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After the past couple of months of holiday indulgence, in which the ideas of eating in moderation and regular exercise seemed to fly out the window, the time has come to turn to some healthier options.
The New Year means it’s time to make a fresh start, with a clean nutrition slate. But rather than undertaking a short lived crash diet, a gentle return to healthy eating habits is more likely to keep you on track. A sensible diet and exercise plan, such as that championed by Weight Watchers, is a much more surefire route to long term good health than taking up the latest crazy diet fad. Plus, without the added stress of so rigorously counting calories, you will be freed up to follow more important pursuits, such as creating delicious and good-for-you slow cooked meals.
The crockpot is a great tool to have around when you are trying to watch what you eat. First and foremost, the fact is that slow cooking involves planning what you will be eating in advance, thus providing a built in dietary control mechanism. By having a pre-planned meal waiting when you come in, you won’t arrive home starving and grab the first thing you see, or even worse, make a diet-corrupting fast food stop on the way home.
Not only can you improve your menu options, you can also use the slow cooker to make meals without adding extra fats and oils. Lean meats and vegetables are natural partners when it comes to crockpot cooking. The slow cooker can be used to make your current recipes healthier, by eliminating some or all of the added fats and oils used when sautéing. In place of additional oil or butter you can use a greater variety of herbs and spices to add flavor. You can add more vegetables or a grain based protein source to replace or reduce the amount of meat in the recipe. Additionally, you can eliminate some of the fat that does accumulate after slow cooking meats by chilling the finished dish, skimming the surface, and then reheating when you are ready to eat.
Whole grains such as barley, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice, which are staples of a healthy eating plan, do wonderfully in the slow cooker. Substituting whole grains will increase the amount of fiber in your diet; they also allow you to feel fuller, adding a nutty, balanced flavor to many dishes. You can replace more refined starches (such as regular pasta or white rice) with whole grains in almost any recipe. Just adjust the cooking time a bit to make sure that the finished result is tender.
When the weather is cold (or in this winter’s case, not so cold), it gives you the perfect opportunity to cuddle up and have a healthy and toasty warm meal such as soup or stew. This Moroccan Chicken and Couscous stew provides a one pot meal that has a nice spicy kick to it, the perfect way to start off the New Year with a healthy new outlook.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/439-healthy-slow-cooking/
Healthy Slow Cooking For The New Year
After the past couple of months of holiday indulgence, in which the ideas of eating in moderation and regular exercise seemed to fly out the window, the time has come to turn to some healthier options.
The New Year means it’s time to make a fresh start, with a clean nutrition slate. But rather than undertaking a short lived crash diet, a gentle return to healthy eating habits is more likely to keep you on track. A sensible diet and exercise plan, such as that championed by Weight Watchers, is a much more surefire route to long term good health than taking up the latest crazy diet fad. Plus, without the added stress of so rigorously counting calories, you will be freed up to follow more important pursuits, such as creating delicious and good-for-you slow cooked meals.
The crockpot is a great tool to have around when you are trying to watch what you eat. First and foremost, the fact is that slow cooking involves planning what you will be eating in advance, thus providing a built in dietary control mechanism. By having a pre-planned meal waiting when you come in, you won’t arrive home starving and grab the first thing you see, or even worse, make a diet-corrupting fast food stop on the way home.
Not only can you improve your menu options, you can also use the slow cooker to make meals without adding extra fats and oils. Lean meats and vegetables are natural partners when it comes to crockpot cooking. The slow cooker can be used to make your current recipes healthier, by eliminating some or all of the added fats and oils used when sautéing. In place of additional oil or butter you can use a greater variety of herbs and spices to add flavor. You can add more vegetables or a grain based protein source to replace or reduce the amount of meat in the recipe. Additionally, you can eliminate some of the fat that does accumulate after slow cooking meats by chilling the finished dish, skimming the surface, and then reheating when you are ready to eat.
Whole grains such as barley, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice, which are staples of a healthy eating plan, do wonderfully in the slow cooker. Substituting whole grains will increase the amount of fiber in your diet; they also allow you to feel fuller, adding a nutty, balanced flavor to many dishes. You can replace more refined starches (such as regular pasta or white rice) with whole grains in almost any recipe. Just adjust the cooking time a bit to make sure that the finished result is tender.
When the weather is cold (or in this winter’s case, not so cold), it gives you the perfect opportunity to cuddle up and have a healthy and toasty warm meal such as soup or stew. This Moroccan Chicken and Couscous stew provides a one pot meal that has a nice spicy kick to it, the perfect way to start off the New Year with a healthy new outlook.
Slow Cooker Moroccan Couscous Stew
Made with garlic, butternut squash, baby carrots, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, skinless boneless chicken breast, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
Made with garlic, butternut squash, baby carrots, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, skinless boneless chicken breast, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
Serves/Makes: 6
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed (omit for a vegetarian dish)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 can (15 ounce size) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup whole wheat couscous
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- chopped fresh parsley, optional
Heat a small skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add to the crock pot.
Add the squash, carrots, tomatoes, broth, chicken, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. Stir gently.
Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 4 hours.
Add the chickpeas, couscous, and salt. Stir well.
Cover the crock pot and cook for 10 minutes or until the couscous is tender.
Garnish the Moroccan couscous stew with the parsley at serving time.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/439-healthy-slow-cooking/