Fall is right on the heels of summer and soon the leaves will be falling and the weather will be cooling down. I always look forward to the fall season. Leaves turning beautiful colors, the comfort of the routine coming back in place, apple picking season in the midst, all come together with a hot cup of tea all cumulate into a warm fuzzy me. It is also the season for comfort food and crock pot cooking. I must admit I love both. The only thing I do not love is the amount of fat and calories associated with most comfort foods and crock pot meals. Since crock pot meals are so convenient and hard to give up it is time to change the way we cook in the crock pot.
Tips:
Find low fat alternatives: Many crock pot recipes call for cream soups. Cream soups make a great base but they are normally high in fat and sodium. Look for cream soups that cut out of the fat and are low in sodium. You will still get the consistency you desire. If you find the lower sodium soups a bit bland just add in some herbs to your meal for extra flavor.
Use real butter: What? Isn’t real butter high in fat? Yes, it is high in fat but the fat in butter is good fat. It is also safer to eat than margarine or artificial substitutes. Just be sure the rest of your ingredients are vegetables and lean meats. You can afford a quality fat if your meal has less junk and more substance.
More veggies, more herbs: Instead of relying on potatoes or rice as your staple add in the proper amount of vegetables. To make a nice flavor rely on fresh herbs and lemon juices instead of unhealthy alternatives.