30 Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss That Lasts (2024)

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, why not consider something other than going to the gym more often? Did you know that a kitchen appliance can actually help you lose weight? That’s right – we’re talking all things crock pot in this post, along with 30 crock pot recipes for weight loss! These skinny crock pot recipes are easy, peasy to whip up and they’re so delicious you won’t be able to tell they’re low calorie recipes!

What is a Crock Pot?

A crock pot is an electric kitchen appliance that cooks food at a lower temperature over a longer period of time. It’s used to cook dishes like stews, casseroles, and pot roasts slowly, so you can go to work and come home to a home-cooked meal. Crock pots feature a lid, pot and heating elements all along the side and bottom, with the heat surrounding the food and bringing it up to a high temperature safely.

How Can Cooking With a Crock Pot Help Me Lose Weight?

Weight loss can be a tricky thing, and many people think the key to losing weight is going to the gym every day and eating less food. Sure, in an ideal world that might work, but most people have crazy busy schedules that don’t always allow them to get to the gym. And the thought of taking the time to prepare and cook a healthy meal just isn’t in the cards.

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That’s where the crock pot comes in. This handy appliance does all the work for you, allowing you to make incredible food with almost no effort or cooking experience. All you have to do is throw a bunch of healthy ingredients into the crock pot, let it cook while you go about your day, and come home to healthy and delicious meals that will help you lose weight! Weight loss crock pot meals are one of the most efficient ways to trim down your waist line!

Are Crock Pots and Slow Cookers the Same Thing?

Not exactly. Crock pots and slow cookers aren’t quite the same thing, although they’re often used interchangeably. They’re very similar, but you can think of it like this: A crock pot is a type of slow cooker. All crock pots are slow cookers, but not all slow cookers are crock pots. They both use moist heat to cook food over a lengthy period of time, and are used to cook the same types of foods, but they’re not exactly the same.

Take a look at some of the differences between crock pots and slow cookers

1. Heat Settings: Crock pots have two heat settings (Low and High) with some of them having a “warming” option. Slow cookers, on the other hand, often have a range of five heat settings.

2. How They Cook: Crock pots cook continuously while slow cookers can work in cycles, powering on and off during cooking. Some crock pots and slow cookers have the option to cook for a specific amount of time.

3. Position of the Pot: All crock pots feature a ceramic or porcelain pot that sits inside the heating unit, so they’re heated from the bottom and all around the pot. Some slow cookers also have the pot sit inside the heating unit, but others feature a pot that sits on top of a heating unit. These types of slow cookers make it more likely that the food on the bottom will scorch, and it will also cook more slowly this way.

5 Things to Consider When Buying a Crock Pot

1. Shape
Crock pots come in round and oval shapes. The shape of your crock pot won’t affect the way it cooks, so it’s really up to you, your cooking needs and what fits best in your kitchen. Your cooking needs are the most important out of the three, so think about what you’ll be cooking with your crock pot and let that lead your decision. If you’ll be cooking things like a whole chicken or ribs, you’ll want to go with the oval shape, but meals like stews and soups can be made in either.

2. Lid Material
Go for glass when it comes to the lid material of your crock pot. Plastic lids or lids that are more opaque make it more difficult to see how your food is cooking. Since you want to avoid opening the lid because it lets heat out, being able to see what’s going on inside is key.

3. Size
The size you choose for your crock pot will depend on your household needs. They come in a range of sizes, however most recipes are meant for the average size crock pot, which is six quarts. If you’re going to be making smaller meals and don’t want leftovers, you can opt for a smaller one. If you’re going to be cooking for a larger group on a regular basis, go bigger!

4. Timer
If there’s one function you want in a crockpot, it’s a built-in timer! This allows you to set a cook time for your meal so it turns off at just the right time. Otherwise, you always have to be home to turn it off.

5. Warming Function
The warming function is key to a good crock pot! All crock pots have high and low temperature cooking settings, but only some have the warming function. This keeps your food warm at a lower temperature once it’s done cooking, so it will be warm and ready when you are!

15 Keto Approved Healthy Crock Pot Recipes

1. Gluten Free Beef Bourguignon | One Clever Chef
2. Keto Chili Chicken | Fit to Serve Group
3. Chinese Beef Short Ribs | Eat Beautiful
4. Green Curry Chicken | Two Sleevers
5. Pork Chops with Apples and Onions | A Clean Bake
6. Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs | All Day I Dream About Food
7. Paleo Mississippi Pot Roast | The Rising Spoon
8. Crock Pot Chicken Marsala | Sugar Free Mom
9. Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole | All Day I Dream About Food
10. Paleo Beef Stew | Peace, Love and Low Carb
11. Butter Chicken | Becomingness
12. Cuban Style Pork | Fit to Serve Group
13. Low Carb Lasagna | Well Plated
14. Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks | Mashup Mom
15. Beef and Broccoli | Low Carb Yum

15 Weight Watcher Crock Pot Recipes (With Points)

1. Balsamic Pork Roast (5 Points) | Skinny Taste
2. Sweet and Sour Chicken (7 Points) | Kitch Me
3. Cauliflower Fried Rice (3 Points) | Skinny Ms
4. Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (5 Points) | Skinny Kitchen
5. Artichoke Chicken (1 Point) | Simple Nourished Living
6. Turkey Chili (7 Points) | Carrie Elle
7. Chicken Stroganoff (7 Points) | Kitch Me
8. Honey Balsamic Pork (5 Points) | If You Have an Egg
9. 3-Ingredient Italian Beef (2 Points) | Simple Nourished Living
10. Tomato Beef Macaroni Stew (6 Points) | Skinny Kitchen
11. Beef, Tomato and Acini Di Pepe Soup (5 Points) | Skinny Taste
12. Pineapple Pork (4 Points) | Simple Nourished Living
13. Chicken Tortilla Soup (5 Points) | Simple Nourished Living
14. Chicken Chili (5 Points) | Kitch Me
15. Vegetable Crock Pot Pizza (6 Points) | Simple Nourished Living

Try these low calorie crock pot recipes to get your weight loss back on track! It’s the easiest way to weight loss that lasts!

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30 Healthy Crock Pot Recipes for Weight Loss That Lasts (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 cooks better in a crock pot? ›

Fattier meats and dark meat chicken are better options, as leaner cuts may dry out during the cooking process. Fattier meats are good, but trim the fat away before placing in the Crockpot slow cooker.

Does a smaller crock pot cook faster? ›

Size of your Slow Cooker

The size of your crockpot can affect the outcome of your meal. If your crockpot is smaller than what we recommend, you may need to cook your meal a little longer. If it's larger than what we recommend you may need to shorten the cooking time.

Are crock pot meals good? ›

A slow cooker can help create layers of flavor in any weeknight dinner, from hearty stews to satisfying chicken dishes. It can take your comfort food to the next level, like a fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich, cozy chicken noodle soup, or sweet and sour brisket.

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.

Does fat melt in slow cooker? ›

Once your slow cooker is just about full of beef fat, turn it on low. It will slowly start to melt, don't be tempted to rush this process by turning it up.

What does the 4 6 8 10 mean on a crock pot? ›

Cook time options include 4 or 6 hours on HIGH, or 8 or 10 hours on LOW. The corresponding light illuminates, the slow cooker heats, and the internal timer starts counting down the time. NOTE: WARM is ONLY for keeping already cooked food at the perfect serving temperature until you are ready to eat.

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 difference between a slow cooker and a crockpot? ›

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.

Can you put a Pyrex bowl in a slow cooker? ›

Can you put a Pyrex dish in a slow cooker? Yes, of course. Pyrex was developed to withstand heat and to be shatter-resistant. Even better - there are commercially available slow cooker liners that are disposable after each use.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low for a crock pot? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Can you put glass in a crockpot? ›

Instead of buying a separate mini slow cooker, you can place a 2-cup heat-resistant glass measuring cup inside your regular slow cooker! This trick is great for small batches of slow-cooked foods, like dips, toppings, or cooking for one.

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.

Can I leave food in crock pot all day? ›

On some occasions, you'll want to leave food in the slow cooker to keep warm, during Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner, for example, or any other event or holiday. While it's perfectly ok to use your crock pot in this way, try to avoid leaving food on the warming setting for more than four hours.

What is the best meat to cook in a slow cooker? ›

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.

What are the disadvantages of slow cooking? ›

5 Disadvantages of Slow Cookers
  • Cooking times are long.
  • You can't sear food.
  • They always produce a soft texture.
  • It's not possible to adjust as you go.
  • Some foods don't work.
Nov 15, 2023

Is cooking vegetables in a slow cooker healthy? ›

: I know that boiling vegetables makes them lose some of their nutritional value. But what if you cook them in a slow cooker and eat the liquid the vegetables stewed in? Answer: Done right, veggies prepared in slow cookers can deliver disease-fighting nutrients and a delectable meal all in one bowl.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›

The low temperature of slow-cooking makes it almost impossible to burn even food that has been cooked too long. However, some meats and most vegetables become nearly tasteless or "raggy" if over-cooked. Food can be set to slow-cook before leaving for the day so it is ready on return.

What are the two main benefits of a slow cooker? ›

The Benefits of Using a Slow Cooker
  • Saves you money – slow cookers are an energy efficient way to cook food.
  • Saves you time – minimal food preparation and hands-off-cooking allows you to get on with other things.
  • Great for batch cooking, so you'll always have something delicious to eat at the end of a long day.

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