Healthy Balance magazine!
Spring edition now live.
Find it in the app – tap 'More'.
On a cool autumn evening there's nothing better than coming home to your dinner gently bubbling away, ready to eat. Slow cooker sales are booming as an ever-increasing army of devotees are saving time and money: for time-poor cooks, all that's needed is to steam some veggies or slice a loaf of crusty bread before sitting down to a delicious and hassle-free dinner.
First launched in the 70's as the 'Crock-Pot', slow cookers have shed their retro image and are back in fashion as consumers adopt the ethos of low-energy and low-cost living. Slow cookers claim to only use the same amount of electricity as a standard light bulb, which would make them a very economical cooking method when compared to a traditional oven or hob cooking. They're also perfect for transforming cheaper cuts of meat into warming stews, soups and casseroles – money saving positives all round.
Don't have a slow cooker? No problem – use a covered casserole dish instead and cook at 170°C, Gas Mark 3 for 1-1¼ hours.
Slow cooked pulled chicken rolls
Serves 4 - 462 kcals per serving
Kcals |
462 |
Fat |
12.5g |
Sat fat |
2.1g |
Carbs |
50.9g |
Sugar |
20.7g |
Fibre |
5.5g |
Protein |
38.0g |
Salt |
1.60g |
Ingredients
- 100g BBQ sauce
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 500g skinless chicken breast
- 4 medium crusty wholemeal rolls
- 4 tbsp reduced fat coleslaw
Method
- Mix the BBQ sauce, onion, garlic, olive oil, Worcester sauce and sugar together in a slow cooker.
- Add the chicken breasts and coat well with the sauce mix.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is easy to shred.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken to a chopping board and shred using two forks. Add back into the slow cooker and mix thoroughly with the leftover sauce.
- Serve in a bread roll topped with a tablespoon of coleslaw.
Slow cooker beef curry
Serves 6 - 528 kcals per serving
Kcals |
528 |
Fat |
18.4g |
Sat fat |
6.5g |
Carbs |
70.3g |
Sugar |
10.8g |
Fibre |
5.3g |
Protein |
24.9g |
Salt |
0.24g |
Ingredients
- 500g brisket beef joint
- 20ml olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 red chillies, deseeded and diced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 150g low fat natural yogurt
- 450g dried rice
- Salt
- Fresh coriander, to garnish
Method
- Heat a teaspoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the beef joint. Place the browned meat into a slow cooker.
- Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for five minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Add the spices and chopped tomatoes to the slow cooker, then fill one of the empty cans with water and add.
- Stir all ingredients together and press down the meat to ensure everything is covered in liquid.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours. About half an hour before serving, add the garam masala and yoghurt and season to taste with salt and a little more chilli.
- Before serving, gently break up the meat into chunks. Serve with 125g cooked rice per serving and garnish with coriander.
Slow cooker turkey chilli
Serves 4 - 284 kcals per serving
Kcals |
284 |
Fat |
4.2g |
Sat fat |
1g |
Carbs |
24g |
Sugar |
10.7g |
Fibre |
7.8g |
Protein |
38.5g |
Salt |
0.77g |
Ingredients
- Frylight
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 500g extra lean turkey mince
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 400g tin kidney beans, drained
- 200g tin sweetcorn, drained
Method
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with 10 squirts of Frylight.
- Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Increase the heat and add the turkey mince, stirring until browned.
- Add the mince, onion and garlic to the slow-cooker, along with the chopped tomatoes, chilli, paprika, cumin, coriander and stock cube. Pour in a little water.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on medium for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, add the kidney beans and sweetcorn and replace lid.
- Serve with 125g cooked rice per person. Just add the extra calories.
Slow cooker mixed bean stew
Serves 4 - 390 kcals per serving
Kcals |
390 |
Fat |
5.1g |
Sat fat |
0.6g |
Carbs |
66.8g |
Sugar |
13.0g |
Fibre |
15.8g |
Protein |
19.1g |
Salt |
0.43g |
Ingredients
- Frylight
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 300g dried quinoa
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin kidney beans, drained
- 400g tin butter beans, drained
- 1 medium red chilli, sliced
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with 10 squirts of Frylight.
- Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, chilli, pepper, carrot, beans, quinoa, chilli powder, ground coriander and 400ml water to the slow cooker. Cook on medium for 3-4 hours.
- About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the fresh coriander and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve in warm bowls, garnished with coriander.
Slow cooker chicken & veg stew
Serves 4 - 248 kcals per serving
Kcals |
248 |
Fat |
2.6g |
Sat fat |
0.7g |
Carbs |
20.7g |
Sugar |
11.9g |
Fibre |
7.7g |
Protein |
36.9g |
Salt |
1.54g |
Ingredients
- 500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery sticks, washed and chopped
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 200g frozen peas
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 500ml chicken stock
- Cornflour to thicken
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Place all the ingredients, except for the peas and dried thyme, into a slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the vegetables have softened.
- Approximately 20-30 minutes before serving, add the peas. At this stage, if needed, use a little cornflour to thicken up the stew.
- Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.