The slow cooker benefits busy moms in more ways than one.
Think less stress, fewer dishes, and more time for you. As a health coach (and a mom who’s been there), I’m always looking for simple ways to make healthy eating realistic. My slow cooker has become one of my favorite tools for getting nourishing, home-cooked meals on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. The slow cooker benefits are hard to beat! Whether you’re managing picky eaters, balancing work and family, or just trying to keep your wellness goals on track, the slow cooker offers an easy, no-fuss solution that actually works.
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7 Slow Cooker Benefits
Let’s talk about slow cooker benefits – not just convenience, but also the way it supports healthier eating habits with a lot less effort. If you haven’t dusted off your slow cooker lately, now’s the time!
1. A slow cooker saves time.
One of the biggest slow cooker benefits for busy moms is the ability to prep a nourishing dinner in the morning and forget about it until mealtime. With a 7 and 4 year old, I don’t have the time or energy to stand at the stove for an hour or more making dinner. I like to find recipes that have a little bit of prep – such as some vegetable chopping – that I can tackle right after my girls are out of the house in the morning. Then I can set the meal to cook and dinner will be ready in the evening.
2. You’ll have hands-off cooking.
When you have little ones trying to grab your attention, it’s critical to have a cooking option that’s truly hands-off. That’s where the slow cooker comes in! I love being able to throw all the ingredients into the pot and then to be able to truly walk away. I even forget that I have a meal cooking until I start to smell the delicious aromas. A slow cooker is the perfect cooking appliance for when you need to multitask, or even relax and put your feet up for a bit.
3. Slow cooking tends to produce healthier meals.
Slow cooking brings out flavors without needing extra unhealthy oils, butter, or processed ingredients like other cooking methods do. I use lean proteins, a multitude of vegetables, lots of herbs and spices, and healthier liquids such as water, balsamic vinegar, or stock.
4. A slow cooker saves money.
Slow cooking enhances flavors and tenderizes meats, making affordable ingredients taste delicious. I also usually end up with leftovers for another night or two. A $30 chuck roast, for example, doesn’t seem as expensive when it’s spread out over a few nights of meals.
5. Slow cooker meals have easy cleanup.
One of my favorite slow cooker benefits? Fewer dishes and way less cleanup at the end of a long day. I’m able to tackle the prep cleanup, like washing a cutting board and knife, in the morning. Usually the only cleanup left after dinner, aside from the usual dishes and utensils, is washing the slow cooker pot. There aren’t any additional pots or pans that are needed for other cooking methods.
6. You’ll have more consistent meal planning.
Slow cooker meals make sticking to a weekly meal plan much easier and more realistic. When you’re prepping your slow cooker meals in the morning, you’re more likely to stick to your meal plan because dinner is already taken care of. Cooking is much less overwhelming for me when I’m sticking to slow cooker meals. Once you find a few recipes you like, you can keep them in your meal rotation.
Here are a couple of family-friendly slow cooker recipes to get you started:
7. A Slow cooker is versatile.
From soups to stews to roasts, you can make just about anything in a slow cooker. My slow cooker, which I will share more about below, even has a brown/sauté setting, making it a versatile appliance. When I make my Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast recipe, I’m able to brown the roast in the slow cooker instead of using a separate pan to brown it on top of the stove. A slow cooker is such a flexible kitchen appliance, which is why it’s one of my favorites.
My Slow Cooker
I’ve had my slow cooker for years. It’s a Cuisinart MSC-600 6-Quart Multi-Cooker. It has three programmable functions for slow cooking, steaming, and browning/sautéing. The slow cook function has three temperature settings – high, low, and simmer. A great feature is that when the cooking time is up, the slow cooker automatically switches to “keep warm”. That’s so convenient for when the meal is done but we’re not quite ready to eat it yet.
The Cuisinart MSC-600 comes with a nonstick aluminum 6-quart pot, glass lid with handle, and steaming rack. All parts that come in contact with food are BPA-free. The pot, steaming rack, and lid are all dishwasher-safe making cleanup so easy.
I really love my slow cooker, so much so that I’ve been hesitant to replace it for a newer model. I know I’m due though as mine is over 10 years old, so I’ve been looking into the Cuisinart MSC-800 model which is very similar to the one I have. It just has a larger 7-quart pot and has an additional “roast” setting.
Why A Slow Cooker is a Game-Changer
When life feels chaotic and your to-do list never ends, having a slow cooker in your corner is incredibly helpful. It saves time, reduces stress, supports your wellness goals, and brings your family together around the dinner table—without requiring hours of hands-on cooking. Whether you’re new to healthy eating or just trying to simplify your routine, the slow cooker can be a powerful ally in creating more ease, nourishment, and consistency in your week. So if you haven’t fallen in love with slow cooker meals yet, now’s the perfect time to start.
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