, but I don’t. You can spread more germs by rinsing the chicken and it’s just not necessary.

You’ll want to pat your chicken dry with a few paper towels, and then place it on a large platter so you can season it.

What temperature should cooked chicken be?

For any chicken, you’re going to want to cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. When I cook a whole chicken, I like to take the temperature of the chicken in 2-3 different places since it can vary a bit when you get near the bones.

How long does rotisserie chicken stay good for?

Different people feel comfortable with different times when it comes to leftovers, but I will serve shredded chicken from these recipes for 5 days after cooking it. Here are some great recipes for using leftover rotisserie chicken:

• Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Southwest Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Healthy Crack Chicken
• Sweet & Savory Chicken Salad

Five Ways to Make Rotisserie-Style Chicken without a Rotisserie

These rotisserie chicken recipes are great to mix and match–take the seasonings you like best and pair it with the cooking method that works best for you.

1. Homemade Rotisserie-Style Chicken on the Grill with Lemon and Parsley

Grilling rotisserie-style chicken is my favorite way to make it. Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill produces a flavorful and tender chicken that is perfect for dinner. It’s a healthy whole chicken recipe that’s better than store bought because there are no added sugars and sodium. I love adding them lemon to this grilled whole chicken because it tastes delicious and the lemons are edible!

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

Outside the chicken (make sure to read the directions before doing this step), make a spice rub in a small bowl:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 lemons. You’ll need the zest and juice of 2 lemons, then 3-4 slices of the third lemon)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Inside the Chicken (adding ingredients to the inside of the chicken can help flavor the meat):

• one half bulb of garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• The rinds from the lemons used in the oil mixture. If you want to add extra quartered lemons into the chicken, I highly encourage that!

2. Homemade Rotisserie Chicken in the Oven with Rosemary & Garlic

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced. If you’re stuck you can use garlic powder.
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

While this chicken is cooking, use a turkey baster to move drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan to the top of the chicken.

3. Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken with Mexican Citrus Marinade

Ingredients for this Mexican Chicken Marinade:

• 4 ounces orange juice
• 2 fresh limes, squeezed
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (I prefer white)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder (more if you like spice, less if you don’t)

That beautiful yellow color that you see is the turmeric, which has some amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a very distinct (but not very powerful) taste, and it’s one of our favorites in chicken. This recipe produces shredded rotisserie chicken that’s perfect for tacos and burritos.

4. CrockPot Rotisserie Chicken with Hearty Vegetable Broth

Ingredients for this Chicken Seasoning:

• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 whole sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 whole yellow onions, chopped
• 3 whole carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped

5. Ninja Foodi Rotisserie Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Onion

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

Inside the Chicken:

• one red onion, quartered (you don’t want onion powder for this–use real onions)
• one half bulb of garlic
• 1-2 quartered lemons

Outside the chicken (make sure to read the directions before doing this step), make a seasoning mix:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

More healthy comfort food recipes:

• Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Healthy Vegetable Chowder

Print

How to Make a Rotisserie-Style Chicken

How to make Rotisserie-Style Chicken without a rotisserie oven. Cook rotisserie chicken in the oven, on the grill, or using a crock pot, Instant Pot, or Ninja Foodi. Healthier and less expensive than store bought rotisserie chicken.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword rotisserie chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

resting time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 273kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Ninja Foodi
• Crockpot
• Instant Pot 6 qt

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken

Instructions

• Preheat your cooking appliance, if necessary.
• Prepare the chicken by unwrapping it, removing the giblets, and patting it dry. Place chicken on a clean platter or surface while you prepare the seasoning. 1 whole chicken
• Prepare the seasoning and place it in and outside of the raw chicken.
• Cook your chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove your chicken from the cooking appliance and slice.

Notes

To see each recipe, please click the links or pictures in the article above. 

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 240mg | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Rotisserie-Style Chicken (without a rotisserie!) appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

There are so many different compound butter recipes. Some of my favorites are Lemon Rosemary, Chive & Dill, and Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter.

How to make compound butter:

The best (and easiest) way to make this flavorful butter is to allow the butter to soften naturally to room temperature, then mix in your flavors. For savory flavors, I always opt for fresh herbs over dried when I can.

1. Allow your sticks of butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes or so. Using the microwave to melt the butter will cause your butter to look a bit runny and it will freeze differently than if it comes to room temperature naturally.
2. Add your herbs and spices and use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together. You can use the butter now, refrigerate it, or freeze it for later. I prefer to freeze mine in small individual servings.
3. I freeze my butter in individual servings by using a spoon or cookie scoop to roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls. Place the butter into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer. There is no need to use a piece of parchment paper here, the butter doesn’t stick when frozen. Since butter can be so high in saturated fat, I’ve found that freezing in tablespoon sized balls helps keep my portions reasonable!
4. Freeze the butter for 15 minutes (or longer if you need to!) and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe storage container. I recommend labeling the container or bag with the flavors as well as the date made so that you know exactly what is in there.

How to store compound butter:

As mentioned above, I always freeze my butter balls in labeled zipper freezer bags. They are good for several months in the freezer (as long as regular butter would be good for!). I take out a few at a time and use them right away.

How to use compound butter:

There are so many ways to use this butter! We often use it to flavor fish that we grill, but we have also used it for other meats like steak and chicken, shrimp, and even vegetables.

I love using room temperature garlic herb compound butter to make homemade garlic bread, or adding it to cooked pasta for a creamy pop of flavor.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some delicious recipes to use with your butter balls:

• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

The post What is Compound Butter? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Until a few years ago, most people assumed that there were only a few different types of salt and they looked, smelled, and tasted the same. Now it seems like different types of salt are more readily available–and there are different benefits to each of them! 

What is salt? 

For most of us when we say ‘salt’ we’re referring to table salt, or other common types that are made up of sodium chloride mixes. Some have added iodine, minerals, and anti caking agents to make them more useful and accessible to home cooks. Others have activated charcoal added and even trace minerals that impact taste. 

There is some evidence to suggest that salt production goes back about 8,000 years. It’s one of the most widely used and oldest seasonings on the planet. 

Since saltiness is one of the five basic tastes that we can comprehend it’s no shock that it’s so widely used and enjoyed. Along with sweet, sour, bitter, and umami, our bodies interpret the flavor of salt in millions of different ways to compose the wide range of flavors we enjoy every day. 

Differences Between Kinds Of Salt

There are twelve main types of salt, and I’ll go into detail about each one below:

Black Hawaiian Salt

Hawaiian black lava salt is harvested from water that evaporates over cooled lava flows. The salt crystals are then mixed with coconut charcoal. The end result is something akin to lava rocks but it actually adds an earthy tone with some hints of sulfur and minerals from the lava. The coconut charcoal that is added makes this type of salt a common choice for its detoxification principals. 

Celtic Sea Salt

Celtic sea salt was first popular in France and has a grayish color. It retains a lot of moisture, so it’s moist to the touch. Celtic salt has less sodium than table salt, and is similar to pink Himalayan salt.

Flake Salt

Flake salt is flattened salt, which has a larger surface area and performs differently when cooked in different recipes. It dissolves easier and is easier to pinch and crumble evenly onto a dish as a finishing salt.

Fleur de Sel

Derived from sea water, these pyramid-shaped crystals are found at the top of the seawater during the evaporation process. It’s the purest form of salt you can purchase.

Himalayan Pink Salt

Colored pink by the small amounts of iron oxide that remain after the mining process, Pink Himalayan salt is usually in the same sodium chloride concentrations as regular table salt.

Kala Namak or Himalayan Black Salt

After learning that eggs tend to give me migraine headaches, I’ve learned that this black salt can provide an egg flavor to food. It has very low sodium levels and is used by many vegans to add that unique egg flavor back to dishes.

Kosher Salt

Kosher salt is refined with larger crystals and has no additives. It’s a common table salt in many households, but does not contain iodine.

Pickling Salt

Simple table salt without anti-caking agents.

Red Hawaiian Salt

Unrefined sea salt that has been mixed with volcanic clay rich in iron oxide. Some say this salt is actually sweet.

Sea Salt

Sea Salt is slightly less “salty” tasting and it’s typically not a processed or refined type of salt. Sea salt comes from evaporated sea water so the natural salt and minerals from the water are left behind. Sea salt is preferred by many because it has a higher mineral content and a more natural flavor.  

Smoked Salt

Kosher or sea salt that has been smoked for a few hours, days, or weeks.

Table Salt

Table salt is the most common type of salt. It’s what is commonly in salt shakers. Table salt is 97-99% sodium chloride that is stripped of impurities and minerals and often contains anti-caking agents. Regular table salt also contains iodine, which helps eradicate iron deficiency in many parts of the world.

Is salt bad for you? 

Not necessarily. We tend to blame the amount of sodium in processed foods (yup, sodium can actually help to preserve foods, which is why it’s found in most prepackaged food items) for many dietary issues. Salt is naturally occurring and important for certain bodily functions and health benefits. Muscles and nerves are especially reliant on sodium and chloride for proper functionality. 

While some people by experience high blood pressure, headaches, bloating, and other problems from excessive salt intake, others are not impacted. You should listen to your doctor with regard to your salt intake.

Looking for more nutrition focused posts? 

Here are a few for you to check out. Hopefully they can help you learn more about foods, nutrition, and how we can serve our bodies with the best possible ingredients:

• High Fiber Vegetables To Add To Your Diet Today
• High Protein Vegetables & Why You Should Be Eating Them!
• Plant Based vs Veggie Burger
• What to look for in Stevia
• What is Coconut Aminos?

The post Types Of Salt: What are the differences? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I’m not here to tell you which burger is right for you. There are so many definitions of the word healthy, and so many reasons that someone might (or might not) want to eat a specific type of burger. I’m not here to tell you which type of burger is healthiest–that’s something for your doctor to help you with. I’d like to bring awareness to the different types of burgers and exactly what they are, as I’m learning that this is a confusing topic for many.

Plant Based vs Veggie Burgers

Plant based burgers (typically made from pea proteins and lots of science-y ingredients that I can’t pronounce) are meat alternative burgers–like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger. They’re products that were created to be a replacement for traditional animal burgers. They have similar protein content, texture, smell, and even taste. Some of the meatless burgers taste very similar to real burgers (the Impossible Burger is the best in our opinion) and some aren’t the tastiest.

Veggie burgers are burgers made with vegetables–typically mushrooms, beans, peas, and carrots. These burgers don’t have the same protein content as traditional burgers, but they are filled with real vegetables. Veggie burgers aren’t competing with regular beef patties–nobody is going to be “tricked” into thinking that a veggie burger is a beef burger.

We invited several meat eating friends over and grilled up several types of plant based and veggie burgers–here is what we thought!

Plant Based Meat Alternatives

If you’re vegan, WFPB, vegetarian, concerned about the environment or animal consumption, this is something you might be interested in. These burgers are the ones you’re looking for if you don’t eat meat (for whatever reason) but want a traditional “burger.”

In order of preference, these are the plant based burgers that we tried:

The Impossible Burger was the clear winner–for taste, smell, texture, and ease of cooking. It tasted most like a traditional ground beef hamburger and didn’t have any smells that were off putting. If this burger sounds familiar, it’s because fast food giant Burger King uses this brand for their Impossible Whopper sandwich.

dr. Praeger’s was a good burger. We couldn’t pinpoint what the difference was between that and real meat products, but there was something small.

The Beyond Burger is another popular option, but we think these smelled a little strange when uncooked and needed to be seasoned before putting them on the grill. When we have made chili with the Beyond meat, we could taste the difference in the end product. These are the most widely available meat substitutes, we have found–Costco even has them. The texture is pretty close to regular meat, but the smell was not great.

The O Organics brand (from Albertsons stores) was our least favorite, but we all agreed that if it was the only option it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad burger. But since we had others to compare side by side, one had to come in last.

Veggie Burgers

These burgers are made with vegetables. Like I mentioned above, there is no “tricking” someone into thinking that these are meat burgers–they’re not. But they have a place, for sure, and can be delicious.

We tended to like the burgers with actual chunky vegetables in them best–some are pretty blended up and had a mushy texture when cooked.

In order of preference:

We loved the Quinoa & Kale burgers from O Organics. This company has several great veggie burger options: Sweet potato and Mushroom are the other two that we liked. They’re full of chunky vegetables and feel satisfying to eat.

dr. Praeger’s Veggie burgers were delicious too! We really liked these, though they were a little mushier than the O Organics ones. They had chunks of vegetables in addition to blended vegetables to help hold them together. We really liked that they were thicker and hearty. They have a lot of different varieties in the stores too–definitely a bonus.

O Organics Black Bean & Veggie were good, but there is a definitely texture difference between a veggie burger and a black bean burger–it’s more of a blended burger with a few chunks. There had to be a last place, but honestly I would eat these again for sure.

Let’s answer all of the Frequently Asked Questions I get about these burgers:

Again, the best veggie burger or the best plant based burger for you really has to do with why you’re choosing to eat them instead of a real burger. I believe that eating minimally processed foods is the healthiest thing for any body, but sometimes this isn’t possible. I recently cut meat and eggs out of my diet for health reasons and have found that when I’m craving a hamburger, using a plant based burger as a substitute works for me. I only do this every few months, and feel good about eating them that often. I often make veggie burgers when my family has hamburgers for dinner, but since I like veggie burgers I don’t feel deprived when I do this.

Looking for some delicious vegetarian recipes?

• Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Instant Pot Pineapple Fried Rice
• Calabacitas Tacos
• Mushroom Fajitas

The post Plant Based Burgers vs Veggie Burgers: Which is Best? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Stevia is all the rage lately, but as with anything popular there are also some products that we need to watch. Not all brands are completely up front with their ingredients, so the first thing we need to learn is to always read the FDA label. 

Is Stevia good for you?

If you’re not growing your own, you should know that some brands of stevia are great, and stevia is a great choice in natural sweeteners. It’s the blends and mixes that we need to be leery of…some even contain artificial sweeteners, which defeats the purpose of using a natural sweetener.  

Stevia doesn’t spike your blood sugar like traditional refined sugars, which makes it a good choice for those who are watching what they eat and those with high blood pressure.

Is Stevia safe?

Yes, Stevia is safe. While I can’t speak for Stevia with other ingredients mixed in, if you find pure Stevia you’ll be avoiding added sugars and artificial sugars in your diet.

What is Stevia Sugar Substitute?

Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the plant species Stevia Rebaudiana. The part that makes them sweet are called steviol glycoside. The plants are native in Brazil and Paraguay, but you can easily grow them in your garden here in the United States.

Stevia is up to 200 times sweeter than sugar, which means that you need to use a very small amount to sweeten your baked goods and drinks. 

As of now, stevia extract lives among the sugar substitutes at your local grocery store. The main difference between stevia and other sweeteners is that it comes from a plant and not a chemical.

What To Look For In Stevia

Rather than give you a hard and fast list of brands that are okay, I’m going to show you exactly what to look for in Stevia. Since brands often change their ingredients and packaging, this is a much better system than relying on what something looks like or is called in the stores.

If you’re on the 21 Day Fix, you’ll want to listen up because natural sweeteners like Stevia are on the approved food list, but artificial sweeteners are not.

Stay away from:

Here’s what you don’t want to see in your Stevia. When shopping for this natural sweetener, stay away from:

• Sugar

Be careful when shopping for Stevia to make sure that sugar is not in your no-calorie sugar alternative.

• Other Artificial Sweeteners 

Artificial sweeteners can impact your metabolism and stall your weight loss. Stevia on its own is a natural sweetener (it comes from plant sleaves) that is sugar free, calorie free, and relatively low impact for your body.

When you are purchasing your Stevia, ensure it doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners or filler ingredients by reading the Food and Drug Administration’s nutrition label as well as the ingredients.

Common artificial sweeteners that are sometimes used in Stevia are:

• xylitol
• sucralose
• aspartame
• saccharin

Watch out for hidden ingredients

Here’s a label that will show another way (aside from reading after the word “Ingredients”) to see if there are other sugars getting involved with your Stevia.

Sometimes you’ll notice that there aren’t a list of ingredients on a package, but the nutritional label shows that there is erythritol (sometimes labeled sugar alcohol) under sugars or carbs on the label. 

This is from a product I found online, and while there are no ingredients listed, I saw that the label shows erythritol at 3g per serving.

This is ok:

Now we’re going to take a look at what labels will look like when you are buying Stevia that is natural, and made from only Stevia leaves.

Here we see a label that is showing us that nothing is added under total carbohydrates or sugars. We can feel more confident that there are no extra ingredients added to this Stevia. 

• Stevia Only

Unfortunately, it’s easy for brands to bulk up their product with sugars and artificial ingredients. You need to be diligent in looking for Stevia that is only Stevia and nothing else. 

Stevia is made by drying the plants and extracting the rebaudioside A (also called Reb A) with water. That crude Stevia extract is then crystalized. One brand that rises above the rest when it comes to Stevia production is SweetLeaf–they use only water and not chemicals to crystalize their Stevia.

Summary:

The biggest point I can make about Stevia is this: there are only a handful of real Stevia options out there.

If you are doing all the hard work of changing your diet and exercising, etc. don’t derail yourself with products and ingredients that are not in line with your goals. 

Using Stevia products that are 100% pure is the best way to add a sweet taste to your foods and drinks. Other forms of Stevia could leave you with a bitter aftertaste, upset stomach, and cravings for sweets. 

Looking for other posts about nutrition? 

If you are looking for more information about nutrition, here are a few popular articles:

• What is Gellan Gum? 
• What Are Beets Good For?
• High Protein Vegetables & Why You Should Be Eating Them!
• Processed Oils: Which Are Healthy Oils?
• What is Nutritional Yeast?

The post Stevia Sugar Substitute: Is Stevia Good for You? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

• What is gellan gum?
• Is it good for you?
• Is it Vegan?

What is gellan gum?

Let’s start with the basics. Gellan gum is a nature based ingredient produced by bacteria during fermentation. Fermentation is the same process used to make  kombucha and beer. It’s a water-soluble fiber that has many uses, and it’s used in many processed foods. 

It has been around since the 1970s, and it was first discovered in a pond on a lily pad. 

Tamari and coconut aminos are examples of other products that use fermentation to make a substitute for other products.

What is gellan gum used for?

Gellan gum has the unique ability to keep common food and beverage products from settling and separating. It’s used in many foods, drinks, mixes, and products because it helps keep them looking their best. 

For those of you who have a thing about the texture of your food, you have this product to thank for a smooth consistency in a lot of store-bought foods. Foods like almond milk, drinking yogurts, and vegan gummy bears have gellan gum. 

Another use for this product is to help stabilize minerals, vitamins, and other nutritional additives in food and drinks. That means when you drink or eat something that has nutritional additives, you get an even amount throughout instead of the additives settling at the bottom of the bottle or container. 

How is gellan gum made?

Gellan gum is made from bacteria found in nature. First discovered in a pond on a lily pad in Pennsylvania in the 1970s, it was thought to be useful in a similar fashion to agar or guar gum. 

It is still made by using bacteria. It’s multiplied and grown using bacterial fermentation. Like the processes used in winemaking, bread making, or even kombucha scoby, bacteria cells convert food nutrients into larger molecules. The gum is collected, dried, and then crushed into a powder so it can be added to any product.

Is gellan gum vegan?

Gellan gum is vegan and gluten-free. It helps make vegan friendly products look and feel like their non-vegan counterparts. 

It’s used in soy milks, non-dairy cheeses and yogurts, and other similar items to help give them the appropriate texture. It is naturally derived from plant-based ingredients, so it’s can be used in vegan and vegetarian diets. In fact, it is popular in those types of products so they can more closely mimic the proper texture and look. 

Because it is vegan, it can be used to make all kinds of allergy friendly gummy candies. Those products can then be marketed as vegan, halal, and kosher. 

Is gellan gum a safe food additive?

This is a product that has been in regular use for more than 30 years. It’s approved by the FDA in the United States as well as approved by the European Union counterpart for use in food and drinks.

Since it is a food additive and gelling agent, it works to keep vitamins and minerals stabilized in beverages and foods. 

This is also an alternative to gelatin, so it’s wonderful for those who are looking to cut animal products from their diet! 

Want to learn more about food?

• Learn about brown rice
• How to substitute ingredients in a recipe
• What is aquafaba?
• What to look for in Stevia
• What is Nutritional Yeast?

The post What is Gellan Gum? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

On a personal note, I’ve been on a plant based diet for migraine reduction for about 4 months now. In addition to experiencing less migraines, I’m learning a lot about food and how to get extra protein into my daily diet.

What is Soy?

Soy is anything that comes from the soybean plant. Soybeans originated in China but found their way to the US around 1765, though it wasn’t developed as a food crop for humans until about the 1900’s. Soy production was originally intended for feeding livestock.

Soybeans contain over 45% protein. Other top ranking proteins are milk, beef, and eggs. For those who eat plant based, vegan, and vegetarian, though, it’s difficult to get protein through those other sources.

Soybeans are made up of carbohydrates and fiber. They are slow digesting, which means that they can help healthy bacteria flourish in the digestive system and keep you full for longer. If you don’t have a soy allergy or intolerance, soy products can be great for helping build a healthy GI system.

Are all soy products genetically modified?

Not all soy products contain GMO ingredients, but a lot of them do. About 90% of the soybeans grown today are genetically modified. If you want to avoid GMO’s you’ll want to specifically look for organic soy.

How are hormone levels impacted?

There is a lot of information out there about soy and how it impacts hormone levels. Some articles claim that it can cause or impact cancers, childhood development, and everything in between.

Phytoestrogens, plant nutrients found naturally in plants, are found in soybeans. Phytoestrogens can have both stimulating and inhibiting impacts on estrogen levels in the body.

A normal diet consisting of average levels of soy based products should not give you enough phytoestrogens to cause even slight problems.

The main take away from the unbiased research I’ve read is that a super high intake of phytoestrogens via soybean products can cause hormone problems in both men and women, but we’re talking about eating LOTS of soy concentrate in order to achieve those levels. Soy milk, cheeses, meat substitutes, and tofu do not have high enough levels to cause issues in a normal diet.

Can soy cause cancer?

I was curious about the rumors that soy impacts cancer, so I did some research and found that when we search for information about soy, we also find misinformation about soy.

In short, animal studies point towards soy having negative cancer impact, but human studies show the opposite. The main issue with soy is the GMO component, so if you’re including soy in your diet, look for organic.

Impact on weight loss

Weight loss and lean protein often go hand in hand. The truth is that most studies have concluded that lean protein is lean protein when it comes to losing weight. Soybean protein acts the same way that other lean proteins act in helping people to lose weight. This study is very informative on the topic of body composition and soy-based products.

Summary

A quick overview about consumption and the health claim information that goes along with soybeans and soy products:

As a source of protein for those who don’t have allergies, I’d suggest that soy products, like most things, are best when they are less processed.

Long term risks of consuming soy are low unless you are consuming high amounts of soy protein isolate, textured vegetable protein, or soy protein powders. Whole and fermented food options like, edamame, miso, tempeh, milk, and cheeses made from soybeans are healthier choices.

What do you do?

Personally, I don’t eat much soy. I’ll eat edamame on occasion, and tofu or tempeh products about once every 2-3 months. I try to focus on other high protein foods like beans and whole grains, and vegetables like potatoes and broccoli.

I’m not one to give out medical advice, so I won’t start now. But I am very interested in how food impacts our bodies and I want to help my community learn about food. I’ve been talking about soy sauce substitutes, artificial sweeteners, and healthy oil for a while, and this is one more topic that we can all learn more about.

Looking for some high protein recipes?

Whether you get your protein from animals, plants, or meat substitutes and tofu products, there are plenty of high protein recipes that you’ll love on My Crazy Good Life.

Note that the average recommended daily protein intake is 46-56 grams for sedentary adults. The plant based recipes below have lower protein per serving than the meat or soy recipes, and that’s ok.

Those on a plant based diet typically eat more than 3 meals throughout the day and get their protein in small increments throughout the day.

High protein meat recipes:

• Healthy Beef Gyros 40g per serving
• Spicy Mexican Meatloaf 32g per serving

High protein plant based recipes:

• Portobello Mushroom Fajitas 6g per serving
• Lentil Tacos 15g per serving
• Quinoa Tacos 10g per serving

High protein soy recipes:

• Mushroom Packed Miso Soup 14g per serving
• Vegetarian Pad Thai with Tofu 8g per serving

Looking for more information about the foods you eat?

• What is gellan gum?
• How to substitute ingredients in a recipe
• What is aquafaba egg substitute?
• What to look for in Stevia

The post Everything You Need To Know About Soy appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Some of these common ingredient substitutions are for baking and some are for cooking, but all will help you get a meal on the table for your family without having the stress of finding recipes for the ingredients you have.

In this article about how to substitute ingredients, you’ll learn:

• what swaps work
• what swaps don’t work, and why
• common cooking substitutions
• healthy ingredient substitutions
• how to substitute ingredients with examples of specific recipes

Meat Substitutions

Ground Meat: Ground meat can be easily swapped out in any recipe. Ground beef might require more draining than ground turkey or ground chicken due to the higher fat content, but I’ve swapped ground meat successfully in all recipes for years.

Chicken:

Substituting cuts of chicken (breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings) is fairly easy when they’re being cooked by themselves (on the grill, baked in the oven, etc.) Usually these types of recipes make some sort of marinade or sauce that can be applied to any cut of meat.

In a recipe that’s not just the chicken, such as a casserole or soup, I’d stick to using chicken breasts and thighs or other meaty type of cut, instead of a bony cut like drumsticks or wings.

You can also use canned chicken or rotisserie chicken in some recipes, as long as you take into consideration that these types of chicken come to you precooked and most recipes call for uncooked chicken.

• Buffalo Chicken Dip You can use breasts or thighs for this recipe.
• White Chicken Chili Breasts or thighs are great for this recipe.
• Cilantro Lime Drumsticks I’ve use this marinade for breasts and thighs and it’s delicious.

Beef:

Swapping out types of beef is a bit tricky because different cuts of beef have different properties, if you will.

Stew meats and roasts are tough, lean cuts. The collagen in these cuts helps to break down the meat so it’s able to be cut with a fork. Stew meats become more tender the longer you cook them. The best stew meats are:

• Chuck: Shoulder, Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, and Top Chuck
• Roast: Bottom Round, Top Round, Rump, Eye Round, Pot Roast

Skirt steak is a marbled and tough cut of meat that is flavorful. We use it a lot for fajitas, Asian dishes like Beef and Broccoli, and Steak with Chimichurri. Different cuts that work well for these recipes are:

• Flank steak, Top Loin, Flat Iron, Fajita Steak, Beef Plate Steak

• Mississippi Pot Roast Any type of roast will work for this. I’d even reduce the cooking time and use skirt steaks if that’s all I had.
• Healthy Beef Stroganoff I’d use any type of skirt steak for this, or even ground meat.

Vegetarian/Vegan:

Tempeh, Tofu, Seitan, Textured Vegetable Protein, Jackfruit, Mushrooms, meat substitutes, and lentils.

Plant Based:

Plant based is a buzzword right now, but it has meaning beyond someone not eating meat. Plant based substitutes are whole foods that are minimally processed and most often–plants!

I’ve found that hearty vegetables such as portobello mushrooms, zucchini, and cauliflower work well in recipes when I don’t have meat to add.

• Miso Mushroom Soup This recipe calls for tofu, but I’d use tempeh, textured vegetable protein, or even more mushrooms in a pinch.
• Calabacitas Tacos Of course zucchini and yellow squash are the norm in Calabacitas, but in a pinch I’d use other types of squash or even potatoes.

Vegetable Substitutes

I’ll swap vegetables in a recipe for several reasons–if it’s something my family doesn’t care for, if it’s not something I use or have in my house, or if something is super expensive at the store I’ll use something else.

When subbing vegetables, so do at a 1:1 ratio, one cup vegetable A to one cup vegetable B.

• Size: Look for another vegetable that is similar in size, or can be cut to a similar size. Don’t try to swap button mushrooms for stalks of asparagus. Instead, cut a zucchini or broccoli to a similar size.
• Density: Vegetables that are similar in density will cook in the same amount of time as the original recipe. Don’t use cauliflower instead of kale, for example.

If you need to use a different vegetable in your recipe, you might have to pre-cook it a bit so it’s done at the same time as your meal. It’s ok to start cooking with your vegetables that need more time and add on the lighter vegetables as your meal progresses.

• Minestrone Soup If you don’t have any of the vegetables in this soup, you can leave them out or swap them with one you like. This recipe is very forgiving.
• Vegetable Fajitas If you don’t have any of the fajita vegetables on hand, swap with others. We often use zucchini, broccoli, and even green beans in these in a pinch!

Dairy Substitutions

Dairy substitutions can be a bit confusing, but I’m hoping to help make it easier. If you don’t have common dairy items on hand, most often they can easily be swapped with another ingredient.

Baking Substitutes for Eggs:

Eggs are used for binding, leavening (expanding), moisture, and flavor and appearance.

• Vegan egg replacement options:
  • 3 tbsp aquafaba
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds or chia seeds and 3 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup silken tofu
• Other easy options:
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup mashed bananas or pureed pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup carbonated water.

Sour Cream Substitute:

I love using plain, 2% Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. As a bonus, it’s a healthy ingredient substitute!

If you don’t love the tang that Greek yogurt can sometimes have, blend it together with an equal portion of cottage cheese–they balance nicely!

Cream Cheese Substitute:

For recipes where the cream cheese is baked in or cooked in the dish, I use a 1:1 blended cottage cheese and unflavored yogurt mixture.

Ranch Dressing Substitute:

Instead of bottled ranch dressing, I use one cup of yogurt, blended ricotta or cottage cheese, or sour cream along with 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, parsley, and dill, and 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder. Add a touch of salt if you’d like.

Buttermilk Substitute:

Take a one cup measuring cup and add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Fill the rest of your measuring cup with milk to make 1 cup.

Substitute for Butter:

If you need to swap butter or margarine in a recipe you can easily use another fat, like a healthy oil or vegetable oil can be used in a 3/4:1 ratio, so 3/4 cup oil in place of 1 cup of butter.

Other butter substitutes are:

• Greek yogurt at a 1/2:1 ratio
• Pureed back beans at a 1:1 ratio (best for cookies, cakes, and breads)
• Peanut butter or almond butter at a 1:1 ratio
• Applesauce at a 1:1 ratio, but beware of your recipe tasting a bit dry

Pantry Substitutes

These items can easily replace missing or unavailable items from your pantry!

Baking Powder Substitute:

Baking powder is used to help foods rise. To keep your breads, muffins, and other meals light and fluffy, you can use any of the following:

• For every teaspoon of baking powder, add 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
• Use one teaspoon of cream of tartar for every 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder called for in your recipe.

Cornstarch Substitute:

Cornstarch is often used to thicken recipes. There are several swaps you can use! For every tablespoon of cornstarch, you can use:

• three tablespoons of white flour
• one tablespoon of arrowroot flour
• two teaspoons of instant mashed potatoes

Maple Syrup Substitute:

In a recipe, you can swap maple syrup with honey, molasses, or agave syrup at a 1:1 ratio. One cup honey for one cup maple syrup, for example.

As a breakfast topping, use brown sugar and water at a 1:1 ratio and allow it to simmer in a pot on the stove until the sugar is liquified. Other pancake toppings you might enjoy are melted butter, peanut butter, diced fruit, or powdered sugar.

Canned Beans Substitute:

In most recipes you can easily swap one type of canned bean for another. I often use black, cannellini, and kidney beans interchangeably in recipes.

For dried beans, each type cooks a little differently so I’d be wary of swapping them.

Chicken Broth Substitute:

Use water and poultry seasoning in place of chicken stock, or just water if you need to!

Tomato Sauce Substitute:

If you’re needing canned tomato sauce and have a can of diced or crushed tomatoes, use the blender or food processor to turn them into tomato sauce!

Pasta Sauce Substitute:

If you’re needing a jar of pasta sauce, you can make that with canned tomato sauce and spices. For 2 14 oz cans of tomato sauce, I add the following seasonings: 1 tablespoon each of oregano, thyme, parsley, onion powder, and garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.

Soy Sauce Substitute:

When you’re out of soy sauce, you can use Worcestershire sauce or Fish sauce as a replacement.

Teriyaki Sauce Substitute:

For one cup of teriyaki sauce, use one cup of soy sauce or aminos along with 1 tablespoon each of ginger, garlic, and honey.

Substitutes for fresh spices:

Use dried spices (1/3 of the measurement of fresh) if you don’t have fresh fresh on hand.

Pasta Substitutes:

You can most often swap pasta shapes without issue, but note that they all expand to different amounts when cooked. For example, white penne pasta doubles and elbow pasta cooks to 2.5 times it’s size.

With regard to wheat vs white vs gluten free vs chickpea, cooking times are completely different, as is the amount of liquid they absorb.

Real Life Examples of Common Ingredient Substitutions that Work:

In this recipe for Sweet Potato Chili, some ingredient swaps I’d use without hesitation are:

• I’d leave out the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce if I didn’t have them. The recipe won’t be spicy, but it’ll still have a great flavor from the spices.
• Swap regular potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes.
• Use any type of canned beans if you don’t have black beans, or leave them out.
• Use water instead of the chicken stock.
• Any ground meat will do if you don’t have turkey.
• I would not omit the potatoes in this recipe, as they absorb a bit of the heat from the peppers.
• I would leave out the celery, carrots, or onions if I had to.

In this recipe for Mini Meatloaves, some ingredients I’d use when I don’t have others include:

• Swap any ground meat you have on hand in place of the ground turkey.
• I’d use any of the egg replacements listed above if I didn’t have eggs, or leave them out entirely.
• Use homemade breadcrumbs if you don’t have them or crackers.
• I would not leave out the breadcrumbs or crackers, as they help the meatballs form together.
• You could leave the sauce out of this recipe if you’d like.

The post How to Substitute Ingredients in a Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Did you know that there are more than 40,000 varieties of rice in the world? We’re just going to look at the three main types of white rice: traditional white, basmati, and jasmine rice.

Is white rice healthy? Which rice is the healthiest?

While white rice is the most common type of rice, it’s also the most processed. During processing, the bran and germ are removed, which is where most of the nutrients are found. This is why many call this rice an “empty carb.”

Some white rice is enriched during the processing, this means that some nutrients are added back into the rice. White rice also has a higher glycemic index. For these reasons, red rice, wild rice, black rice, and brown rice are healthier options.

White rice is not all bad, though, and it does have its place and it does have health benefits. It can be easier to digest, and the processing typically reduces the arsenic levels typically found in whole grain rice.

White Rice

3/4 cup of white rice has:

• about 181 calories
• 0 grams of fat
• about 40 grams of carbs
• 3.2 grams of protein

Regular white rice has a glycemic index of 72, which is the highest of all the rice varieties. Click here to read more about the glycemic index of rice.

Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice is native to Southeast Asia and Thailand. It’s a soft, long grain rice that is sticky and has a high floral aroma–it’s often nicknamed “popcorn rice.” Instant Pot Jasmine rice is cooked the same as traditional white rice.

3/4 cup of cooked jasmine rice has:

• 160 calories
• 0 grams of fat
• 35 grams of carbohydrates
• 3 grams of protein

The glycemic index of jasmine rice is about 68, just lower than regular white rice.

Basmati Rice

Basmati rice originated in the Himalayas and is slightly softer than jasmine rice with a nuttier flavor. Cooking basmati rice in the Instant Pot is the same as cooking white rice.

3/4 cup of cooked basmati has:

• 160 calories
• 0 grams of fat
• 35 grams of carbohydrates
• 4 grams of protein
• There’s also calcium and iron along with a bunch of other great amino acids that we need to help in building and maintain muscles!

Basmati rice has the lowest glycemic index of all the white rice varieties with a score of 50.

Basmati rice is the healthiest white rice choice given its lower glycemic index, has all 8 essential amino acids, lower calories, has more vitamins and mineral, and the lowest levels of arsenic.

How to cook white rice in the Instant Pot:

Cooking white rice in the Instant Pot couldn’t be easier, you’re just 3 simple steps away from perfectly fluffy rice! Whether you’re cooking basmati rice, jasmine rice, or traditional white rice, it’s super easy with the Instant Pot.

What makes cooking rice so easy is that Instant Pot dedicated a preset button for white rice and makes it nearly fool proof! All varieties of white rice cook for 4 minutes in the Instant Pot with a 1:1 (water to rice) ratio. That’s a cup of water to a cup of rice.

Recipe Tips:

• For added flavor, substitute chicken or vegetable broth for the water, just keep the same 1:1 ratio.
• Add more liquid to your rice if you like sticky rice.

The Instant Pot website includes a note to turn off the “keep warm” feature when cooking rice, as it allows the bottom of the pot to cool and the rice to separate from the pot.

Get the burn warning?

If you get the burn message when pressure cooking your rice, check these things:

• Is there enough liquid in the pot?
• Did you turn off the “keep warm” setting?
• Is your rice overcooking?

Can you freeze white rice?

If you cook a huge batch for meal prep, freeze the extra rice. It reheats in the microwave really well.

My rice freezing tips

1. Freeze individual servings of rice in separate ziplock bags.
2. Write the cook date and serving size on the outside.  
3. Spread the rice out in each back in a flat layer, this makes it easier to store and helps to evenly reheat when ready to eat.

Should you rinse rice before cooking it? YES!

Rinse your white rice before cooking to remove the starchy coating and any debris left behind from processing. This is helps to keep your rice from clumping together and allows it to stay fluffy.

Keep in mind, though, that rinsing will also remove some of the nutrients that were added back to enriched rice. Always read your package of rice to see what the manufacturer suggests.

Soaking rice is another option. Some people soak rice instead of rinsing it, but in my research I’ve found that a quick rinse is all you need.

Want to learn more about the foods you eat?

I am constantly learning and sharing information in my journey to be healthier. Part of living a healthy lifestyle is understanding how the things I eat affect body. Here are some of my favorite topics:

• What is Coconut Aminos
• Processed Oils: Which Ones Are Healthy
• What is Nutritional Yeast?
• What are artificial sweeteners?

Looking for great rice recipes?

These healthy recipes are soon be family favorites:

• Instant Pot Coconut Rice
• How to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
• Brown Rice Pudding
• Instant Pot Spanish Rice
• Instant Pot Quinoa and Brown Rice

Print

Instant Pot White Rice

How to cook white, jasmine, and basmati rice in the Instant Pot.

Course Side Dish, staples

Cuisine American, Asian

Keyword basmati rice, jasmine rice, white rice

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 4 minutes minutes

Pressure Release Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 113kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Sealing Rings

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice basmati, white, or jasmine
• 1 cup water

Instructions

• Spray inner liner with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add equal portions of rice and water to the Instant Pot. One cup of dry white rice will produce about 3 cups of cooked rice. 1 cup white rice, 1 cup water
• Close the lid and turn the valve to Sealing.
• Press the Rice button on the Instant Pot, or set the Instant Pot for 4 minutes at high pressure.
• When cook time is finished, allow ten minutes of natural release before releasing the remaining pressure.

Nutrition

Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How To Cook White Rice In The Instant Pot appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.