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Fast & Easy Weight Loss Slow Cooker Recipes For Super Bowl Sunday

Meatballs

I love Super Bowl Sunday, not because of the game but because of the fun and food. Here are some game day recipes that will fill you up and decrease the odds of your pants being super tight post-game day.

Winter is not only football season; it's comfort food season, and that means it’s time to take out the slow cooker. The low-and-slow cooking method is ideal for so many comforting, cold-weather favorites, including soups, stews, and chili. If you use recipes that only use healthy proteins like lean turkey or chicken loaded with veggies, they can also be good for your weight loss. My whole family loves crock pot meals and of course, I’m a big fan because it's fast, easy, and nutritious. It also keeps dinnertime stress to a minimum, and as Martha Stewart says, "That’s a good thing."

Here are six fast and easy, not to mention great for weight loss recipes from The Metabolism Solution, converted for slow cookers.

Poppa Vinnie’s Thermogenic Turkey Meatballs in Sauce
To save time, don’t bother browning your meatballs. Just plop them right in the sauce and let them simmer to perfection. The ingredient list is short and sweet, and the meatballs are cooked in a simple homemade marinara sauce made with canned crushed tomatoes. I recommend adding a bag of roughly chopped baby spinach to the sauce about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat for an extra dose of veggies.

Ingredients

  • (20 oz) lean ground turkey breast — 97%
  • (¼ cup) dry Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
  • (¼ cup) parsley, finely chopped
  • (2) egg whites, beaten
  • (1 large) garlic clove, crushed
  • (½ tsp) fresh pepper and oregano
  • (1 tbsp) fennel seeds — *Optional: this is the secret ingredient that will make these the best tasting meatballs, ever

For the Sauce

  • (1 tsp) pure virgin Olive oil
  • (4) garlic cloves, crushed
  • (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
  • (1) bay leaf
  • (¼ cup) fresh chopped parsley or basil
  • salt and pepper to taste, if needed (and at the end to save on the salt)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg whites, parsley, and garlic. Using clean hands, mix all the ingredients and form small meatballs, about a 1/8th cup each. *The smaller they are, the faster they will cook, and you get to eat more.

Pour the crushed tomatoes into the crockpot with the bay leaf. Add the garlic and oil.

Drop the meatballs into the sauce, cover and set the crockpot to low. Cook for 4–6 hours. When the meatballs are ready, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and add fresh chopped basil or parsley. Serve over a chopped salad or Spiralizer (veggie spaghetti).

Melt Fat Minestrone Soup
You can adapt this basic recipe to use any fresh or frozen vegetables you happen to have on hand. There's no need to make an extra trip to the store for carrots or zucchini.

In the slow cooker, mix:

  • (6 cups) low-fat, low-sodium, gluten-free chicken broth
  • (2 cups) water
  • (28 oz can) diced tomatoes, already flavored with garlic, oregano, and basil
  • sliced carrots and celery
  • (1 medium) diced onion
  • (15 oz) can of beans, rinsed and drained
  • (1) bay leaf

Cook on low 6–8 hours. About a ½ hour before you’re ready to eat, stir in one diced zucchini, and a few handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach leaves. Cook until the vegetables are al dente. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and Mangia! 

Be Lean Barbecue Pulled Chicken (my family's favorite)
This is a crowd pleaser and eating healthier doesn’t get much easier than this 2-ingredient recipe.

Combine 5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 1½ cups of your favorite barbecue sauce (look for low sugar and salt and fat-free). Add some sliced onions, too, if you like. Cook the chicken on low for 6–8 hours, and then shred the chicken right in the pot. Serve the pulled meat in a lettuce wrap or over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce or pair it with a coleslaw made from bagged shredded cabbage mix, low or no-fat Greek yogurt, and a few dashes of apple cider vinegar.

Whittle Your Waist White Chicken Chili
This is highly addicting, super easy, and only has five ingredients. It's healthy, delicious, and sure to be a dinnertime Godsend.

Fill the crockpot with:

  • (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth (you can use water if you don’t have broth)
  • (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • (2 cups) salsa verde
  • (1 can) low-sodium white beans, rinsed and drained
  • (2 tsp) ground cumin

Cook on low for 6–8 hours. You can add chopped onion for extra flavor, or Siracha for added kick. Shred the chicken before serving, and dish up this mildly spicy chili with your favorite veggies for a low-carb, low-fat meal.

Chicken Fajita Soup
Here’s another slow cooker soup recipe you can throw together in a flash.

Combine:

  • (2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • (3 cups) low-sodium, low-fat, and gluten-free chicken broth
  • (1 can) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • (1 can) fire-roasted tomatoes
  • (1 bag) frozen peppers and onions
  • (1 cup) frozen corn kernels

Season with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne (optional), salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Shred the meat into the soup and top with a grated Cheddar cheese for a finish. 

Skinny Split Pea Soup
Okay, this one isn’t perfect, but it’s better to eat a cleaner version of something you crave than fall off the wagon completely. We are only human after all. This leaner and lighter version of Split Pea Soup will still stick to your ribs.

Add all the ingredients to the cooker at once:

  • (1 lb bag) dried split pea greens
  • (1) medium onion, diced
  • (3) carrots, diced
  • (2 ribs) celery, diced
  • (1 tbsp) favorite spice
  • (2) bay leaves
  • (6 cups) water

Cook the soup on low for 8 hours, then season to taste with iodized table salt (it's better for your thyroid than sea salt) and pepper, if needed. Serve in a fun soup crock and don’t forget to freeze some for those not-so-prepared days when you need something healthy to eat. Don’t forget to add a tossed salad to make sure you reach your daily vegetable quota to keep your metabolism running at optimum speed.

DON'T FORGET:

  • Reach for the green if you want to be lean
  • Take (2) LynFit Raspberry Ketone Cleanse before you leave to attend your Super Bowl party
  • Drink loads of water before, during, and after
  • Do your metabolic workout on an empty stomach
  • Double up your training day after the Super Bowl and add a Lean Core workout
  • Resume your Lose 1 Pound Per Day Plan
  • More importantly, have fun. Go Panthers, Go Broncos!