Autumn is one of the busiest seasons for many of us. Your schedule is busy, kids need to be urged to practice, and you simply don’t have time to prepare the healthy, home-cooked meals that you would like to have. When life gets busy, it’s time to grab your slow cooker and save a lot of time!
breakfast
Nutritionists like me always encourage people to eat more whole grains. They’re hearty, high in fiber, and can help you feel full for hours. But many whole grains, like farro, barley, oatmeal, and brown rice take 40 minutes or more to cook on the stove, which is far too long for a busy weekday morning.
One of the healthiest ways to start the day is with a bowl of steel cut oatmeal. It’s incredibly filling and contains beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber found in oats that helps lower bad cholesterol. Having a serving ready for you and the kids at breakfast is absolutely doable if you cook it up in your slow cooker. Put this maple oatmeal in your slow cooker the night before, sleep well and wake up to delicious treats in the morning.
Casey Barber / TODAY
We all know that we should include more fiber in our diet to improve digestion and prevent a number of health problems. We often think of sweet potatoes for stews and savory dishes, but they also make a filling breakfast. A large sweet potato has 6 grams of fiber, and when you load it up with extra fruits and nuts, you get even more. Put these taters in the slow cooker at night and in the morning you can top them up with berries, cereal, and even tropical fruits! Get the details for slow cooker breakfast sweet potatoes.
Casey Barber
Soups and stews
Nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup to warm you up on cool autumn days. The magic of the soup is that you can put so many nutrient-rich ingredients in one soothing bowl. And with a slow cooker, you don’t have to worry about your dish. Just load those healthy root vegetables, grains, and lean cuts of meat into your machine and get back to the things that really matter, like your favorite Netflix series.
If you’re looking for a meatless Monday meal, try this vegan slow cooker farro soup. Also known as einkorn, Farro is an ancient variety of wheat known for its nutty taste and chewy texture. Try this slow cooker white bean chicken chili verde for a little more grip on your ribs. It’s perfect for game day or anytime you want to warm up with a healthy bowl.
Courtesy Page Street Publishing Co.
Meat and seafood
Roasted chicken, lamb, pork, and beef can be the high-protein centerpiece of a nutritious weekday meal, but if you want to cut down on active cooking time, cook these meats in the slow cooker and then serve them in a fun way throughout the week long.
Pulled pork is super versatile and we love this 4-ingredient Kalua Pulled Pork because it’s so easy and tasty. Once the pork is cooked, you can serve it in salad wraps with coleslaw, over baked sweet potatoes, or in a crispy burrito bowl, all of which will help you add more veggies to your day.
Dani Spies
Speaking of vegetables, is it possible to cook a filling dish based on vegetables in a slow cooker? Absolutely! We can’t wait to make a batch of this slow cooker white bean and kale chili. It contains lots of vegetable protein from beans, immune-boosting beta-carotene from kale and healthy fat from avocado.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Many of us try to include more seafood in our diet because it is so good for our hearts. Cioppino is a seafood stew that is pretty complicated to make on the stove, but Giada’s slow cooker Cioppino with Salmon makes it easy. It’s hearty, filling, and all you need to add is some crusty bread to soak up the rich broth.
Zach Pagano / TODAY
dessert
A healthy, balanced diet certainly leaves room for better delicacies! We love Siri Daly’s slow cooker banana bread when we’re in the mood for something sweet. It’s perfect for times when your oven is busy with other chores, such as the busy Christmas season. And now that we’re officially in pumpkin spice mode, this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cobbler recipe is definitely going to fit the bill.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Thanks to your slow cooker, you’ll have more time for other fun autumn activities like leaf watching, hiking, and apple picking. And if you do, we’re pretty sure you will need this slow cooker applesauce recipe!
TODAY
Related: