Instant Pot Yellow Rice

Want yellow rice without all the preservatives and sodium? You found it!

All the taste, none of the artificial stuff

We adore yellow rice in our house. And I have tried to make a homemade version before without great success. It wasn't very flavorful and stuck to the pot. This version is perfect!

Homemade vs prepackaged

I'll start off by saying there's nothing inherently wrong with prepackaged food such as yellow rice. I've used and it and will likely continue to use it here and there. But if I can, I prefer to use homemade foods.

In any weight management plan, they will tell you to shop the outer edges of the grocery store. That's where all the fresh foods live. If you venture into the aisles, try for things that are more natural and have less preservatives.

This is how we try to shop. But I'm more concerned with the sodium counts in prepackaged foods. Things like yellow rice tend to be very high in sodium when you buy it prepackaged. This homemade recipe isn't any more difficult and allows me to control the sodium that goes into it.

Turmeric is the star of this yellow rice recipe

In this recipe, turmeric, not food coloring, is what gives it that beautiful yellow color. In India, it has been used for thousands of years as both a spice and a medicinal herb. There is a substance in turmeric, curcumin, that is a powerful anti-inflammatory and has great antioxidant properties.

The amounts in your food when you use turmeric as a spice are likely not enough to have medicinal properties. However, eating it with black pepper and in fatty foods will help with absorption. This yellow rice recipe will help with this, as there are some good fats in it.

Curcumin has been shown to help increase levels of the brain hormone BDNF. This hormone may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

For more information on the benefits of turmeric, check out this article.

What pairs well with yellow rice

As I said, we really enjoy Mexican food in our house. Often, the main dish is the star of the show and the rice isn't finished. Some of our favorites are Mexican taco casserole, slow cooker Mexican shredded beef, chicken fajitas, and beef and cheddar quesadillas.

Why do you want to rinse your rice?

This yellow rice recipe calls for you to rinse the rice before you cook it. Is this really necessary? You can certainly cook your yellow rice without rinsing it, but it's better if you do.

Rinsing your rice will remove any debris that are clinging to the rice, but more importantly than that, it will remove the surface starch. That surface starch is what causes the rice to be gummy and to cling together.

How do I stay on track with my weight loss?

To help me with my love of Mexican food, well, really most food, I have to track and plan. To do this, I have been using Healthi formerly iTrackbites with great success! It's easy to use and has helped me so much with my success.

• cost: Healthi formerly iTrackBites costs $36 for the year (using this link for 40% off makes it $36 – use COACH_SMILEY to save!!), WW is $20+ for the month, and it's the same formula and less options
• choices: I can choose PointsPlus, Freestyle, or any other plan I want with Healthi formerly iTrackBites. Even with the new WW changes, they only offer 3 plan options (not PointsPlus).
• logs: You can export your tracker data by the week, month, or quarter with Healthi formerly iTrackBites. WW does not give you access to quarterly data.
• accuracy: I've found inaccurate info in the WW app due to members submitting and not paying attention to the right numbers. With Healthi formerly iTrackBites, I know if I see the green check, it's been verified as accurate. This puts my mind at ease!

BLUE PLAN: 6 Points

GREEN PLAN: 6 Points

PURPLE PLAN: 6 points

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