Instant Loss Cookbook

by Brittany Williams

When I recommend Instant Loss Cookbook: Cook Your Way to a Healthy Weight with 125 Recipes for Your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker I do so with the caveat that this book really isn’t about weight loss. If you read the introduction, the author is open about the fact that she struggled with obesity, but the real reason she came up with these recipes is that her child was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and as a result the entire family had to switch up their diet pretty quickly. She did lose weight on the new diet, but that wasn’t the intent–the intent was to cook for her family in a way that wouldn’t send her child into a miserable flare up. That said, because the patriarchy fucking sucks, of course this is marketed as a weight loss book.

Now, I have fibromyalgia and I’ve noticed that the closer I stick to an anti-inflammatory diet the better I feel. That’s a hard diet to strictly observe unless you’re a celebrity and can afford a chef. It’s basically “no” to processed foods, sugars, starches, anything fermented or aged, and alcohol. Yes to lots of fruits and veggies (except nightshades), Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains and plant based proteins, while consuming only minimal amounts of dairy and red meat. Personally, I’ve noticed that I feel pretty awful after I eat anything fermented or aged (weeps at red wine and delicious cheeses) and that too much sugar will set me off.

I love this book so much because the author has come up with tons of recipes for the pressure cooker that omit the stuff that can cause flare ups when I eat it. For example, soy sauce is replaced with coconut aminos and cornstarch with arrowroot powder. And her recipes, by and large, are really, really good. Because you’re using a pressure cooker for most, they also tend to be fast and easy. Almost all of her recipes are also gluten and dairy-free.

I haven’t made her breakfasts (because I don’t eat breakfast) or her desserts (because if I want dessert I’m having dessert) but her main dishes are a staple in my house. My personal favorites out of this book are her Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cleaner Corn Chowder, Beef and Broccoli, and her Savory Bacon Brussel Sprouts. The brussel sprouts are so good I make them just as a meal in themselves.

There are recipes for roast chicken, dairy free mac and “cheese,” sliders and more. I had to add a few items to my pantry (arrowroot powder, agave nectar, and coconut aminos mostly) but other than that, the recipes consist of basic, fresh ingredients. She also has recipes for homemade mayo, ketchup, bone broth and almond milk, as well as dips, cocktails and salads. Not everything is made in the pressure cooker, but most of the main dishes are.

If you are looking to omit dairy, gluten, inflammatory foods or all three, I totally recommend this cookbook (in fact all of her books). Ignore the bullshit marketing. This book is a godsend for people like me with food exclusions.

– Elyse

THE INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Brittany Williams lost more than 125 pounds using her Instant Pot® and making all her meals from scratch. Now she shares 125 quick, easy, and tasty whole food recipes that can help you reach your weight loss goals, too!

Brittany Williams had struggled with her weight all her life. She grew up eating the standard American staples—fast, frozen, fried, and processed—and hit a peak weight of 260 pounds. When her 4-year-old daughter’s autoimmune disease was alleviated by a low-sugar, dairy-free, grain-free, whole-food-based diet, Brittany realized she owed her own body the same kind of healing.

So on January 1, 2017, she vowed to make every meal for a year from scratch, aided by her Instant Pot®. She discovered that the versatility, speed, and ease of the electric pressure cooker made creating wholesome, tasty, family-satisfying meals a breeze, usually taking under thirty minutes. Not only did the family thrive over the course of the year, Brittany lost an astonishing 125 pounds, all documented on her Instant Loss blog.

Illustrated with gorgeous photography, Instant Loss Cookbook shares 125 recipes and the meal plan that Brittany used for her own weight loss, 75% of which are recipes for the Instant Pot® or other multicooker. These recipes are whole food-based with a spotlight on veggies, mostly dairy and grain-free, and use ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.

The clearest guide to navigating your Instant Pot® or other multicooker that you’ll find, Instant Loss Cookbook makes healthy eating convenient—and that’s the key to sustainable weight loss.

Cookbook