• Home
    • Recipes
      • Recipe Index
      • VIDEO SERIES: Learn to Cook on a Budget
      • How-To & Cooking Tutorials
      • Popular Recipes
    • Meal Plans
      • Weekly Meal Plans
      • Freezer Meal Plans
      • The ORIGINAL 20 Meals for $150 Plans
    • Classes
      • Grocery Savings 101 Workshop
      • Freezer Cooking 101 Workshop
      • Meal Planning 101 Workshop
      • Whis-Kid Cooking Lessons
      • Instant Pot Cooking 101 Course
      • My Efficient Kitchen Course
    • Store
    • Blog
    • Contact
      • About
      • Press
    • Login

    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

    Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

    Join Erin's 5-Ingredient Challenge in 2023

    3 Tips to Make Slow Cooking Healthier

    February 23, 2012 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 3 Comments

    0 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Sign up to receive FREE weekly emails with recipes, coupons and other money saving tips right into your inbox. Become a friend on Facebook too AND/OR join the $5 Meal Plan Family and get meal plans delivered to you each week!

    Creamy Ranch Chicken Skillet Recipe-7

    I am so excited that it is slow cooker week here at $5 Dinners! My slow cooker has been a life saver for me in the kitchen. As a registered dietitian, I love to make my favorite recipes healthier. Here are my tips for boosting the nutrition in your favorite slow cooker recipe:

    1. Increase the veggies. Start by gradually increasing the amounts of the vegetables that your recipe calls for. For example, if your recipes calls for 1 carrot add 2! Experiment and see how much veg you can pack into your meal. You may need to increase your seasonings a bit to keep the original favor of the dish.
    2. Cook with lean cuts of meat. The slow cooker is awesome at tenderizing lean cuts of meat. Take advantage and cook with loin cuts of beef or pork and chicken without the skin.
    3. Use homemade stocks and sauces. Most slow cooker entree recipes call for stocks, cream soups or sauces like BBQ. The store bought versions tend to be loaded with salt, artificial favoring and preservatives. By making homemade stocks and sauces you can cut down on the junk while saving yourself money in the process. Try Erin’s Homemade Cream of Mushroom Sauce and you’ll never buy canned again!

    What are your favorite ways to make a recipe healthier?

    0 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Filed Under: Slow Cooker Recipes

    Comments

    1. Lori G. says

      February 23, 2012 at 9:06 pm

      You can use your crockpot to make stock! Just toss everything in on low for 8 hours or so, make sure it has plenty of liquid… it makes the most amazing stock!

      Reply
      • Dana S says

        February 23, 2012 at 9:29 pm

        Awesome Lori! Great tip!

        Reply
    2. Emily @ Random Recycling says

      February 24, 2012 at 7:47 pm

      I love using my slow cooker for healthy and inexpensive breakfast meals. I have made steel cut oats overnight, one in a water bath style and the other using just milk, water and oats.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    I’m Erin Chase…

    Also known as the
    $5 Dinner Mom.

    I have a little problem. I cannot make a meal that costs more than $5.
    It’s a fun challenge,
    and my pocketbook
    thanks me.
    Want to join me?

    Learn more here!

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Search $5 Dinners

    Favorite Meal Planning & Cooking Resources

    Whis-Kid Cooking Lessons Grocery Budget Makeover My Freezeasy Erin Chase Store 5DD Freebie Library 20 Meals for $150 Plans

    © 2023 5 Dollar Dinners | Disclosure Policy | Copyright Information | Terms of Service/Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Design & Tech Support by Klong Designs



    Copyright © 2023 · 5 Dollar Dinners Genesis Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in