Crock-Full of Goodness

Slow cooking gets a nutrition-makeover for healthier, delicious, hassle-free meals

GUESS WHICH '70S FAD is back? Nope, not hot pants or lava lamps. It's the slow cooker, aka the Crock-Pot®, and this time around there's a delicious twist. Healthy ingredients, like low-sodium broth, fresh veggies, wholesome beans and rich spices replace yesteryear's high-fat, high-sodium recipes, which often began with canned, calorieladen, creamed soup. Mix in budget-friendly and timesaving benefits and slow is the way to go this fall.

A Vitamin Bath

Similar to braising, slow cookers produce a low, steady, moist heat for several hours, which roughly translates to 300 degrees for four hours when the electric countertop appliance is set on high and 200 degrees for 10 hours on low. And if you put wholesome food in the pot, that's what comes out-especially the vitamin- and mineral-packed natural juice.

Sarah Krieger, R.D., MPH, LD/N, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, explains: "Food loses vitamins and minerals through heat, oxygen and water. Since slow cookers require some sort of heated liquid, that's where a lot of vitamins and minerals go."

And that's where nutrients stay, since a slow cooker's tightly sealed lid prevents evaporation. As Krieger points out, "Slow cookers are great for soups, stews and casseroles because you eat everything, including the vitamin-charged liquid."

Though best known for beef- and chicken-based recipes, slow cookers are also great for meatless meals. "This is something we should all do at least twice a week-to lower risk of heart disease, certain cancers and to get nutrients only in vegetables," Krieger stresses.

Recipe favorites among vegetarians and carnivores alike include vegetable or minestrone soup and tomato sauce to dress up pasta. An avid slow cooker herself, Krieger reports "awesome" results with bean-based recipes like vegetarian chili.

Perfect Cents

When it comes to money matters, slow cookers give you a twofer. First, they're ideal for cheaper beef cuts that are generally tasty but tough, such as chuck roasts, shoulder cuts or bottom-round roasts. Why? "The low, slow, moist-heat cooking process breaks down tough muscle fiber and connective tissue in less-expensive cuts," says Mary Bartz, spokeswoman for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "The result is wonderfully tender-and all natural."

Slow cookers are also an economical alternative to pricey takeout-without forfeiting an ounce of convenience. Dinner is waiting at day's end, and no Styrofoam container necessary.

Time on your Side

The slow cooker has forever been the busy cook's time saver, since there's no human intervention after loading it up. In fact, lifting the lid to peek or stir disturbs the cooking process. That means you prepare in the morning, let everything simmer as you go about your day, and come home to a wholesome dinner!

If time permits, newer slow cooker recipes introduce flavor layers with just a little extra effort. For example, browning beef first takes about 10 minutes at the front end but adds rich color, boosts flavor and reduces fat. In addition, certain ingredients fare better when added during the final 30 minutes, including fresh herbs, tender vegetables like tomatoes or zucchini, seafood and fiery spices like cayenne pepper or hot sauce.

Now how will you fill up your time normally spent in the kitchen? That's up to you. A healing massage might be nice, capped off with a warm, nourishing bowl of soup that's waiting in your slow cooker.
-By Donna Shryer