25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (2024)

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (1)

Making dinner after a long day at work sucks. Cooking breakfast when you have sleep in your eyes and barely have time to make it to work also sucks. You know what doesn't suck? These slow cooker recipes. All of these recipes are simple to make and ensure you always have a healthy meal on hand.

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (2)

Roasted Chicken

Yes, it's entirely possible to roast a chicken in your slow cooker. By doing so, you'll have the makings of healthy recipes for a week!

Get the recipe: roasted chicken

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Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Who says pumpkin pie is just for Fall? With pumpkin puree readily available in your grocery store, this vegan oatmeal recipe can be part of your breakfast routine all year round. It's fruity, nutty, subtly sweet, and totally satisfying.

Get the recipe: pumpkin pie steel-cut oats

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Low-Calorie Beef and Vegetable Stew

Paleo dieters will love this beef and veggie stew, which only requires 20 minutes of preparation time before slow-cooking to perfection. Each serving is 265 calories.

Get the recipe: beef stew

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Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash can be a pain to cook, but not if you have a slow cooker! In just four to six hours, you'll have the makings of a ton of delicious spaghetti squash recipes.

Get the recipe: spaghetti squash

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Spicy Chicken Chili

Chili is one of the most common slow-cooker recipes, and this one made with ground chicken and kidney beans is sure to satisfy without breaking the calorie bank — it's only 324 calories per serving. This dish is made using a Dutch oven on the stove, but you can easily adapt this recipe to be made in a slow cooker; just keep it on low.

Get the recipe: spicy chicken chili

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Overnight Low-Carb Breakfast Bake

Take 20 minutes for prep the night before, set your slow cooker to low while you sleep, and wake up to the smell of eggs and bacon cooking in the kitchen. This easy breakfast casserole is grain-free, dairy-free, and Paleo-friendly.

Get the recipe: egg and sausage breakfast casserole

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (8)

Split Pea Soup

Few comfort foods are quite as rich as split pea soup, but the vegetable and ham dish can be time-consuming at the best of times. Try preparing it in your slow cooker for a bubbling dinner that's ready when you get home!

Get the recipe: split pea soup

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (9)

Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal

While it tastes extremely decadent, this chocolate and cherry oatmeal is a healthy breakfast option. Unsweetened dark chocolate and tart cherries will satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt!

Get the recipe: chocolate and cherry oatmeal

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (10)

Vegan Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup

You can make this on the stove much faster, but it's also a great slow-cooker recipe if you just want to set it and forget it. Made with split peas, celery, and sweet potatoes, this hearty soup is only 254 calories per serving.

Get the recipe: vegan split pea and sweet potato soup

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (11)

Chickpea Coconut Curry With Sweet Potatoes

Slow cookers aren't just for applesauce and stroganoff! Try something a little more exotic for your next healthy dinner — this chickpea curry is just the thing and under 400 calories when paired with coconut rice.

Get the recipe: chickpea curry

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (12)

Veggie Bean Chili

Though it contains all the fresh produce that a health nut could ever dream up, this nutritious chili has a warm, comforting quality that will remind you of childhood. It also makes great lunch leftovers!

Get the recipe: veggie bean chili

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (13)

Braised Chicken

Chefs swear by skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts because they provide the most flavorful, moist meat. Braising the chicken also helps retain the moisture, and it leaves you with a flavorful tomato-sage broth that can be poured over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Get the recipe: braised chicken with tomatoes

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Squash, Sweet Potato, Carrot, and White Bean Soup

It may sound complicated, but this seasonal slow-cooker soup only calls for eight ingredients! It offers over 14 grams of protein per 272-calorie serving.

Get the recipe: sweet potato and white bean soup

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (15)

Protein-Rich Mexican Chicken

Thanks to lean chicken breasts and toasted pumpkin seeds, this tender Mexican chicken dish is packed full of protein.

Get the recipe: chicken and black beans

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (16)

3-Ingredient Applesauce

Get the recipe: applesauce

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Healthy Chicken Carnitas

Much like its pork predecessor, this poultry-based carnitas recipe is tender, flavorful, and comforting — however, it leaves out the traditional portions of oil and lard. Try it on tacos, salad, or nachos!

Get the recipe: chicken carnitas

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Turkey Chili

This bean-free turkey chili is low in carbs but high in protein and flavor. Each serving is under 300 calories.

Get the recipe: turkey chili

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Low-Calorie Sweet and Sour Chicken

At 48 grams of protein and fewer than 350 calories per serving, this healthy take on a Chinese takeout favorite is much better than Panda Express!

Get the recipe: sweet and sour chicken

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (20)

Easy Chicken Fajitas

These tasty chicken fajitas practically cook themselves — perfect for busy weeknights. Did we mention you only need five ingredients for the fajitas? So easy.

Get the recipe: chicken fajitas

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Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

After you finish making eight servings of this vegan butternut squash and lentil soup, freeze the leftovers for a rainy (or exceptionally busy!) day.

Get the recipe: butternut squash lentil soup

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Perfect Steel-Cut Oats

If you've ever made a disastrous attempt at slow-cooker oatmeal, have no fear: steel-cut oats are here to redeem you. Let this recipe be your guide to nailing overnight oats!

Get the recipe: overnight steel-cut oats

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (23)

Vegetarian Chili

You know those days where you have a bunch of random vegetables in the fridge? The simple solution to using them all is this vegetarian chili loaded with zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and a ton of other pantry staples.

Get the recipe: vegetarian chili

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Mexican Breakfast Casserole

Gluten-free, protein-rich, and under 400 calories, this breakfast casserole is great to cook up on Sunday afternoon, slice up, and enjoy all week long.

Get the recipe: Mexican breakfast casserole

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Vegan Red Beans and Rice

Enjoy some real Cajun flavor by making a protein-packed batch of red beans and rice. Great for anyone who follows a vegan or Paleo diet.

Get the recipe: red beans and rice

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Santa Fe-Style Paleo Vegetable Soup

You can add shredded chicken to this Paleo-optimized recipe for additional protein, but it's perfectly tasty as a vegetarian dish!

Get the recipe: Santa Fe vegetable soup

25 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Enjoy For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Can crockpot meals be healthy? ›

Ahead is a collection of easy and healthy Crock Pot recipes that might just become your new favorites. From vegan lasagnas and beef and broccoli to butternut squash soup and steak fajitas, we've got your dinner covered.

How healthy are slow cookers? ›

A slow cooker can help with eating healthily, as this way of cooking doesn't need much (if any) fat, which can help to lower the calorie content. It also intensifies flavours – which is helpful when cutting down on salt.

Is a crockpot the same as a slow cooker? ›

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

Is eating home cook meals healthy? ›

Preparing healthy meals at home can support your immune system and reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It can give you more energy, improve how you sleep at night, and help you better manage health problems.

Are nutrients lost in slow cooker? ›

While slow cooking does expose food to heat for an extended period, it also retains many vital nutrients.

Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can put raw chicken in a slow cooker! Slow cookers and Crock-Pots are designed to cook raw meats. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created from the tightly covered container destroys bacteria, making slow cooking safe. You can put frozen chicken in a slow cooker, too!

What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker. Stick to heartier root vegetables like potatoes, onions, leeks and yams, or wait to add the tender vegetables until the last 30 minutes or so of cooking time.

Are vegetables still healthy when slow cooked? ›

: 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 foods should not go in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  • Raw Meat.
  • Seafood.
  • Pasta.
  • Rice.
  • Delicate Vegetables.
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  • Dairy.
  • Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

Can you put meat in the slow cooker raw? ›

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned.

Are crockpot liners worth it? ›

Why should you use slow cooker liners? Slow cooker only keep cleanup fast and easy (after eight hours, food stuck to the pot can prove incredibly stubborn) but also protect your slow cooker itself from getting scratched and damaged from scrubbing.

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.

Can I put frozen chicken in the Crockpot? ›

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

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.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a crockpot? ›

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.

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.

Why is slow food healthy? ›

Slow Food movement's health benefits

This diet also helps control the intake of fats and sugars, reducing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc. Furthermore, Slow Food's proposal is that these meals be shared not only with family, but also with friends.

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