50 Healthy and Low Calorie Crock Pot Recipes for 2024 (2024)

by Noom Team | Aug 9, 2019 | Last updated Mar 14, 2023

Crock pots are a great option for quick, easy, low calorie meals to help make healthy living easier! Traditionally crock pots are known for making soups, stews, chilis, curries, and other one pot meals. Crock pots can also be used to prepare meats, beans, legumes, veggies, oatmeal, rice, quinoa, and other grains. While most crock pot recipes take a few hours to cook, the prep and clean up times are usually minimal.

Low Calorie Crock Pot Meals

Here are our top 8 picks that delicious and nutritious, coming it at under 300 calories per serving:

  1. Crock pot maple cinnamon steel cut oatmeal: This delicious recipe is sweetened with maple syrup and is perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast to keep you full until lunch!
  2. Slow cooker mediterranean frittata: Breakfast just got a whole lot simpler with this flavorful frittata recipe. Prep it at night and it’ll be ready to eat in the morning.
  3. Crock pot chicken noodle soup: Don’t wait to be sick to make this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe! At 245 calories per serving, this hearty soup is a light and satisfying lunch.
  4. Slow cooker turkey chili: Your favorite superbowl dish got a healthy makeover. We promise it doesn’t taste healthy!
  5. Mexican stuffed peppers: Take a trip across the border with this delicious, nutritious dish. Top it with sour cream and avocado and you’ve got yourself the perfect meal.
  6. Crock pot low-fat beef stew: Enjoy this veggie-packed, lightened up crock pot classic.
  7. Slow cooker jambalaya: This crock pot jambalaya recipe packs on the flavor without the calories.
  8. Triple berry crisp: Slow cooker dessert? Yes, please. Add a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream and it still comes in at under 300 calories!

What’s the difference between a crock pot and a slow cooker?

A “crock pot” is a type of slow cooker which is most often made of ceramic or porcelain, while slow cookers traditionally have a metal pot. “Crock pot” describes a brand of slow cooker that has come to dominate the market.

Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Crock pots and slow cookers are both used to make easy lunches and dinners for the week, or serve a big family or dinner party, hassle-free! While crock pots and slow cookers take several hours to produce a finished dish, very little effort is required on your end — but, you could probably trick your family into thinking you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen, though. When choosing healthy recipes, look for recipes that are low in calories, low in fat, high in protein and fiber, and contain few ingredients but lots of herbs and spices.

High Protein Crock Pot Recipes

If weight loss is your goal, opt for high protein crock pot recipes featuring chicken, beef, seafood, or your favorite vegetarian protein. These high protein recipes will keep you full and satisfied while helping you reach your healthy goals.

Chicken Crock Pot Recipes

Beef Crock Pot Recipes

Seafood Crock Pot Recipes

Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipes

50 Healthy and Low Calorie Crock Pot Recipes for 2024 (1)

Low-fat Slow Cooker Recipes

Let’s face it — fat adds flavor. Since slow cookers cook food throughout the day or overnight, over several hours, this allows the natural flavors of foods to come out, as well as the flavors from herbs and spices to amplify. These slow cooker staples are low-fat and high protein, but don’t skimp out on flavor:

Diet Crock Pot Recipes

No matter what your taste preferences or dietary restrictions, you can find a crock pot recipe to suit any diet. From gluten-free to paleo to keto, here are the best diet-friendly crock pot recipes out there:

Gluten-free Crock Pot Recipes

People who follow a gluten-free diet avoid foods that contain gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. What these crock pot recipes lack in gluten, they make up for in flavor!

Paleo Crock Pot Recipes

No grains? No sugar? No dairy? No problem! With these delicious paleo crock pot recipes, you’ll never miss out!

Keto Crock Pot Recipes

Keto followers eat foods that are low carb, high fat, and moderate protein. These crock pot recipes make giving up carbs simple!

50 Healthy and Low Calorie Crock Pot Recipes for 2024 (2)

Weight Loss Crock Pot Recipes

Crock pots are a great option to help you make healthy meals with less effort, and a great option to batch cook and meal prep for the week. Double, triple, or quadruple your favorite recipe, and have nutritious, delicious meals ready to grab-and-go throughout the week. Talk about fast food!

The perfect recipe for weight loss

When it comes to reaching your health goals, getting started with a crock pot or a slow cooker, or any other appliance that can make healthy eating more convenient and tastier is a great place to start. When it comes to making healthy eating a habit, it’s important to have the psychological tools to break your old habits and replace them with new ones, and the support you need to stay accountable. Noom’s psychology-based weight loss program is the perfect recipe for reaching your health goals. See for yourself with Noom’s 14-day trial.

50 Healthy and Low Calorie Crock Pot Recipes for 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Is a slow cooker good 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.

Is cooking in a crock pot healthy? ›

The low heat helps less expensive, leaner cuts of meat become tender and shrink less. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam created within the tightly-covered container combine to destroy bacteria and make the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.

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.

Can you put frozen chicken in a crock pot? ›

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.

Should you eat slow or fast to lose weight? ›

Slow eating may help people eat more mindfully and tune into their own feelings of fullness, she says. It may also help with weight maintenance. Another research team tracked a group of people for eight years, and found those who ate slowly gained less weight during the study period than fast eaters.

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 the healthiest meat to slow cook? ›

common lean roasts found in the grocery store
  • chuck tender roast. A lean roast that requires slow cooking to tenderize.
  • shoulder roast. An inexpensive chuck cut with good flavor and good for roasting or slow cooking.
  • rump roast. A boneless and lean cut ideal for slow cooking.
  • eye of round roast.

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.

What is difference between crockpot and slow cooker? ›

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 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 #1 crock pot? ›

Best Overall: All-Clad Gourmet Slow Cooker with All-in-One Browning, 7-Quart. This is so much more than a slow cooker. The All-Clad Gourmet Slow Cooker can saute, brown meat, simmer stews and cook rice!

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.

How long does it take to cook 2 pounds of chicken in a crockpot? ›

Place 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 1 cup stock, broth, or water in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and registers an internal temperature of 165°F, 4 to 5 hours on the LOW setting, or 2 to 3 hours on the HIGH setting.

Can you put almost thawed chicken in crock pot? ›

According to the slow cooker and food safety guidelines from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, it's imperative to "always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker." If this is news to you, you're not alone. Not all of our favorite slow cookers come with consistent warning labels.

Can I put frozen drumsticks in the crockpot? ›

Yes, you can. Simply, follow the same instructions but increase the cooking time for the frozen chicken. If you chicken is frozen, the spices might not stick as well. Frozen chicken legs in crock pot are just as easy and delicious.

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 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.

What are the benefits of cooking in a slow cooker? ›

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.

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