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Update: My crock pot adventure has ended, but not my love of the slow cooker. The experience only deepened my belief that the slow cooker is the best kitchen device for losing weight and eating great.
You really can slow cook yourself skinny and here are some of my favorite recipes to help…
Happy October Crocktober 1!
This marks the official kickoff of a new project for me: A year of Weight Watchers friendly crock pot cooking!
Beginning today, I’m going to attempt to use my crock pot everyday for a year and write about it here. I realize that a year of crock pot cooking isn’t an original idea. In fact, I’m a huge fan of Stephanie from A Year of Slow Cooking, who used her crockpot everyday for a year way back in 2008. Unfortunately, she also gained 8 pounds in the process.
I want to prove that it’s possible to take advantage of all the benefits of crock pot cooking without gaining weight! In fact, I believe that slow cooking can actually help with weight loss.
But I feel like we Weight Watchers could use more light crock pot recipes that are easy, healthy and delicious. And recipes that include nutritional and WW Points information makes it so much easier to stay on track.
With every passing year, I love the ease and convenience of crock pot cooking more and more. I still want to eat well. But I want to minimize my time in the kitchen too. Crock Pot cooking fits perfectly with my desire to simplify my life. And get maximum reward for minimal effort.
When I use my slow cooker, I’m so much happier at meal time. And calmer. Crock Pot Cooking is easier. Less messy. Less precise. And more forgiving.
So, I’m giving myself permission to give this year of crock pot cooking a try.
Why begin my year of crock pot cooking on October 1, instead of waiting until the New Year?
I love fall. In my mind October marks the beginning of crockpot season. There’s nothing that says a calendar year and a crock pot cooking year need to coincide is there?
I really want to learn how to use the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System (affiliate link) my mom bought me for Christmas last year. I’ve used it a few times as a slow cooker. But I haven’t fully explored how to use it to its full potential.
And if I’m going to be completely honest, I’m afraid that if I wait until January, I’ll talk myself out of it. Tell myself it’s a crazy idea. Lose my excitement. Convince myself I can’t do it. Come up with millions of reasons not to try.
So, I’ve decided to dive right in beginning today. I’ve dusted off my slow cookers and gathered my crock pot cookbooks.
I don’t have a great track record of seeing such undertakings through to their finish, so wish me luck 🙂
Martha
Find a list of all my Year of WW Friendly Slow Cooker Recipes Here!
I will follow you for sure. I love to cook with the crock pot. Good luck from Montréal!!!!
Thanks, Anne-Marie.
I appreciate your good wishes.
I’ve never been to Montreal!! It’s on my bucket list of places to visit.
I’ve been on WW for a year now and love the crockpot! I’m so glad I stumbled on this site. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
My favorite WW-friendly crockpot recipe is salsa chicken. One package chicken (breasts or tenders), 1 can black beans, 1 jar salsa. Throw it all in and let it cook all day. It works out to be 7 pts for 1/4. I have it either by itself, or over brown rice, or on a tortilla depending on how many pts I have left. And you can vary the flavor by trying different salsas.
I have a few others I consistently make, but they’re all between 10-14 pts per serving.
Thanks, Jessica.
Yes, salsa chicken is a good one. It works with the Simply Filling Technique too 🙂 Would love to hear about your others too, even if they are a little higher in Points!
As someone who works in the corporate world, October 1 makes perfect sense to me as it’s the beginning of the new fiscal year. We’ve been wishing each other Happy New Year around the office all day today. LOL As a member of Weight Watchers and a slow cooker fan, I look forward to following your journey!
Thanks, Melissa. It’s true, 10/1 marks the new fiscal year for many corporations and the government too 🙂
I love my crock pot.I have chili in mine right now!
I am really excited to watch your blog and follow what you will be trying! Good Luck 🙂
Thanks, Nancy! Chili sounds great. I’ve actually got a pot of Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli simmering. It smells so good. I can’t wait to taste it. I also tried baking in a crockpot for the first time today. I made a little apple loaf cake. It’s cooling on the counter. Enjoy your chili!!
I plan to follow along! What a great idea :). This will be an invaluable resource for those who follow Weight Watchers.
Thanks, Julie 🙂
I really like Phyllis Perlman Good’s Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly. It was recommended by another Weight Watchers online member and has some healthy, low points options. It also has recipe adaptations for those who do not like using cream of ___ soups – she gives recipes for making your own low fat/low calorie versions. I look forward to seeing what you are making with your crockpot.
Thanks, Rachel. I really like Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly too. Love that it has the nutritional details to make figuring out PointsPlus easy. So many crock pot cookbooks don’t 🙁 Thanks for pointing out the recipes for making your own cream soups. I’ve had the book for a while and never notice that!
I am so excited for your new adventure!
Thanks, Paula. I am excited too. And kinda nervous at the same time 🙂
I love my slow cooker and fall is the perfect time to start. I will be following you as you go through the year and can’t wait to see what you come up with! You inspire me!
Thanks, Elaine!
Do you have any favorite crock pot recipes? If you do, I would love for you to share them!
Good luck and I am very interested to see how this works out. I love crockpot cooking too so I would really like to join you with lighter recipes 🙂
Thanks, Tami!
I was just talking about this on a walk this morning with a friend. With kids’ activities, the convenience of a crockpot is great- I just don’t have many recipes that really fit in with how we eat. Most are very meat heavy, with lots of Lipton Onion soup mix, or Cream of _________ soup.
I’m excited to see what you will come up with!
Thanks, Kristin.
I know what you mean. I have mixed feelings about cream of ______ soup and soup mixes too. But I am far from a recipe purist! I sometimes use the cans and packages. They work and are convenient! The recipe coming this afternoon, won’t be for you!! lol. But I am looking
forward to seeing what I discover in the coming months.
Campbell put out a low salt and fat cream soup, it isn’t all that bad, fill with a lot vegetables and no potatoes, use yoke free noodles, it taste just a good. Marlene