What's better than having a steaming hot, delicious meal ready for you and your family at the end of the day? I can't think of much, accept maybe when that meal is also nutritionist approved and kid-friendly! As a Mom of three, I depend heavily on my slow-cooker to get us through the week. The bit of prep time in the morning (or night before) is well worth the relief that I feel at about 5pm when I'm exhausted, the kids are hungry and the last thing I want to do is cook. Similarly, I love making slow cooker oatmeal for busy mornings--it's one less task to tackle, and peace of mind knowing that everyone has had a warm, nutritious breakfast.
I asked my Registered Dietitian colleagues to share their favourite slow-cooker recipes (and added in a few of my own) and they did not disappoint. Here are 16 Dietitian-approved slow cooker recipes that will keep you and your family warm and nourished this winter!
1. Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats by Sarah Remmer, RD on the Alberta Milk Blog
2. Slow Cooker Granola by Christy Brissette, RD of 80 Twenty Nutrition
3. Slow Cooker Coconut Chia Quinoa Porridge by Sarah Remmer, RD
4. Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe by Sarah Remmer, RD
5. Slow Cooker Barley and Bean Soup by Meal Makeover Moms
6. Slow Cooker Eggplant and Chickpea Stew by Jessica Cording, MS, RD
7. Slow Cooker Asian Beef Recipe by Katie Serbinski, MS RD Mom to Mom Nutrition
8. Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Verde by Jessica Beacom, RD of Real Food Dietitians
9. Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps by Lisa McKay, MS RD www.nourishednce.com
10. Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs by Lindsay Livingston of The Lean Green Bean
11. Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, by Stacie Hassing, RD of Real Food Dietitians
12. Slow Cooker Loaded "Baked" Sweet Potatoes by Alexis Joseph, RD of Hummussapien
13. Butternut Squash and Kale Slow Cooker Lasagna by Kara Lydon, RD of KaraLydon.com
14. Crockpot Mexican Quinoa Chicken by Jodi Danen, RD of The Average RD
15. Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls With Low Fat Stuffing by Abbey Sharpe, RD of Abbey's Kitchen
16. Moroccan Lentil Soup in The Slow Cooker by Sarah Remmer, RD
For more dietitian-approved recipes (that are kid friendly too!), check out my Facebook page, where I share recipes, nutrition tips and videos regularly!
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It's easy to feel overwhelmed during the holidays, especially when you've filled your calendars with social events and holiday get-togethers. You may even be hosting a few yourself! Now that I have three kids, my new motto has become "keep it simple" when it comes to everything, but especially hosting. Gone are the days of spending hours in the kitchen preparing gourmet finger foods and desserts (for now, anyways). But that doesn't mean that I sacrifice taste or flavour, and it doesn't mean that I'm serving store-bought, processed foods either. It means that I'm keeping it simple--simple ingredients, simple instructions, and still, a delicious spread of food.
This easy recipe came to me in a moment of panic, when I completely forgot that I was supposed to bring an appetizer to my son's hockey Christmas party. We had all of the ingredients on hand, so it was a matter of throwing it together. It ended up being so flavourful and delicious, and was one of the first foods to disappear at the party!
Ingredients
Directions
Lay your soft spinach tortillas out on a flat surface
Evenly spread a tablespoon of cream on top of each
Sprinkle with dried cranberries and chopped pistachios
Roll tightly and slice width-wise into sushi-like pieces
If you like this recipe, check out my Facebook page, where I share delicious, nutritious and EASY recipes (as well as lots of nutrition tips for families) regularly. Happy Holidays!
There's nothing quite like entering your kitchen and being engulfed in the delicious, warm aroma of gingerbread. To me, that feels like Christmas. What's even better, is knowing that the source of that aroma is a nutritious and wholesome muffin — the kind that you can eat as part of a balanced meal, or on its own as a snack. The kind that you feel really great about sending in your kid's lunch, or serving to your family for breakfast. These gingerbread muffins are to die for, and will put you in the holiday spirit!
These muffins are fluffy and soft just like coffee shop gingerbread muffins, but much healthier. Pair one with some fruit and Greek yogurt in the morning, and you've got a balanced meal! Or, after you ship the kids off to school, top your muffin with butter and serve with coffee and baileys--it's the holidays after all!
I'll cut to the chase and give you the recipe now...because I know that you've just cleared your schedule to bake these immediately.
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, cocout oil or butter.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients(butter, eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, milk, brown sugar and ginger).
Add the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice). Stir until just combined (might be a little lumpy--that's ok. Best not to over-stir muffins). Scoop into a muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with a bit of sugar. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops are puffy and firm to the touch. Cool, serve and enjoy!
Adapted from Pinch of Yum's "Healthy Gingerbread Muffins" (these ones are really tasty too!)
If you like this recipe, you might also want to wake up to this delicious Slow Cooker Overnight Gingerbread Steelcut Oats, and then you'll need dessert, so you can make my Warm and Gooey Gingerbread Cake
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