Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (2024)

  • Healthy Mains

Low-fat and low-sodium recipes for your slow cooker

By

Linda Larsen

Linda Larsen

Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 04/14/21

Trending Videos

Have you noticed that many ​crockpot recipes use canned condensed soups, soup and salad dressing mixes, and big chunks of meat? All of those ingredients make delicious recipes, of course, but will add a lot of sodium and fat to your meal. Having a good selection of healthy crock pot recipes that are low-sodium, nutrient dense, and low-fat will not only be better for your familybut will also make you a better cook.

There are things you can do to update your regular slow cooker recipes to be healthier. If you refrigerate canned broths before using them, the fat will congeal in a layer on top so it can be removed before adding to the recipe. Also, use low-sodium and low-fat ingredients, and trim the fat and skin from meats before cooking. You also may want to try vegetarian recipes once a week, or add lots of veggies to anycrockpot recipe—any recipe that uses a lot of fresh vegetables will be healthier than one with processed ingredients.

  • 01 of 16

    Slow Cooker Pork Roast With Vegetables

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (1)

    This delicious slow cooker pork roast with vegetables is seasoned with allspice, horseradish, and apple butter. The combination of sweet and savory (with a little bite) makes for a unique and satisfying dish. And best yet, a pork sirloin roast is a lot leaner than beef, and the addition of a whole acorn squash and two sweet potatoes make the dish high in Vitamin C and B6.

  • 02 of 16

    Crockpot Barley Casserole

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (2)

    Barley is chewy and nutty and so good for you. This delicious and healthy crockpot barley casserole recipe can be served as a vegetarian main dish or a side dish. Chock full of fresh vegetables such as onion, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms, as well as plenty of herbs, this dish is hearty and filling. The sprinkling of pine nuts at the end adds just the right crunch.

  • 03 of 16

    Simple Crockpot Beef Stew

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (3)

    ​This simple crockpot beef stew recipe uses just a few ingredients, yet it's healthy and tastes so good. The potatoes add a bit of natural creaminess, and the canned tomatoes and frozen bell peppers and onions bring nutrients and flavor to the stew.

  • 04 of 16

    Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Stew

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (4)

    This easy and healthy slow cooker beef fajita stew is high in protein, fiber, and vitamin C. This recipe calls for either store-bought fajita seasoning (use the lower sodium version), oryour own homemade fajita seasoning mix, which allows you to control the amount of salt.

    Continue to 5 of 16 below.

  • 05 of 16

    Southwest Crockpot Steak and Beans

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (5)

    Cooking flank steak in your crockpot makes the most tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. Once cooked, make sure that you cut the meat against the grain for best results. This delicious Southwest crockpot steak and beansstew is full of nutritious vegetables and beans with flavors of the Southwest from the addition of salsa and chili powder.

  • 06 of 16

    Crockpot Chicken and Apples

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (6)

    Tart apples, apple juice, curry powder, and garlic combine to create this unique and delicious crockpot chicken and apples dish that is easy to make. The curry adds another layer of flavor and makes the recipe somewhat reminiscent of the Indian dish chicken Mughlai. Serve over rice, couscous, or pasta to soak up the sauce.

  • 07 of 16

    Healthy Crockpot Beef Stew

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (7)

    Beef stew doesn't have to be full of fat and loaded with salt. This healthy crockpot beef stew features green beans, carrots, and red wine to add flavor and color to this simple dish. Feel free to add more vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, corn, or potatoes to up the nutrients as well as the flavor.

  • Crockpot Black Bean Chili

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (8)

    This colorful crockpot black bean chili is easy to make and sure to please even the meat-eaters, as it's full of flavor. Vegetable broth combines with lots of seasonings including cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes, as well as bell peppers, corn, and black beans to make a thick chili with deep flavor—and lots of nutrients!

    Continue to 9 of 16 below.

  • 09 of 16

    Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (9)

    Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian, and when a dish is alla cacciatore it means it is prepared "hunter-style," with onions, tomatoes, and herbs, the sauce cooked with either chicken or rabbit. A thick tomato sauce coats tender boneless chicken in this easy and healthy crockpot chicken cacciatore recipe.

  • 10 of 16

    Crockpot Chicken Curry

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (10)

    Curry is the term used to describe both a blend of spices as well as dishes that are cooked in a sort of gravy. In this crockpot chicken curry recipe, purchased curry powder adds richness and color to a melange of vegetables and chicken. Onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes round out the dish, creating a delicious yet complex flavor.

  • 11 of 16

    Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Veggies

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (11)

    Perfect when you're craving a comforting dish but don't want to feel guilty afterword, this rich-tasting entree is actually low in fat, and very high in Vitamin A and potassium. It is the light sour cream that gives the dish its thick and creamy texture, and Dijon mustard and honey that create the sweet and tangy flavors. This crockpot creamy chicken and veggies recipe calls for carrotsbut is ideal for adding other favorites such as broccoli.

  • 12 of 16

    Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (12)

    Chock full of vegetables and herbs, this is a sausage and peppers dish you can feel good about. Swap the pork sausage for chicken or turkey, and you will cut the fat even more. This slow cooker Italian sausage and peppers recipe is fabulous and served over some fettuccine cooked al dente.

    Continue to 13 of 16 below.

  • 13 of 16

    Crockpot Roast Beef Dinner

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (13)

    This crockpot roast beef dinner recipe is tender and delicious, and it's a meal in one pot. Complete with potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic, this dish has all the makings of a traditional roast beef dinner. Feel free, however, to throw in some other vegetables if so desired—parsnips and mushrooms would compliment the meat nicely.

  • 14 of 16

    Slow Cooker Orange Roast Pork

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (14)

    Frozen orange juice concentrate is the secret ingredient, providing a bit of tang and sweetness in this easy five-ingredient slow cooker orange roast pork recipe. The pork becomes tender and juicy​ and is the ideal meat for the sauce made of orange juice and brown sugar.

  • 15 of 16

    Crockpot Turkey Breast

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (15)

    This crockpot turkey breast is a great way to cook aturkeywhen it's not the holidays! You'll have a fabulous meal, as well as leftovers for great sandwiches all week long. No worrying about taking up space in the oven and checking for doneness—just put the fully thawed turkey breast in the slow cooker and let it do its thing for five to six hours!

  • 16 of 16

    Crockpot Turkey Meatloaf

    Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (16)

    This crockpot turkey meatloaf starts with ground turkey. (Be sure to buy mixed dark and white meat ground turkey for best results.) Forget about dried out meatloaf—the slow cooker guarantees a moist meatloaf the whole family will love.

The 6 Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services

Low-Sodium and Low-Fat Delicious Crock-Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

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.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

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.

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.

How do you make slow cooker meals taste better? ›

If you take an extra 10 minutes to sauté the aromatics before scraping them into the slow-cooker, the finished dish will have deeper flavor and better texture. (And some new slow-cookers allow you to sauté right in the insert, so you don't have to wash a separate skillet.)

How long does it take to cook 2 lb of meat in a slow cooker? ›

The cooking time for a chuck roast in a crock pot can vary depending on the heat setting you use, but typically it will take around 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high for a 2 to 3 lbs roast to become tender and fully cooked.

Is 6 hours on low the same as 4 hours on high? ›

Change cooking times depending on your schedule. One hour on HIGH generally equals two hours on LOW.

Is 3 hours on high the same as 6 hours on low? ›

This means most recipes can be cooked on either setting. If a recipe calls for cooking on the HIGH setting for three hours, you can cook it for seven hours on the LOW setting instead. Or if a recipe calls for eight hours on HIGH, it can be cooked for up to 12 hours on LOW.

Can you overcook in a slow cooker? ›

Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

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 can you not cook in slow cooker? ›

​11 things you shouldn't put in your slow cooker
  • Lean meats. ...
  • Raw meat. ...
  • Too much liquid. ...
  • Delicate vegetables. ...
  • Too much spice. ...
  • Dairy. ...
  • Too much booze. ...
  • Meat that has the skin on.
Oct 12, 2022

Should meat or vegetables go in crockpot first? ›

Veggies first, please!

The USDA notes that vegetables take longer to cook in a crock-pot than meat does, so they suggest adding your veggies to the pot first. This is useful if you're worried about about dense vegetables like potatoes or carrots not coming out as tender as the meat in your recipe.

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.

Why fry onions before slow cooking? ›

It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

Are you supposed to stir slow cooker meals? ›

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

Can you put raw onions in a slow cooker? ›

Just throw onions and butter in the slow cooker and let them cook for hours and hours and hours, without having to babysit the crock pot and stir them every few minutes, and go through the process of deglazing the pan?!?

What do the numbers on a slow cooker mean? ›

On all CrockPot units you have usually three temperature settings. I for Low, II for High and the last symbol (it may be in the form of "squiggly lines" that look like elongated SS) is the Warm setting. On the Warm setting, your slow cooker will achieve 165-175°F.

What does the number on a crock mean? ›

Crocks were used as measures and made in many different sizes. The number marks the size; this one holds three gallons.

What do the symbols on my CrockPot mean? ›

I = low. II = high. Crock-Pot symbol = warm.

How can I tell what size my CrockPot is? ›

How are slow cookers measured? Slow cookers are measured by quarts (4 cups in one quart) and usually range in size options from 1 quart to 10 quarts. Slow cookers will hold up to the stated quart amount, but they should not be filled with food right up to the brim.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Last Updated:

Views: 5917

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Birthday: 1998-02-19

Address: 64841 Delmar Isle, North Wiley, OR 74073

Phone: +17844167847676

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance

Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.