To say that we all lead busy lives is an understatement. The fact is that we spend a lot of time away from home. Whether you’re a working parent or a full-time student, or even a retiree like me, you know the struggle of finding time to make meals. This is where a slow cooker can make meal-prepping a lot less hectic. With a slow cooker, you can cook delicious and healthy meals while you’re away from home! There are all sorts of meals that can be cooked in a slow cooker, including stews, soups, casseroles, and so much more.
Here’s why the slow cooker is the best invention for those with busy lifestyles.
Ingredients You Can Trust
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in pre-made meals? Serving your family food with ingredients you can’t even pronounce isn’t the best way to keep your family healthy. One of the biggest benefits of cooking with a slow cooker is that you know exactly what’s going into your meals. For example, if you want to make spaghetti and meatballs one evening, you’ll know that you need tomatoes, frozen fully cooked meatballs, spaghetti, and Italian seasoning. Knowing what ingredients go into your meals gives you peace of mind that your family is eating wholesome and nutritious meals.
Save Money by using a slow cooker
Eating out or picking up take-out can be expensive. By not cooking at home, it’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars on food alone. A meal for four people can easily cost well over $60. This means that within a week, you can spend more than $400 on food alone. Another great benefit of crockpot cooking is that you can save tons of money. Delicious slow cooker meals can be made using some of the most inexpensive products such as:
- Rice
- Beans
- Frozen vegetables
- Inexpensive cuts of meat
The amount of money you’ll spend on groceries is far less than the money you’ll spend eating out each night of the week.
A Slow Cooker is Super Convenient
Unlike a traditional meal that requires your undivided attention, a slow cooker is much more convenient. By using a slow cooker, you can cook a meal all day without any intervention needed from you. This means that meals can cook while you’re at work, at the gym, or at a doctor appointment. Crockpot meals are convenient in that you can put all of the ingredients in, turn it on, and then go about your day. Slow cooker meals are perfect for those super busy days when you have very little time to prepare a traditional meal.
More Time to Spend with Your Family
Most crockpot recipes require very little preparation. More often than not, all you have to do is put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, set the right temperature, and then let it cook for a few hours! Crockpot cooking also means fewer dishes and less clean up. You can make using a crockpot even more convenient by using a liner. This way, you don’t have to scrub the pot each time you use it. With less time spent preparing ingredients or washing dishes, you’ll have more time to spend with your family. Family time is especially important if you have children. By giving your undivided attention to your spouse and kids, everyone will be happier.
Healthy, Diet Friendly-Meals
Do you follow a gluten-free or low-carb diet? Are you allergic to certain foods? If so, you know just how hard it can be to find a healthy meal at a restaurant. With slow cooker cooking, you’ll have peace of mind that all of the food you’re cooking is healthy and meets all of your dietary needs. This way you can have peace of mind each time you eat that you don’t have to worry about blowing your daily calorie limit or eating food that will cause a dangerous allergic reaction.
Cook Food in Large Quantities in a slow cooker
Cooking with a slow cooker allows you to cook food in bulk. This means that you can not only cook dinner throughout the week, but you can also take leftovers for lunch the next day. By not buying lunch, you’re able to save even more money. The less money you’re spending eating out or eating take-out, the further you can stretch your hard-earned money. What’s nice is that you can use a crockpot to cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner! There are thousands of recipes online for delicious and healthy meals.
There are all sorts of products that have benefited the household, but nothing has proven to be more priceless than the slow cooker. Slow cooker meals are nutritious and tasty but don’t require hours of preparation! Keep these benefits in mind the next time you want to eat out or order take-out.
I have several slow cookers in different sizes but don’t use them nearly as often as I should. Your post has me thinking about pulling out my recipes and getting those slow cookers back into rotation again. Thanks for the inspiration!