Are you committed to a low-glycemic diet this year? Have you had just about all you can take of salads and celery sticks and munching on a handful of nuts? Even a couple weeks of a restricted diet can seem like an eternity, especially when you are a die-hard crock pot fanatic.

My New Year’s resolution was made and I am determined to stick to it. That’s all great, but do I have to put away my beloved crock pot until my diet restrictions slack off a bit? Nope! I’ve developed and tweaked a few of my crock pot recipes so they will help me stick to my diet while giving my family meals they’ll enjoy coming home to!

Ginger Garlic Beef with Snow Peas

You’ll need about a 2 1/2 lb. boneless Round Steak, cut into 4 pieces. Place the pieces in your crock pot. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of soy sauce, about 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced, and 2 tablespoons canola oil. Pour your mixture over the steak and put on the crock pot cover. Cook this on low for about 6 hours. Give the meat the fork-test to see if it’s nice and tender. If not, let it go a bit longer. Then serve alongside hot, cooked snow peas tossed with sauted mushrooms for a perfectly delicious Asian inspired meal.

Lazy Day Split Pea Soup

Pour a 1 lb. bag of split peas into your crock pot and add 2 lbs. of boiled ham, diced up, 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated, 1 medium onion, diced, 3 ribs celery, finely diced, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 7 cups fresh cold water, and 5 chicken bouillion cubes. Put your crock pot on low and cook for 6 to 7 hours. Lift the lid briefly to give a quick stir 2 or 3 times during the cooking so that the peas don’t just stay on the bottom of the crock pot.

Triple Bean and Beef Chili

Brown 2 lbs. of lean ground beef, and drain any excess fat. While the meat is browning, dice 2 medium size onions, 1 green pepper, and 2 ribs of celery and throw it all into the crock pot. Grate 3 cloves of garlic on top of the vegetables. Pour in 2 (16 ounce size) cans of diced tomatoes, 2 regular size cans of garbanzo beans, 1 can of butter beans, and 1 can of black beans, all drained first but not rinsed. Then add a 15 ounce can of chicken broth, 3 teaspoons chili powder (or more if you’re an adventurous eater), 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. You may want a bit more salt, so taste the mix later as it cooks. Now, add the browned ground beef, stir up a little, cover the crock pot and let cook on LOW for about 6 hours. I serve this in big bowls with a dollop of low fat yogurt and a sprinkle of chives. You can garnish with whatever your diet allows!

Diet-friendly recipes and crock pots can get along. Even though it may be difficult at first to come up with recipes for your crock pot that are suitable for your low-glycemic diet, it is not impossible. With just a couple recipes that are tried and true, you will not only be able to stick to your diet, but the whole family will eat healthy, and hearty, too! You and your family no longer have to eat separate meals while you’re dieting. Start off with these simple recipes and see if your family won’t ask for more! Keep up the good work!

When you are following a low glycemic meal plan, your crockpot can actually be one of your best alleys. It makes preparing meals both you and your family can enjoy easy and it doesn’t take much time at all to pull together a few extra side dishes for your loved ones. Everyone’s happy and you didn’t spend hours slaving over different meals to please everyone. Pull out your crockpot and stick to your diet.