13 Heart-Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Most of the sodium in a slow cooker meal comes from broth, canned beans and tomatoes, and seasoning packets, so those are the places where small swaps make the biggest difference. Choose unsalted or low sodium stock, look for no-salt-added canned goods, and drain and rinse canned beans before you add them. Skip the seasoning packets and build flavor with onion, garlic, dried herbs, and spices. Long cooking times can mellow flavors, so stir in a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, or a handful of fresh herbs at the end to brighten the dish without adding salt. You'll find more tips in our low sodium diet guidelines.

Most slow cooker meals freeze well, especially soups, stews, and chilis like the turkey chili and white bean chili in this collection. Let the food cool, then portion it into airtight freezer containers, leaving a little room at the top so it can expand. For the best quality, use frozen meals within 2 to 3 months. Pasta dishes like mac and cheese can turn soft after freezing, so for the lasagna soup, freeze the soup base on its own and add freshly cooked noodles when you reheat it. Thaw frozen meals in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until they reach 165°F. (Don't reheat leftovers in the slow cooker, because it warms food too slowly to be safe.)

Raw meat and poultry are safe to cook in a slow cooker as long as they're fully thawed first. Frozen meat can spend too long in the temperature range where bacteria grow, so move it to the refrigerator to thaw the night before. Try to keep the lid on while it cooks, since every peek lets out heat and adds to the cooking time. Before serving, check the temperature with a food thermometer. Pork should reach 145°F and rest for at least 3 minutes, ground beef should reach 160°F, and chicken and ground turkey should reach 165°F.

Both settings bring food to the same final temperature, but the low setting takes longer to get there. Low is best for tougher cuts like beef brisket and pot roast, because the long, gentle cooking breaks them down until they're fork tender. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin and chicken breast can dry out if they cook too long, so it's a good idea to stick to the recipe's timing. As a general rule, 1 hour on high equals about 2 hours on low. Our Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin, for example, cooks for 4 hours on low or 2 to 2½ hours on high.