Are you trying to lose weight, be healthier and save money? For this, you need a slow cooker to achieve these goals. The basic slow cookers are easy to use, do not cost much, and can be a real game-changer in your diet plans for weight loss. Starting a diet requires healthy eating, consistency, and equipment to make the whole procedure easy to manage.
Slow cookers require minimal effort, clean-up, and preparation but give maximum results. You can make healthy, weight-loss meals using slow cookers in the morning and enjoy them when you get free from work.
Just because you are on your journey to lose weight and get healthy does not mean you need to deprive yourself of all the flavorsome meals. The slow cooker weight loss recipes mentioned in the article include the clean eating ingredients that deliver healthy fats, protein, and fiber. In addition, to take the edge off the hunger and stay hydrated, make sure to drink plenty of water.
How Slow Cooker Helps In Weight Loss?
one of the first steps while trying to manage and lose weight is cooking at home. Slow-cooked food relies on moisture-rich, long cooking. Compared to a stove or oven, you can use less oil while cooking with a slow cooker and save calories. Using a slow cooker prevents hungrily snacking on food as your dinner is already ready when you get home.
You can also cook up a big batch of vegetable soup using a slow cooker and save the leftovers by freezing it. This way, you always have a satisfying low-calorie meal available.
Cook More Healthy Foods
You can save considerable time preparing your meals by using a slow cooker. Before leaving for your work in the morning, prepare the ingredients and put them in the cooker pot. For better health and fitness, you can hit the gym in the extra time you saved.
If your weeknights are busy because of work or family, you can cook the meal in your slow cooker ahead of time and freeze them.
Best Slow Cooker Recipes
We have collected some delicious and healthy weight loss slow cooker recipes that are ideal to fit into your diet plan.
1. Crock-Pot Black-Eyed Peas Stew
Ingredients Required:
- Three celery stalks, sliced in a half-inch dice
- Three cups black-eyed peas (you do not need any prep while using frozen black-eyed peas. However, if you are using the dried ones, take a cup of dried peas and soak them for at least eight hours or overnight, then drain and rinse)
- 2 tsps. ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- One chopped large onion
- One large bell pepper (sliced in half-inch dice)
- One cup pureed tomatoes
- One tsp ancho chili powder
- Salt to taste
- Two medium carrots, thinly sliced in round or cut in a half-inch dice
- One sweet potato (optional), cut in half-inch dice
- 1 tsp crumbled, dried sage
- One chipotle chili in adobo sauce
- Coriander for garnish
Preparation
- Add all the ingredients into the slow cooker and add the stock. Mix them well.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook for straight six to eight hours on a low setting or for four hours on high or until black-eyed peas and all the vegetables are tender.
- After that, garnish with coriander. Serve hot with crusty whole wheat bread, quinoa, or brown rice.
Nutritional Information
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 19 g fiber
- 198 calories
- 109 mg sodium
- 7 g sugars
- 1 g fat
- 47 g carbs
- 15 g protein
This recipe can serve eight people.
2. Farro and Chicken Chili
Ingredients Required:
- One package (8.5 Oz) farro
- One can of kidney beans
- 3 cups kale
- Two chicken breasts
- Three minced garlic cloves
- One can of tomato paste
- Pinch of oregano
- 2 tbsps. olive oil
- ½ chopped onion
- Two cans of diced tomatoes
- Cheese for topping
Preparation
- Add olive oil and chicken to the bottom of a slow cooker
- Add farro, diced tomatoes, garlic, beans, onions, tomato paste, and oregano on top
- Cook for three hours on high heat setting and then add kale
- Before removing from the slow cooker, cook for an additional hour
- Top it with cheese (optional), and enjoy
3. Crock-pot Kale Vegetable Soup
Ingredients Required:
- Five medium carrots
- One can of diced tomatoes
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsps. olive oil
- One carton of vegetable broth
- One can of white beans
- ½ of a red onion
- One bay leaf
- ½ tbsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 ½ tbsps. white wine vinegar
- Five leaves of kale
- One can of black beans
- One clove of garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne
Preparation
- To prepare the vegetables, cut away the kale from stalks and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Drain both cans of beans. Peel garlic. Chop onion. Chop carrots into smaller pieces – the smaller, the better and quicker to cook.
- After that, add all the ingredients into the slow cooker and mix with a big spoon. Moreover, set the heat to high.
- The kale takes more time to cook, so be patient.
- If you want, you can stir it after every few minutes. However, the slow cooker does all the cooking itself. And decrease the heat for a while if you find it to look too hot.
- Cook for at least four hours or until the carrots are soft. You can serve it in bowls.
Nutritional Information
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 13 g fiber
- 314 calories
- 1,187mg sodium
- 5g sugars
- 5g fat (1 g saturated)
- 52g carbs
- 18g protein
The recipe serves eight people
4. Overnight Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
Ingredients Required:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsps. brown sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- Two apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups of coconut milk
Optional for Topping:
- Fruits like berries, fresh apple, or banana slices
- Chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.
- Additional brown sugar or cinnamon
Preparation
- Start with spraying the inside of your slow cooker with oil. This step is crucial, so do not skip it.
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker: water, cinnamon, coconut milk, brown sugar, sea salt, oats, apples, and coconut oil. Stir to combine all these ingredients well.
- Cook for five to seven hours on low heat. The time varies depending on your slow cooker; some are faster, and some take longer. Before trying overnight, it is better to test run during the day to get an idea of how long your slow cooker takes to cook.
- Allow it to cool, add your favorite toppings, and serve hot.
Nutritional Information (for six servings)
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 4g fiber
- 253 calories
- 91mg sodium
- 11g sugars
- 18g fat (15 g saturated)
- 24g carbs
- 3g protein
The recipe serves six to eight people.
Conclusion
Buying a slow cooker for your kitchen is an excellent choice as it saves time and makes food healthier and yummier. In addition to that, you can even lose weight by eating several slow-cooked meals, especially the ones we mentioned above.