Crock pots or slow cookers are really a good way to make great recipes with budget ingredients and minimum effort. Slow cookers are inexpensive to buy, and for people who are looking to lose weight, crock pots can offer a low-fat method of cooking, and a healthier meal overall. The low-fat diet that can be made possible with crockpot recipes has multiple health benefits apart from weight-loss.
Low-fat diets have many benefits for men as well as women. In women, they are known to slow down the progression of diabetes and in men they are known to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease.
Low-fat diets help with improving cholesterol levels and can thus improve heart health which in turn is a guarantee of improved physical activity and weight loss. Before moving on you should note that going on an extremely low fat diet has its risks as well especially for people who already have medical conditions. If you have any medical condition, it is important to consult with an internal medicine doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet.
How to use crock pots?
Crock pots are a really attractive option for people who are looking to cut down the pre-preparation of a meal. For dishes like stews and soups, all the ingredients can just be thrown into a crock pot, and a delicious dish will be ready soon.
If you are a working woman, or just somebody who is short on time, you can prepare everything the night before, put it in the crock pot dish, and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning you can put the dish on heat and cook it, saving yourself some time and trouble.
Crock pots are great for cooking meat dishes, because the slow heat extracts flavor from the meat, and allows it to slowly permeate the whole dish. Chicken thighs, lamb chops, beef brisket, all can be cooked deliciously with a crock pot. The gentler the heat is on the crock pot, the meatier the dish tastes. Even with a vegetable-based dish, the slow heat brings out the flavors.
The great thing about crock pots is that you don’t need to add oil to the cooker. The heat is not high enough that the contents will catch, and the moisture will provide all that the dish needs.
Lastly, the best thing about crock pots is that you don’t need to check up on them. You just put them on the heat, and they take care of themselves. They are designed to keep cooking without needing constant check.
Here are some healthy weight loss recipes that you can make easily with crock pots
- Crockpot dal
Crock pots make great daal for all the daal lovers out there. Add into the cooker 1 cup masoor lentils, an onion, 4 cloves of garlic, half teaspoon turmeric, half cup tomato puree, a teaspoon ginger and 4 cups of greens. You can add other spices to taste. You have to cook this in a high setting and stir everything well. It takes about three hours to cook in a high setting, and contains about 107 calories
- Crock pot stew of black-eyed peas
This is another great fat free recipe, as well as easy to cook in a slow cooker. Just add into the mix a large chopped onion with 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 3 cups black eyed peas, a sweet potato, 1 cup tomatoes, 2 teaspoons cumin and 4 cups vegetable stock, salt can be added to taste. Set the cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours for better flavor. This recipe has only 198 calories.
- Crock pot chicken casserole
For this dish you will need some butter, half teaspoon olive oil, 1.5 tablespoon flour, 650 grams boneless chicken thigh, some carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and chicken stock. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and heat on low for 7 hours, and serve with some bay leaves. A delicious chicken casserole is ready.
- Crock pot fat free chilli
For this dish, you will need a diced onion, a bell-pepper, a cup of corn kernels, 2 cloves garlic, 1 diced zucchini, half-cup water, 2 teaspoons cumin and a teaspoon of oregano, 3 cups diced tomatoes and 3 cups cooked kidney beans. You can also add 8 ounces of mushrooms. Combine all the ingredients and cook on low for 7 hours. The cumulative calories are 140 in this dish.
- Crock chicken chilli
This recipe needs about half an onion, 2 chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a can of kidney beans, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 can tomato paste and 2 cans diced tomatoes, 3 cups of kale and a pinch of oregano, with some cheese for topping. These ingredients should be cooked without kale for three hours on high, and then for another hour with kale.
- Crockpot kale vegetable soup
This soup is rich in flavor and is full of spices guaranteed to burn fat. Add to the cooker a clove of garlic, 4-5 sprigs of thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, half teaspoon ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, half red-onion, 1 can of black and white beans, 5 leaves of kale, 5 medium carrots, 1 carton of vegetable broth and a can of diced tomatoes. Set the heat to high, and stir is every now and then. Cook for 4 hours; this recipe has 314 calories.
- Crock pot cinnamon apple oatmeal
Oatmeal is just about the perfect meal for weight loss. It is full of fiber, it is creamy and chewy, and it keeps those cravings and hunger pangs at bay. For this dish, you will add into the cooker 2 apples, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a quarter of sea salt, 1 cup oats and 1.5 cup coconut milk, 1.5 cup water. Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 hours, and serve when cool. This dish has only 253 calories.
Even though these crock pot recipes are quite generic, they do not take into account any food allergies or medical conditions that some people might have. If you have any specific food allergies or have some medical condition such as diabetes or blood pressure, it’s important to first consult with a general physician.
