Sarah Jane Parker

Name: Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 - 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs or beef country ribs; 1 medium poblano pepper, diced; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, minced; 1/2 cup beef broth; 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced; 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice; Zest of 1 lime; 2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; Your favorite tortillas (whole grain, gluten free, etc.); Your favorite taco toppings: black beans, red cabbage slaw, pickled onions, cotija cheese, avocado, additional cilantro, etc.

What Is VO2 Max? Strategies for How To Measure and Improve Your VO2 Max

Published on September 8, 2020 By Sarah Jane Parker

Curious about what is VO2 max and how it affects your exercise performance? We give you the scoop on VO2 max, how to measure it yourself, and ways to increase it so you can go harder, and run faster.

Chances are if you’ve been running for a while or have been involved in any type of endurance sport, you’ve heard the term “VO₂ max” before.

VO₂ max is often referred to in fitness circles, but not very well understood, especially if you’re a beginner to exercise.

In this post, we’ll explain what is VO2 max, how it affects your running, and ways to improve VO2 max to run faster and more efficiently.

Once you begin to focus on your running performance – for example, when in marathon training – it can be beneficial to focus some of your training on VO2 max improvements.

So, what is VO2 Max?

VO₂ max is defined as the maximal oxygen consumption of your body during a specified time, usually during intense exercise. Essentially, it’s the maximum amount (Volume) of oxygen (0₂) your body can take in and actually use during maximal fitness efforts.

Some people refer to VO₂ max as a measurement of aerobic power and our aerobic ceiling, and it’s measured in milliliters per minute per kilogram of bodyweight (ml/kg/min).

Your body’s VO₂ max capacity is largely dependent on 1) cardiac output and 2) the ability of your muscles to use the available oxygen your heart and lungs are providing them.

Let’s get geeky for a minute. Here’s the scientific formula for VO₂ max:

VO₂ = SV x HR x (a-v O₂diff)

SV = stroke volume (the volume of blood your heart is moving with each stroke)
HR = heart rate
a-v O₂ diff = arteriovenous oxygen difference (how much oxygen the body is actually utilizing)
SV x HR = CO (cardiac output)

So our VO₂ max is determined by our stroke volume, our heart rate, and the amount of oxygen that our body actually uses from our blood.

What does VO₂ max mean for running or fitness?

VO₂ max is one of the many measurements in our fitness and endurance toolbelt (along with things like lactate threshold and exercise economy) that tell us where our fitness level is, where we can improve, and a way to track progress over time.

If you can improve your VO₂ max, you can run farther, faster, and with more intensity. The same goes for any other cardiorespiratory activity like cycling, swimming, etc.

With proper training, you can increase your VO₂ max and improve your running speed and endurance by increasing the elements of VO₂ max :

Your stroke volume (strengthening your heart muscle)
And the oxygen uptake of your muscles (training your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently).

How is VO₂ max measured?

Measuring VO₂ max is a great way to measure your aerobic capacity. In a lab setting, VO₂ max is usually measured with participants wearing a mask that measures incoming and outgoing air.

Participants are placed on a piece of cardio equipment like a stationary bike, treadmill, etc. and exercise is gradually increased until reaching a maximal tolerated level of exercise and physiological measurements (like heart rate) reach a plateau. All the information is collected and calculated into your VO₂ max.

Doing formal lab tests for VO₂ max can be really helpful if you’re going to test training programs and check for improvement or to establish a baseline. The VO₂ max tests are also fairly accessible and available at many university fitness centers and cost about $100.

But these tests may not be practical for the average person who isn’t a competitive athlete. But there is a way to do your own version of a VO₂ max yourself for free (more on that in a bit).

If you do get a VO₂max test done (or you do your own test), you can check your place in VO₂ max norm charts by gender and age. But the best way to use a VO₂max test is to use the data to measure progress over time to make sure that your training program is working like it should.

How to do your own VO₂ max tests: VO2 Max Calculators

If you don’t want to do a formal lab test for VO₂ max, you can do your own tests to estimate your VO₂ max. These self-tests have a margin of error and are not as accurate as a lab test, but are still helpful in estimating your VO₂ max.

There are a variety of tests available that people can do, but we’re listing the protocols for 2 of the easiest tests to complete on your own. We’ll include both the maximal 1.5 mile run test and the submaximal 1 mile jogging test below so there are 2 options for different fitness levels.

For a few other test types, this helpful compilation of tests also includes a submaximal jog test and the Rockport walking test.

1.5 mile run test (maximal test)

The 1.5 mile run test is a maximal test and is suitable if you are conditioned to run at maximal effort. Avoid this test if you have heart problems or or contraindications (like joint problems) that would prevent you from running at your highest effort.

On a level running surface, run 1.5 miles as fast as possible. Try to run at an even pace near the end (like you would in a race), and you can do a trial run prior to the run test to get a sense of the pace you’ll be at.

Record your time to complete the 1.5 mile run in minutes and seconds, and your heart rate at the end of the test. Use the formulas below to estimate VO₂ max.

VO2 Max Calculator: Fast 1.5 Miles Test

VO₂ max = 88.02 + (3.716 x gender multiplier) – (0.0753 x body weight in pounds) – (2.767 x time for 1.5 miles in minutes and fractions of minutes)

Gender multiplier = 1 for males, 0 for females.

Remember that equations in parentheses are completed first, then the rest of the equation is completed.

Example: if Joe is a 25 year old male that weighs 175 pounds and completes his 1.5 mile run in 12 minutes 15 seconds, his equation would look like this:

VO₂ max = 88.02 + (3.716 x 1) – (0.0753 x 175) – (2.767 x 12.25)

VO₂ max = 88.02 + 3.716 – 13.178 – 33.896

VO₂ max = 44.6 (rounded up)

1 mile jog test (submaximal)

The 1 mile jog test is a submaximal test that is great for people who are not able to complete a maximal run test for a variety of reasons.

Complete a comfortable jog over exactly 1 mile measured distance. It’s should not be fast, so pace should be less than 8 min/mile for men and 9 min/mile for women.

Once the test is completed, immediately record the time and record the heart rate from a heart rate monitor within 5 seconds of completion. If you’re doing a manual heart rate check, check heart rate as soon as possible and count your beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 for your beats per minute at completion.

VO2 Max Calculator – 1 Mile Comfortable Jog Test

Use the formula below for calculating your estimated VO₂ max:

VO₂ max = 100.5 + (8.344 x gender) – (0.0744 x weight in pounds) – (1.438 x mile time in minutes and fraction of minutes) – (0.1928 x heart rate)

Gender multiplier = 1 for male; 0 for female

VO2 Max Chart: Men and Women

What Is VO2 Max? Strategies for How To Measure and Improve Your VO2 Max 1 — VO2 Max Chart for men and women

The VO2 Max Chart above shows the various VO2 Max ranges for both men and women, sorted by age group.

How to increase your VO2 max

After you learn what is VO2 Max, the next step is figuring out how to improve it!

If you’d like to increase your VO2 max (your maximal oxygen consumption) so you can run faster and more efficiently, there are a few ways to do this. Here’s our recommendations:

Interval training

Studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves the VO₂max of young participants by improving oxygen delivery in the body.

To train your VO₂ max with intervals, your hard work intervals segments need to be at or near maximal intensity. Your heart rate during these hard work segments should approach your max heart rate.

What Is VO2 Max – Supplements To Improve VO2 Max

I know what you’re probably thinking: it’s not possible to increase your cardio capacity with supplements.

But studies have shown that it is possible to improve your maximal oxygen consumption with certain supplements. It’s believed that some of these supplements (like peppermint mentioned below) work by increasing vasodilation (opening up the blood vessels), and improving lung function which increases oxygen uptake.

Obviously you should never try to replace proper training with supplements, but combining natural, sport safe supplements and nutrition strategy with a solid training routine may help.

Make sure to speak with your doctor before beginning a new supplement!

Here are a few examples of supplements and nutrition strategies shown by scientific studies to be effective for improving VO₂max:

Quercetin (a natural plant bioflavonoid) has been found effective at increasing VO₂ max.
Iron supplementation if you have low blood iron levels.
Peppermint essential oil taken by mouth seems to improve VO₂ max and respiratory rate.
Rhodiola and ginkgo combined appear to improve endurance performance and VO₂ max.

Certain supplements like a glucose or caffeine may increase time to exhaustion and mitigate the feelings of exhaustion, but don’t necessarily increase your VO₂max.

Other considerations

VO2 max is a great thing to work on and improve, but it is not the only thing to consider. VO₂ max isn’t the same thing as lactate threshold, first or second ventilatory threshold (VT1 and VT2), etc.

If you’d like to improve running, here are a few other things to keep in mind along with VO₂ max:

Lactate threshold (the point at which lactic acid accumulates in the blood faster than it can be removed)
Mental fitness and psychological readiness for races
Strength training and conditioning of legs and core for movement efficiency
Stride length, cadence, and foot strike.

How To Run Faster with Fartleks + Fartlek Workouts

Published on August 10, 2020 By Sarah Jane Parker

Improve your speed and endurance with the fartlek workout! This fun type of interval training workout will help you break out of running boredom and improve your race times. We included a pyramid fartlek workout for you as well!

Want to run faster and longer? Add some fartlek workouts to your running routine!

Fartleks aren’t another way to say you’re breaking wind or cutting the cheese (cue the fart jokes).

Fartleks are a type of speed workout that are an amazing part of a runner’s toolbox for increasing speed, endurance, and improving your lactate threshold in a manageable workout that is easy to adjust for just about any fitness level.

Let’s dive in to everything about fartleks: what they are, types of fartlek workouts, how to start this type of workout, and a sample workout for you to try.

Improve your speed and endurance with the fartlek workout! This fun type of interval training workout will help you break out of running boredom and improve your race times. We included a pyramid fartlek workout for as well! | marathonhandbook.com #running #racing #fartlek #intervaltraining

What is a fartlek?

A fartlek is a type of interval-based running workout that comprises of intervals of hard work interspersed with recovery intervals. It is very similar to interval training except that fartlek workouts are typically less structured than interval workouts.

This type of running workout was created by Gösta Holmér in the 1930s while he was coaching the Swedish cross country team. Fartlek actually means “speedplay” in Swedish, and his interval technique turned out to be pretty successful with his team and has since then been adopted by runners, coaches, trainers, and physiologists.

How to do fartlek workouts

The key to fartlek workouts is a little bit of unstructured play (speedplay), so to speak.

Intervals can be based off of things like landmarks, effort, or time, but typically isn’t based on specific things like distance or heart rate.

Fartlek workouts are meant to be a little more fun!

There are a few different kinds of fartlek workouts to choose from, but the basis for each is the same: after a good warm up, you’ll do higher intensity bouts of running interspersed with periods of recovery (either walking or running depending on your fitness level).

You’ll repeat those intervals several times during your workout (the number depends on your goals, time available, and your fitness level) and then you’ll do your cool down.

Types of fartleks

The most basic fartlek is based on landmarks or just how you’re feeling (classic fartlek). For example: you might sprint to a tree that you see a little ways away, then walk or jog to the tree (or stop sign, or another landmark), and repeat.

A classic fartlek can also be done with just perceived effort, so you’d run or sprint hard until you feel like stopping or you can’t continue, then recover. And repeat.

With a classic fartlek, there are no set times to run or pace to meet, so some people leave their tracking devices and watches at home during these workouts. Some other types of fartleks are based on time, so you’d want a watch for those.

Here are a few other types of fartlek workouts:

Classic aerobic: a classic fartlek where your higher intensity intervals are below lactate/acidosis threshold so your entire workout is within the aerobic range.

Classic anaerobic: a classic fartlek where your high intensity segments are above lactate threshold so your high intervals are anaerobic and your recovery bouts are aerobic.

Ladder (1-2-3): this type of fartlek is set up so that your sprints/higher intensity segments increase as time goes on. So for example: 1 minute sprint, 1 minute jog, 2 minute sprint, 2 minute jog, etc. You can make this fartlek go as high as you like.

3-2-1 (reverse ladder): The reverse ladder fartlek is opposite the ladder fartlek so your times start higher and decrease. This is a perfect way to front-load your highest efforts for the beginning of your workout when you’re fresh (after a warmup of course!) and taper towards your cooldown.

Pyramid: these intervals are like combining the ladder and reverse ladder to go in an ascending then descending pattern (like 1-2-3-2-1) like a pyramid. Your interval times will increase then decrease. This is a great workout for warming up your body with shorter intervals at first, then increasing them, then decreasing intervals as you approach the end of your workout.

Fartlek based on music: this is a fun fartlek and a great one for the treadmill! Whether you’re running outside or inside, you can sprint during the chorus of a song, and recover during the verses (or vise versa). Just make sure that if you’re running outside with music, you put safety first.

Benefits of fartlek workouts

Like interval training in general, there are so many benefits to doing fartlek workouts!

Here are a few reasons that fartleks should be added to your running schedule:

They’re fun!
Helps to increase your speed by raising your lactate threshold.
Breaks monotony if you’re stuck in a training rut.
Can be done both outside or on the treadmill.
Creates a nice break from tracking devices and watches if you’re not doing a timed fartlek.
Easily adapted for a variety of fitness levels so it’s accessible to many people.
May help improve mental health and depression.
Helps you get in tune with your body and paying attention to your perceived effort during running workouts.
Increase fat burning due to EPOC (post-exercise oxygen consumption). Interval training (particularly high intensity interval training) is a great way to increase EPOC and calorie consumption after workouts.
Improved weight loss and body composition thanks to the increased calorie burn due from EPOC, provided you’re still eating properly after workouts!
Can improve confidence and mental preparation for races.

Fartleks can be a great way to break up an otherwise somewhat-monotonous half marathon or full marathon training cycle!

Pyramid fartlek workout

Want to get started with fartleks? Here is a pyramid fartlek workout for you to try.

If you are new to running or doing interval workouts, you can adjust this workout easily by increasing the recovery periods or decreasing the work periods.

We have this written to have the recovery periods equal to the amount of time for the high intensity periods, but you can make the recovery periods consistent across the board if you like.

You can also increase or decrease this workout based on your fitness level. If you’re advanced, try doing this workout twice instead of just once, or add 1 or 2 more high intensity segments instead of just the 5.

During recovery segments, the goal is to reduce your heart rate, but don’t worry about checking your heart rate. Listen to your body and run fast and recover based on your fitness level.

Pyramid Fartlek Workout

Functional warm up with dynamic movement and dynamic stretches (like our runner’s warm up)
5-10 minutes easy jogging to prepare your body for faster speeds
Run faster or sprint for 1 minute, recover for 1 minute (walk or jog)
Run faster for 2 minutes, recover for 2 minutes
Run faster for 3 minutes, recover for 3 minutes
Run faster for 2 minutes, recover for 2 minutes
Run faster for 1 minute, recover for 1 minute
Cool down and stretch

For beginners, try this variation where we’ve shortened the higher intensity periods and made the recovery periods consistently 2 minutes each:

Run faster for 30 seconds, recover for 2 minutes (walk or jog)
Run faster for 1 minute, recover for 2 minutes
Run faster for 2 minutes, recover for 2 minutes
Run faster for 1 minute, recover for 2 minutes
Run faster for 30 seconds, recover for 2 minutes

Remember, you can do the high intensity segments at your pace, and the recovery intervals walking instead of jogging or running.

Make this workout fit YOU and have fun!

Running Postpartum: Tips for Running After Childbirth

Last updated on Aug 15, 2020 By Sarah Jane Parker

The changes our bodies go through during childbirth are nothing short of amazing, but it takes time to heal after childbirth before jumping back into running and exercise. Here are our tips for running postpartum, how to adjust to a new workout schedule, and who should avoid running after birth.

Giving birth can be such a stressful but amazing thing!

It is truly amazing the changes our bodies go through as we carry a child (or multiple children) through pregnancy and childbirth. As a mother of two, I’m still amazed at what my body went through and recovered from after delivering both of my kids.

Between our ligaments stretching, our abdominal muscles often separating, our posture changing, and our feet spreading and swelling, exercise during and after pregnancy looks much different for us during those times.

While it takes a while for our bodies to get back to normal after having kids (and not just weight-wise), getting back into a routine of running can happen again! It just takes time and patience to get back into a good routine as your body heals.

We’re going to talk about when you can start running again, tips for starting back into running postpartum, and who should avoid running after pregnancy.

When can you start running after birth?

A woman’s body goes through some pretty intense changes during childbirth that leave wounds that take time to heal properly.

Whether you have a c-section or vaginal birth, your uterus will be left with a wound about the size of a dinner plate that will often take a full 4-6 weeks to heal.

woman running in colorful tank top with text overlay

During that time of healing, there is still a risk of hemorrhaging if that wound has not completely healed before a woman begins strenuous activity again. This is why listening to your doctor about returning to running after pregnancy is so important!

In general, doctors will release patients without complications or other health issues to full activity after about 6 weeks recovery time. The uterus generally has completely healed and gotten back down to it’s normal size by this time.

But since it can actually take much longer than 6 weeks for your pelvic floor to fully recover (from vaginal childbirth especially), some people recommend not returning to running for 12 weeks to prevent prolapse.

Ultimately, you should visit with your physician about when it’s a good time to return to running postpartum based on your personal health history.

At the very least, do not return to running after pregnancy for at least 6 weeks, and possibly 12 weeks if you feel that your pelvic floor is not up the challenge of high impact activity at the 6 week mark.

Tips For Running Postpartum

When you’re finally released by your doctor to get back to running and regular exercise, you’ll still need to keep in mind that you won’t be able to just jump right back in to your old routine yet.

While your body has already done most of its healing in 6 weeks, your exercise capacity has taken a bit of a hit due to the physical ordeal of childbirth and reduced activity in that 6 weeks of healing time.

woman pushing child in stroller - tips for running postpartum

If you’ve been running throughout your pregnancy, getting back into running will be easier. But if you haven’t been able to run while you were pregnant, then it might take a little while longer to get back into it.

But that’s okay! Give your body time and space to adjust to the changes your body has gone through.

Here are some tips for postpartum running:

Give yourself permission to start running again slowly

It’s easy to beat yourself up about not being able to run as fast or as far as you did before, but remember to put aside the negative self talk and embrace where you’re at right now.

Remind yourself that it’s okay to start slowly and increase as you feel comfortable. This might mean running on a treadmill at first, reducing your speed, running on softer surfaces, or avoiding hills for a while.

Starting again slowly and building up gradually will also mean you’ll have less muscle soreness and reduced risk of injury. Plus it will help your mental health to have a lighter exercise stress load during a time that is usually high stress from hormone changes.

Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Even if you had a c-section and didn’t have a vaginal birth, chances are your pelvic floor was still impacted by pregnancy and needs attention and improved strength.

Since it can take up to 6 months for your pelvic floor to get back to normal after the physical trauma of a vaginal birth, it’s important to take your time getting back into heavy weight lifting or high impact exercise like running and get your doctor’s clearance.

In general, doctors recommend that before you begin running postpartum, you should be able to hold a pelvic floor contraction for 10 seconds.

It is generally considered safe to start pelvic floor exercises right after childbirth, but again make sure that you check with your doctor if you’ve had complications. When you do pelvic floor exercises, stop if you feel pain and don’t try to push through the pain. Listen to your body.

women running in the snowy woods - tips for running postpartum

Here are some pelvic floor exercises that you can do to strengthen your pelvic floor as it heals.

Kegel exercises (both slow and quick contractions)
Deep abdominal muscles (birddogs, dead bugs, seated core contractions)

Once you have recovered after 6 weeks, you can add these types of exercises into your routine to continue strengthening the muscles surrounding your pelvic floor:

Continue with your kegel exercises
Deep abdominal muscles (stomach vacuum, plank, etc.)
Strengthen and stretch adductor muscles (froggers, inner thigh leg lifts, adductor machine, etc.)
Strengthen and stretch glute muscles (bridges, single leg RDLs, band walks, clams, etc.)

Start with walking

If you haven’t made it to that 6 week mark yet of being released for full exercise, you should be able to start walking as long as you’re cleared by your doctor to do so and you’re in good general health.

Even if you can’t lift weights yet or run before the 6 weeks of healing is done, you can still get back into the routine of daily movement by taking walks and doing gentle stretches that are also doctor approved.

Taking time to walk can also increase circulation to promote healing and reduce postpartum depression, but only if you’re not overdoing it. Depending on any complications you may have had, speak with your doctor about when it’s okay to start walking.

Be flexible

When you become a new mom, things change a lot: your schedule, lack of sleep, your body, … pretty much everything.

Because things are always changing with a new baby at home, it’s always a good idea to keep your running postpartum or exercise schedule flexible to fit your changes.

That might mean working out at home for a little bit even if you’re used to doing classes at the gym, or skipping a day of running if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. If you can’t do a full workout that you’d like, do a short workout instead.

Focus on your whole health first and your running schedule second until your body has completely recovered. Full recovery from childbirth can take up to 6 months, so be prepared to stay flexible for a while.

Adjust your exercises and schedule as you go. This will help reduce additional stress in your life and make it easier to stick to regular activity that fits your life.

woman jogging with a stroller on a wooded trail - tips on postpartum running

Listen to your body

Listening to your body is imperative during this time!

Some discomfort is normal after you begin to get back to regular activities, but if you feel real pain, stop the exercise that you’re doing and don’t try to “push through the pain”.

Your body is still healing up, so make sure that you are caring for it and giving yourself plenty of time and room to heal by listening to your body and not ignoring pain signals while running postpartum.

Who Should Avoid Running After Childbirth?

Depending on your personal health history, here are some reasons (contraindications) for women not to participate in running after childbirth:

Diastasis recti
Prolapse
Abdominal hernia
Postpartum preeclampsia
Bleeding disorders
Uterine infection
C-section incision infection
Kidney or bladder infection
Mastitis
Severe postpartum depression
Other health conditions diagnosed by your doctor that require rest and modified activity

Please remember this post is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Always talk to your doctor about whether you’re read to restart running or start a new exercise program.

Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos

Published on May 12, 2020 By Sarah Jane Parker

Our Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are perfect for Taco Tuesdays or meal prep on Sundays! This simple shredded beef cooks up juicy and flavorful in the pressure cooker and can be used for many recipes besides tacos.

Ever heard the phrase “will run for tacos”? We have, and we couldn’t agree more!

There’s nothing like fueling up after a great run with healthy homemade tacos, and our Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are a perfect for weeknight dinners or weekend meal prep meal to stay fueled, especially when you’re in the midst of a heavy training plan and don’t have loads of free time to spend cooking.

These shredded beef tacos have everything you want: juicy shredded beef, crunchy fresh veggies, and creamy avocado. Plus they’re balanced with everything you need: protein, carbohydrates, and fresh vegetables.

Read more for tips on how to make our Instant Pot shredded beef tacos and how to get tender and juicy beef with your pressure cooker.

How to make Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos

Our Instant Pot shredded beef is pretty easy to make, but it takes some time to cook. But the time it takes to cook it is worth it! This shredded beef is full of flavor and can be used for many recipes, not just tacos.

While some Instant Pot recipes call for browning beef before cooking it, I haven’t found that this makes a difference when cooking in a pressure cooker. It makes a big difference when roasting meat in the oven or slow cooking, but not so much with pressure cooking meat.

So you don’t have to brown the meat before adding it to your pressure cooker, plus it saves time not searing/browning your beef beforehand!

For this recipe, you’ll simply add your boneless beef short ribs to the pressure cooker, top with your chopped poblano pepper and cilantro, then pour over the beef broth mixed with your garlic and spices. Then cook and shred!

Since I don’t eat a lot of spicy food, I kept the heat down in this recipe by using mild poblano peppers. But if you want more spice with your taco meat, swap the poblano pepper for 1-2 jalapeño peppers for more spice.

You can even use 1 poblano pepper and 1 jalapeño pepper if you want a little bit of spice but not too much. Play with the recipe a little bit and see where you want your spice level.

Using natural pressure release with your pressure cooker

In this recipe, I specify natural pressure release for your beef taco meat once it’s done cooking in your pressure cooker. Don’t skip this step, it’s important!

Using natural pressure release when you cook meat in a pressure cooker helps to keep the meat more tender and juicier. If you use the quick pressure release method right after cooking your beef, it will end up more tough.

Natural pressure release means that you allow the pressure in your Instant Pot to release by itself naturally. It takes longer than a quick pressure release (where you open the valve to release the pressure quickly), but it results in taco meat with better texture.

Serving your beef tacos

When you’re ready to assemble your tacos, use whichever tortilla you love! You can easily make this recipe fit special diets by using different kinds of tortillas: high-fiber tortillas, grain-free tortillas (like the ones from Siete), homemade tortillas, gluten free tortillas, or regular ones if you love those.

We love using the uncooked refrigerated flour tortillas since they have minimal ingredients in them and they are more fresh. They only take about 1 minute to cook on a skillet or griddle, so they’re super easy and they taste so much better than pre-cooked tortillas.

If you want to give the uncooked tortillas a try, you can find them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store usually by the cheese and butter. They’re worth the little bit of extra effort to cook them.

This Instant Pot shredded beef is also amazing in other recipes besides tacos. You can skip the tortillas and make burrito bowls with rice and beans – one of my favorite ways to eat this beef!

How to store your shredded beef

Once your shredded beef is cooked, you can let it cool and store it in an airtight container for about 3 days.

You can also create taco meal prep bowls with this beef as well! Fill each meal prep dish with brown rice, beans, and shredded beef. When you’re ready to eat your meal prep taco bowl, add diced fresh tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce!

This Instant Pot shredded beef will also freeze well. You can freeze leftovers in one portion in a freezer bag, or divide it into single portions to freeze for easy grab-and-go meals.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 - 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs or beef country ribs
1 medium poblano pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/2 cup beef broth
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Your favorite tortillas (whole grain, gluten free, etc.)
Your favorite taco toppings: black beans, red cabbage slaw, pickled onions, cotija cheese, avocado, additional cilantro, etc.

Instructions

Place the beef short ribs in the pressure cooker and add the diced poblano pepper, chopped cilantro, and minced oregano.
In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Pour the broth mixture over the beef in the pressure cooker and close the lid, lock it, and set the valve to closed.
Set to cook on high heat on "Meat" setting for 35 minutes.
Once the beef is done cooking, turn off the "keep warm" feature if your pressure cooker has it. Allow the pressure to release naturally (this takes about 25-30 minutes).
Once the pressure has been naturally released from the Instant Pot, remove the beef onto a cutting board and shred it, then return it back to the juices in the pot.
Stir the beef with the cooking juices, use a slotted spoon or fork to add the shredded beef onto your preferred tortillas and top with your favorite taco toppings!
Store leftovers with a bit of the juices in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge, or freeze it for later.

Notes

Nutrient calculations are an estimate and are for the beef only and doesn't include the tortillas or toppings you choose.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10 servings

Serving Size:

@1/2 cup shredded beef
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 28.6gSaturated Fat: 11.8gSodium: 278mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 15g

Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipe: Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta

Last updated on Aug 27, 2020 By Sarah Jane Parker

Looking for a flavorful and healthy recipe for fueling your body after an active day? Our Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta is a balanced meal with healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein. This is a delicious healthy chicken pasta recipe that will add some variety to your meal plan and will refuel your working muscles.

Need a little more variety in your running meal plan? We created this Healthy Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe inspired by Mediterranean flavors that’s perfect for runners looking for a balanced but flavorful meal.

Our healthy chicken pesto pasta recipe is a well-balanced meal that has healthy fats, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates to fuel your next run, and help with recovery!

This healthy pasta recipe is pretty easy to make, and we include a delicious pesto recipe so you can make your own!

Its one of the dishes featured in our Marathon Training Meal Plan, which you can download for free at the end of this post!

So whether you’re in marathon training or simply looking for a delicious, nutritious dish…read on!

If you have food allergies, we also provide some easy swaps to make this recipe fit your food allergies, and we share some options for cooking the chicken without a grill if you don’t have access to one.

Read on for tips on making this healthy chicken pesto pasta!

How To Make Our Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipe

There are 3 parts to this amazing recipe: preparing your pesto, preparing the chicken, and preparing the pasta. You can do all these things simultaneously, so the prep and cooking time for this recipe should only take about 30 minutes or less.

Prepare your pesto first while you heat your water for pasta and preheat your grill. The pesto will only take about 5 minutes to make in a small-ish sized food processor.
Season and grill your chicken. Cooking the chicken over medium heat will take about 10 minutes (or 12-13 minutes if they are larger).
Once the water is boiling, cook your whole-wheat pasta.
Assemble everything! Combine the pasta, pesto, chicken, marinated artichokes, and fresh tomatoes together and serve.

Our recipe card with complete instructions and ingredients is at the end of the post!

We like to grill with chicken breasts that are smaller and cut/portioned to cook evenly so most of them will cook in the same time.

Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipe: Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta 3

If you have chicken breasts that are rather thick, you can cut them in half horizontally or pound the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap (or in a plastic bag) to make them uniform thicknesses for easier grilling.

Cutting the chicken breasts in half or pounding the chicken isn’t absolutely necessary for this recipe, but we find that it makes cooking a bit faster and easier!

How To Cook the Pesto Chicken Without a Grill

Grilling the pesto chicken in this recipe makes it taste amazing, but if you don’t have access to a grill, you can cook this in the oven instead.

To cook the chicken in the oven, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a glass 9×13 baking dish and season the chicken as listed in the recipe.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 18 minutes. Remove the foil and check the chicken, it will likely need a few minutes more if they aren’t small chicken breasts. If you’ve cut the chicken breasts in half or pounded the chicken, 18 minutes might be plenty of cooking time.

If the chicken needs more time to cook, remove the foil and cook again in the oven for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is firm or the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Can I Use Store Bought Pesto In This Recipe?

Making pesto at home is really rewarding: you have the freshest ingredients in your pesto that are hand chosen by you!

But if you don’t have the time to make your own pesto or you’re having a hard time finding some of the ingredients, you can definitely use pre-made pesto from the store.

If you’re using store bought pesto, check the ingredients to make sure you find one that has few (or no) preservatives in it and is made with natural ingredients.

Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipe: Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta 4

What Swaps Can I Make If I Have Food Allergies?

If you have food allergies, here are a few swaps you can easily make in this healthy chicken pasta recipe to accommodate!

If you can’t have gluten, use a whole grain gluten free or grain free pasta that fits your diet. Some great options are brown rice pasta, corn or quinoa pasta, or chickpea or lentil pasta.
Pine nuts can be replaced with roasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds if you have tree nut allergies.
Can’t have dairy? Dairy free parmesan works great in this recipe as well! We love the Violife brand of dairy free parmesan.

Yield: 5 servings

Healthy Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta

Looking for a flavorful and healthy recipe for fueling your body after an active day? Our Grilled Chicken Pesto Pasta is a balanced meal with healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes