It is easy to get lost in your day-to-day routine and leave a nutritious diet on the back burner. This is often the cause of dullness, fatigue and feeling unfit. While maintaining a healthy diet can be a lot of time and work, especially when it comes to meal prep, there are programs that make eating right easier. Whole30, the popular diet program, has plenty of simple slow cooker recipes. Just start your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a healthy and balanced dinner.
What is Whole30?
Whole30 is a month-long cleanse aimed at replenishing your body with energy and health by eliminating certain food groups. You still eat real food, but you will avoid specific dietary culprits that may contribute to your sluggishness and lethargy. Some foods that are eliminated include:
- Added sugar or artificial sweeteners
- Alcohol
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dairy (Butter and ghee are okay)
- Carrageenan, MSG and sulfites
- Baked goods, junk foods and processed treats
Removing these foods from your diet and filling up healthier options such as fruits and vegetables is thought to allow your body to reset. Benefits of the Whole30 diet are said to include improved energy, better sleep, clearer skin, lower blood sugar and improved digestive health.
Best of all, your slow cooker makes it easy to plan Whole30-approved meals ahead of time. Get started with these delicious recipes today. For more delicious recipes, check out Five Whole30 Slow Cooker Recipes!
I don’t know what’s gotten into me this week, but I’ve been on a serious Asian food kick. My poor cumin has been languishing in the spice cabinet as I reach for the Chinese five-spice powder and ginger. We recently got a new delivery of grass-fed beef that just about filled our freezer, so I’ve been working my way through back inventory of frozen meat. Tucked into far left corner of the freezer, I found two packages of pork spare ribs and instantly had a craving for Asian-spiced pig. What I did not have a craving for, however, was spending a buttload of time in the kitchen or tending the grill.
I did zero internet research and didn’t even flip through my favorite go-to cookbooks — I just opened my spice cabinet and starting experimenting. The result was fall-off-the-bone-if-you-look-at-them-askance ribs, infused with the complex but comforting flavors of Chinese five-spice powder.
You can absolutely use this approach for beef ribs, and I suspect it will also work great on larger beef and pork cuts, like shoulder and stew meat. With good spices and a slow cooker, you really can’t go wrong.
I did zero internet research and didn’t even flip through my favorite go-to cookbooks — I just opened my spice cabinet and starting experimenting. The result was fall-off-the-bone-if-you-look-at-them-askance ribs, infused with the complex but comforting flavors of Chinese five-spice powder.
You can absolutely use this approach for beef ribs, and I suspect it will also work great on larger beef and pork cuts, like shoulder and stew meat. With good spices and a slow cooker, you really can’t go wrong.
I don’t know what’s gotten into me this week, but I’ve been on a serious Asian food kick. My poor cumin has been languishing in the spice cabinet as I reach for the Chinese five-spice powder and ginger. We recently got a new delivery of grass-fed beef that just about filled our freezer, so I’ve been working my way through back inventory of frozen meat. Tucked into far left corner of the freezer, I found two packages of pork spare ribs and instantly had a craving for Asian-spiced pig. What I did not have a craving for, however, was spending a buttload of time in the kitchen or tending the grill.
I did zero internet research and didn’t even flip through my favorite go-to cookbooks — I just opened my spice cabinet and starting experimenting. The result was fall-off-the-bone-if-you-look-at-them-askance ribs, infused with the complex but comforting flavors of Chinese five-spice powder.
You can absolutely use this approach for beef ribs, and I suspect it will also work great on larger beef and pork cuts, like shoulder and stew meat. With good spices and a slow cooker, you really can’t go wrong.
I did zero internet research and didn’t even flip through my favorite go-to cookbooks — I just opened my spice cabinet and starting experimenting. The result was fall-off-the-bone-if-you-look-at-them-askance ribs, infused with the complex but comforting flavors of Chinese five-spice powder.
You can absolutely use this approach for beef ribs, and I suspect it will also work great on larger beef and pork cuts, like shoulder and stew meat. With good spices and a slow cooker, you really can’t go wrong.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 3-4 people | 15minutes | 6-10hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 3-4 people | 15minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 6-10hours |
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds baby back or St. Louis pork ribs
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, cut in rings
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or homemade subsitute Link for homemade substitute below
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Ingredients
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Instructions
- Cut the ribs into pieces that will fit standing up in the slow cooker. Lay the ribs on a cutting board and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the Chinese five- spice and garlic powder together, then massage onto the meat to coat the ribs.
- Toss the jalapeño rings into the bottom of the slow cooker, and add the rice vinegar, coconut aminos, and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is combined with the other liquids. Add the ribs, standing up so they’re not lying in the liquid – or use a roasting rack inside the cooker so the ribs are not lying on the bottom – cover, and cook 6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
- When the ribs are fall-apart tender, remove them from the cooker. Pour the liquid into a heat-proof container and refrigerate until the fat separates from the juices. Remove the fat and bring the remaining liquid to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes. Use as a dipping/drizzle sauce for the meat.
- Want ‘em crispy? Throw the ribs in a 400F oven for 10 minutes while you boil the sauce.
Recipe Notes
From Melissa Joulwan's Well-Fed: Ingredients for a Happy Life. Her homemade substitute for coconut aminos can be found here.
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For an easy weeknight dinner, serve this crockpot turkey Bolognese sauce with zucchini noodles. This paleo take on Bolognese sauce couldn't be easier. Just dump everything in the slow cooker in the morning. And spiralize the zucchini noodles when you get home. (Directions in the recipe notes below.)
What makes this recipe so easy is not browning the meat first. The turkey goes in the crock pot raw. The key to getting the right texture is leaving the ground turkey in chunks while it cooks. Just cover it with the sauce—don't mix it in completely (I learned this the hard way). When you break it up after it cooks, it creates a texture more like traditional meat sauce.
I use my homemade herbes de Provence for the Italian herb seasoning here (recipe below). The blend of Mediterranean herbs works in this dish as long as there is no lavender in it.
I also love this turkey Bolognese over spaghetti squash roasted whole in the oven (directions below), it gives it a little bit of extra sweetness. Either way, it's an easy crockpot dinner to make this week.
What makes this recipe so easy is not browning the meat first. The turkey goes in the crock pot raw. The key to getting the right texture is leaving the ground turkey in chunks while it cooks. Just cover it with the sauce—don't mix it in completely (I learned this the hard way). When you break it up after it cooks, it creates a texture more like traditional meat sauce.
I use my homemade herbes de Provence for the Italian herb seasoning here (recipe below). The blend of Mediterranean herbs works in this dish as long as there is no lavender in it.
I also love this turkey Bolognese over spaghetti squash roasted whole in the oven (directions below), it gives it a little bit of extra sweetness. Either way, it's an easy crockpot dinner to make this week.
For an easy weeknight dinner, serve this crockpot turkey Bolognese sauce with zucchini noodles. This paleo take on Bolognese sauce couldn't be easier. Just dump everything in the slow cooker in the morning. And spiralize the zucchini noodles when you get home. (Directions in the recipe notes below.)
What makes this recipe so easy is not browning the meat first. The turkey goes in the crock pot raw. The key to getting the right texture is leaving the ground turkey in chunks while it cooks. Just cover it with the sauce—don't mix it in completely (I learned this the hard way). When you break it up after it cooks, it creates a texture more like traditional meat sauce.
I use my homemade herbes de Provence for the Italian herb seasoning here (recipe below). The blend of Mediterranean herbs works in this dish as long as there is no lavender in it.
I also love this turkey Bolognese over spaghetti squash roasted whole in the oven (directions below), it gives it a little bit of extra sweetness. Either way, it's an easy crockpot dinner to make this week.
What makes this recipe so easy is not browning the meat first. The turkey goes in the crock pot raw. The key to getting the right texture is leaving the ground turkey in chunks while it cooks. Just cover it with the sauce—don't mix it in completely (I learned this the hard way). When you break it up after it cooks, it creates a texture more like traditional meat sauce.
I use my homemade herbes de Provence for the Italian herb seasoning here (recipe below). The blend of Mediterranean herbs works in this dish as long as there is no lavender in it.
I also love this turkey Bolognese over spaghetti squash roasted whole in the oven (directions below), it gives it a little bit of extra sweetness. Either way, it's an easy crockpot dinner to make this week.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 6people | 10minutes | 6 hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6people | 10minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 6 hours |
Ingredients
- 1 28 ounce can organic tomato puree
- 1 6 ounce can organic tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb blend or Herbes de Provence Recipe below
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small carrots, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3-6 medium zucchini
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Ingredients
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Instructions
- Add all sauce ingredients except turkey to slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cut ground turkey into cubes, add to slow cooker, and cover with sauce. Do not stir.
- Once the sauce is done, use a potato masher to break up the ground turkey into small chunks.
- Spiralize zucchini (1/2 - 1 medium zucchini per serving).
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Cook zucchini until warmed through but still firm, about 3 minutes.
Recipe Notes
From Cook Eat Paleo.
Additional directions and techniques:
To make zucchini noodles, aka "zoodles." If you don't have a spiralizer, many grocery stores now carry a variety of fresh vegetable noodles in the produce section.
To make homemade herbes de Provence without the lavender
To roast spaghetti squash or any other squash
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There’s no better way to start your day than with a fulfilling, hearty meal. But the problem with accomplishing this is that a hectic morning means less time (or no time) for preparing something. Where does this leave most people? Grabbing something unhealthy out of the pantry or, even worse, skipping this meal altogether. Not everyone needs to eat breakfast, but if you skip it when you’re hungry, it can lead to low energy levels and poor food choices later in the day. One way to avoid this is by prepping the night before and using your slow cooker – you can get the work done before bed and wake up to a complete meal, no morning prep required.
This recipe is super versatile based on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Don’t love sausage? You can easily replace this with bacon instead. Prefer a spicier version of this dish? Add some red chili flakes to the sweet potatoes before your other ingredients. You can also choose between white and sweet potatoes – while white potatoes might be the more traditional choice, we like sweet potatoes for this version because of the extra nutrients and flavor variation they provide.
This recipe is super versatile based on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Don’t love sausage? You can easily replace this with bacon instead. Prefer a spicier version of this dish? Add some red chili flakes to the sweet potatoes before your other ingredients. You can also choose between white and sweet potatoes – while white potatoes might be the more traditional choice, we like sweet potatoes for this version because of the extra nutrients and flavor variation they provide.
There’s no better way to start your day than with a fulfilling, hearty meal. But the problem with accomplishing this is that a hectic morning means less time (or no time) for preparing something. Where does this leave most people? Grabbing something unhealthy out of the pantry or, even worse, skipping this meal altogether. Not everyone needs to eat breakfast, but if you skip it when you’re hungry, it can lead to low energy levels and poor food choices later in the day. One way to avoid this is by prepping the night before and using your slow cooker – you can get the work done before bed and wake up to a complete meal, no morning prep required.
This recipe is super versatile based on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Don’t love sausage? You can easily replace this with bacon instead. Prefer a spicier version of this dish? Add some red chili flakes to the sweet potatoes before your other ingredients. You can also choose between white and sweet potatoes – while white potatoes might be the more traditional choice, we like sweet potatoes for this version because of the extra nutrients and flavor variation they provide.
This recipe is super versatile based on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Don’t love sausage? You can easily replace this with bacon instead. Prefer a spicier version of this dish? Add some red chili flakes to the sweet potatoes before your other ingredients. You can also choose between white and sweet potatoes – while white potatoes might be the more traditional choice, we like sweet potatoes for this version because of the extra nutrients and flavor variation they provide.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 6 | 20minutes | 8hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 20minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 8hours |
Ingredients
- 12 Eggs
- 1 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 4 sausages, casings removed
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, shredded
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 green onion, sliced
- Cooking fat
- Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
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Ingredients
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Instructions
- Melt cooking fat in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the onion and garlic 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add in the sausages and break apart while cooking for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Place the shredded potatoes at the bottom of a slow cooker and top with the onion-sausage mixture. Add in the bell pepper and mushrooms.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and coconut milk; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour in the eggs on top of the sausage mixture.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours; serve topped with green onions.
Recipe Notes
From Paleo Leap
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You won’t miss potatoes, I promise. This cauliflower takes their place beautifully with its creamy, fluffy self, studded with garlic and fresh herbs.
It’s cozy and festive enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas but fuss-free enough to make it a staple throughout the week any time of the year. I usually grill up a steak to go with it which is always great. Steak and potatoes cauliflower, so original huh?
It’s cozy and festive enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas but fuss-free enough to make it a staple throughout the week any time of the year. I usually grill up a steak to go with it which is always great. Steak and potatoes cauliflower, so original huh?
You won’t miss potatoes, I promise. This cauliflower takes their place beautifully with its creamy, fluffy self, studded with garlic and fresh herbs.
It’s cozy and festive enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas but fuss-free enough to make it a staple throughout the week any time of the year. I usually grill up a steak to go with it which is always great. Steak and potatoes cauliflower, so original huh?
It’s cozy and festive enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas but fuss-free enough to make it a staple throughout the week any time of the year. I usually grill up a steak to go with it which is always great. Steak and potatoes cauliflower, so original huh?
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 4people | 10minutes | 3hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4people | 10minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 3hours |
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 tablespoons herbs, minced ( I used rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley)
- 1 cup Vegetable Broth
- 4-6 cups Water
- 3 tablespoons Ghee
- Sea salt, to taste
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Ingredients
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Instructions
- Peel the leaves from the cauliflower and cut into medium florets. Place in your slow cooker and top with garlic cloves, vegetable broth, and enough water to cover the cauliflower.
- Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3.
- Drain the water and broth and add the cauliflower back to the slow cooker. Toss in the butter and use an immersion blender or hand blender to mash. Season with sea salt to your taste and mix in fresh herbs.
- Set on keep warm until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
From Wicked Spatula.
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