8 Easy and Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss | Avocadu (2024)

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Are you overwhelmed with cooking while you’re trying to lose weight? These 8 easy and healthy crockpot recipes for weight loss will help make weeknights easier and help you actually stick toyour diet!

Sometimes it seems like you’re burning the extra calories just from making those complicated healthy meals. Eating well doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though.

You can streamline your cooking routine to eat healthier ANDlose weight.

A crockpot is an ideal tool for cooking for weight loss. You can throw in all the ingredients, set it, and forget it.

This leaves you extra time to take a yoga class or go for a walk.

There’s a delicate balance that we all face with eating healthy, finding the time to cook, AND making food that tastesgood enough to WANT to eat it!

The biggest and BEST tip that we can offer you here at Avocadu regarding making healthy meals and sticking to your diet long-term is to SIMPLIFY!

Avoid recipes with 25 ingredients. They are time-consuming, EXPENSIVE, and often just filled with a bunch of extra stuff that just isn’t necessary.

Find a few spices that you like and that can go on a variety of recipes. Being a Cajun girl from New Orleans, my favorite go-to is Cajun Seasoning. I put it on EVERYTHING! Seriously, veggies, eggs, meat, you name it.

Garlic and onion are alsobig for me, but the important thing is: Find what works for YOU, and stick to it!

Okay, let’s get to the recipes! I’ve done a round-up of some of my favorites from across the web!

1. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

Mexican food may be exactly what you’d want if you were trapped on a desert island. Unfortunately, it’s not the most ideal food for weight loss.

Mexican restaurants often fry their food in unhealthy oils. The refried beans are cooked up from a powder. Yikes!

You don’t exactly know where the meat came from.

Change up the fajita by combining Mexican flavors in a warming, satisfying soup. Top it with some avocado to get in extra healthy fats and enjoy a satisfying creamy texture.

By Brittany at Eating Bird Food. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 4 ½ hours. Find the recipe here.

2. Crock Pot Vegan Chili

8 Easy and Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss | Avocadu (1)

Protein is good for your body. However, not everyone eats animal protein.

Even if you do, it can benefit your body to vary your protein sources. Plus, it’s eco-friendly and can be more affordable to have a vegetarian day once a week.

This chili will satisfy your cravings for comfort food while taking care of all of the above.

Plus, it’s virtually fat-free. It’s low in calories, so you can have a few servings without sabotaging your diet.

By Vaishali at Holy Cow Vegan. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 7 hours. Find the recipe here.

Next up on the list of crockpot recipes for weight loss is…

3. Summer Vegetable Lasagna

You can get tired of making chili and soups in the crockpot. This lasagna changes things up a bit.

We do recommend to avoid the gluten andswap the noodles for thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant. If you do this, salt the veggie “noodles” and let them sit for about 25 minutes on paper towels before you layer them in the crockpot.

Wipe them clean before you add them to the recipe. This will get rid of the excess water.

Another recommended modification: Ditch the bread crumbs and cheese! They contain extra calories, and you don’t need them. It tastes wonderful without them!

If you make this dish with veggies only, it’s relatively low in calories. You can eat as much as you want without worrying about your waistline.

By Ashley at Oh My Veggies. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 3 ½ hours. Find the recipe here.

4. Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Quinoa Casserole

8 Easy and Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss | Avocadu (2)

This casserole contains loads of protein. The chicken provides protein, and quinoa is a grain with a complete protein profile.

Research shows that eating sufficient protein can help you lose weight (1).

The best part is that you can make this recipe with any leftover chicken. If you haven’t cooked chicken in the past few night, use a rotisserie chicken.

This dish is hearty but packs in the vegetables. It’s also pretty enough to make for a dinner party.

Our modifications: Ditch the cheese and sour cream!

By Katerina at Diethood. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 6 hours. Find the recipe here.

5. Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

If you crave takeout, Chinese food isn’t your best option.

However, you can replicate the flavors of your favorite Chinese food without all the oil and MSG.

This recipe packs in the protein by adding edamame to chicken breast. Throw in as many diced carrots and peppers as you want to get several servings of vegetables.

Serve the meal over cauliflower “rice” or zucchini “zoodles” to add more nutrients to your meal. Using veggies instead of starches will satisfy your hunger with fewer calories than traditional rice or pasta.

By Lizzie at Pop Sugar. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 2-6 hours. Find the recipe here.

6. Crock Pot Balsamic Beef

Shredded beef is very filling and can be served with anything. Make a batch of this once a week!

Eat it on salads and sweet potatoes for lunches. Scoop it up alongside roasted vegetables for dinner. Use it as taco filling.

This beef tastes excellent the next day when served with thinly sliced sautéed green cabbage. Everything has a texture that’s reminiscent of pasta. You can even twirl your fork around in it.

However, the low-carb meal provides protein and nutrients from the beef and cabbage.

If you’re concerned about the sugar content of balsamic vinegar, consider the fact that there is only ½ cup of it in the entire recipe.

Unless you’re attempting to do a true detox, the small amount of balsamic vinegar shouldn’t throw off your clean eating.

By George at Civilized Caveman Cooking. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 8 hours. Find the recipe here.

7. Healthy Crock Pot Mini Turkey Meatballs

8 Easy and Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss | Avocadu (3)

This is a crockpot recipe that you can really sink your teeth into. Meatballs are a type of comfort food that are often associated with pasta and home cooking.

You can pretty much put anything in a meatball. That makes some meatball recipes incredibly unhealthy.

This one isn’t like that. This recipe uses lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.

It also uses quinoa instead of bread crumbs. This provides protein and holds the meatballs together without adding gluten.

They’re cooked in crushed tomatoes, leaving you with a savory sauce that you can spoon over spaghetti squash, zoodles or cauliflower rice.

These meatballs give you the comfort food that you crave and still lose weight.

Our modifications: Ditch the cheese!

By Jessica at How Sweet It Is. Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 6 hours. Find the recipe here.

The last on the list of crockpot recipes for weight loss is a delicious one!

8. Crockpot Apple Oatmeal

Finally, a crockpot recipe that can be eaten for breakfast (or dessert)!

Although this sounds decadent, it doesn’t have any added sugar. The sweetness comes from the apples.

The recipe recommends using rolled oats. However, if you use steel-cut oats, you’ll get more flavor.

That flavor makes adding any more sweetener unnecessary.

Our modifications: Use unsweetened non-dairy milk (coconut, cashew, or almond), and ditch the butter, raisins, and honey! The apples will make it plenty sweet enough. 🙂

In addition, eating steel-cut oats can help lower your blood sugar, according to Dr. Diana Fleming. Over time, eating steel-cut oats can help your body respond better to the carbs that you eat and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

By Brenda at Sugar-Free Mom. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 6 hours. Find the recipe here.

Remember to SIMPLIFY, guys! That is the key to long-term diet adherence!

If you liked this article on 8 easy and healthy crockpot recipes for weight loss, or have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below!

8 Easy and Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss | Avocadu (2024)

FAQs

Are slow cookers healthy for weight loss? ›

Slow cooking, on the other hand, typically requires minimal added fats. This reduction in unhealthy cooking methods supports your weight loss goals by cutting down on hidden calories without diminishing flavour.

What happens to fat in a slow cooker? ›

Normally when you fry meat, a lot of the fat drains away, but this won't happen in a slow cooker so trim it off – otherwise you might find you have pools of oil in your stew. Removing the fat will give you a healthier result, and it'll still be tasty.

What is a healthy alternative to a crock pot? ›

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can slow cook right on stovetop using a cooking pot that has a heavy build (like a Dutch oven) so it can disperse heat evenly to the food cooking inside. You should cover it well with a lid, keep the heat low and keep checking food in between so it does not run out of liquid.

Does slow cooking melt fat? ›

The fat dissolves into the liquid the meat is cooking in - making it extra tasty, and the connective tissue requires slow cooking to break down and achieve that melt-in-the-mouth quality.

Are crockpot foods healthy? ›

Yes, if you use them correctly. The slow cooker cooks foods slowly at a low temperature, generally between 170 and 280 degrees F, over several hours. The combination of direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam, destroys bacteria making the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.

What is the healthiest cooked meat? ›

go for turkey and chicken without the skin as these are lower in fat (or remove the skin before cooking) try to limit processed meat products such as sausages, salami, pâté and beefburgers, because these are generally high in fat – they are often high in salt, too.

What is the healthiest meat possible? ›

But to break it down in terms of meats only, and which is the healthiest, here's our list featuring the best:
  • Top overall: Lean cuts. ...
  • Lean cuts of Pork: ...
  • Healthiest: Skinless Turkey Meat. ...
  • Healthiest: Skinless Chicken Breast. ...
  • Healthiest: Flank, strip steak, and 95% lean ground beef. ...
  • Sources:

What is the healthiest substitute for meat? ›

How to get protein without the meat
  • Quinoa. ...
  • Nuts. ...
  • Seeds. ...
  • Cereals and grains. ...
  • Quorn™ ...
  • Dairy. Milk, yoghurt and cheese are great sources of protein and also contain calcium to keep our bones healthy. ...
  • Eggs. It's a myth that eggs are bad for your heart. ...
  • Fish. White fish is a low-fat protein source.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

What is the best meat to slow cook? ›

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Can you put raw meat in a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level. Slow cooking steak is a convenient way to cook steak over several hours, tenderizing it and adding exceptional flavor along the way.

What is the lightest weight crock pot? ›

Calphalon Digital Sauté Slow Cooker

It was so light at 8.7 pounds (the lightest full-size model on our list), that we could pick it up with one hand.

What is the difference between a slow cooker and a crock pot? ›

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

What's better than a slow cooker? ›

For many home cooks, an Instant Pot Pro will be more versatile—capable of producing stews, rich sauces, thick and creamy soups, and hearty stocks. However, if you're set on investing in a slower cooker, one of the best ones comes from KitchenAid. People love their slow cookers. I mean, they love them.

What are the disadvantages of slow cooking? ›

While there are some disadvantages to using a slow cooker, such as the risk of overcooking food or forgetting to turn it off, these generally pale in comparison to the benefits. For busy families or those who enjoy coming home to a hot meal, a slow cooker can be a great addition to any kitchen.

Do slow cookers take nutrients out of food? ›

Because of the lower temperature, the nutrients in the food remain more stable than other methods of cooking. By virtue of being in sealed unit, whether using an electric slow cooker or in a casserole dish in your oven, any of the nutrients usually lost in the liquid from heat are simply reabsorbed into the meal.

What are the benefits of slow cooker meals? ›

Slow cooker benefits.

They use less electricity than an oven and can be used year-round. Because of the long, low-temperature cooking, slow cookers help tenderize less-expensive cuts of meat. They usually allow for one-step preparation; putting all the ingredients in the slow cooker saves time and reduces cleanup.

Are slow cookers safe to have on all day? ›

Slow cooker recipes are often designed for an eight-hour cook so that the food is ready when you return home after a long day. Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it.

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