Only two more weeks of the 12 Week Meal Prep Series! I hope you’ve found a few tips and ideas to start incorporating meal prep into your schedule sometime during the week. Remember, it doesn’t have to be on the weekend! Find a time when it works best for you to prepare a few things.
I love the task this week! I want you to prepare a meal in your Crock Pot, aka your slow cooker!
A slow cooker is a very convenient way to prepare meals because it is virtually hands off! You throw all the ingredients in and let it work its magic. In fact, you can start your Crock Pot before you leave for work and you’ll come home to a ready-to-eat dinner!
Not all slow cooker recipes that you find are healthy, but there are a ton that are healthy. I’ve made plenty of clean eating recipes in my slow cooker and they taste amazing.
The nice thing about slow cookers is that they can continuously cook foods up to 12 hours. If you put a chicken in the oven for 12 hours you’d probably end up with chicken jerky! Due to long cooking times, it also works great on less expensive cuts of meats that tend to be more tough.
Slow cookers add great flavor to whatever dish you are making. Basically, the foods are simmering at a low temperature all day long so the all the flavors meld together while cooking. Hello delicious!
Find healthy Crock Pot recipes on Pinterest or in cookbooks. In fact, some cookbooks are dedicated entirely to cooking in a slow cooker! Look for healthy crock pot recipes including soups, stews and chili. Don’t stop there, you can also make breakfast bakes, quinoa dishes, pasta dishes and cook all sorts of cuts of meats.
This week I want you to put your slow cooker to good use! Honestly, I want to show you how convenient they are to use any time of year – fall, winter, spring or summer!
If you do not already own a slow cooker, then I highly suggest investing in one. There are several different price ranges of slow cookers from inexpensive to quite pricey. Find one that fits your budget and has the functions you are interested in.
Here is an article with the 13 Best slow Cookers to Take the Stress Out of Dinner Prep. If you are looking for a slow cooker or want a new one, then read though some of those options.
We have a Salton brand slow cooker, similar to this but electric rather than manual. We received ours as a gift at some point and it has been perfect.
Don’t forget to check out the first 10 weeks of the 12 Week Meal Prep Series. I’ve gone over preparing several healthy foods including chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, whole grains, etc.
If you have any questions then please email me at eatliftplayrepeat@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for emails so that you can receive even more tips, ideas and healthy Crock Pot recipes to incorporate into your routine!
