Nicole R. Morrissey - The Easy Heart Healthy Cookbook for Slow Cookers 130 Prep-and-Go Low-Sodium Recipes

Copyright 2018 by Nicole R. Morrissey

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Photorgraphy @ Hlne Dujardin, 2018; Food styling by Tami Hardeman

ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-086-7 | eBook 978-1-64152-087-4

To my loving husband, who always
offers up the unadulterated truth
in all things. Including food.

We all seem to find ourselves short on time. Of all the tasks that are necessary to get us from day to day, cooking is one that quickly falls by the wayside. We can easily opt for convenience foods and meals away from home that can lead to a diet that isnt healthy for our hearts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 50 percent of peoples deaths in 2015. Modifiable risk factors for heart disease include diet, body weight, physical activity, diabetes, and alcohol intake. Eating a heart-healthy diet can play a huge role in weight loss, if needed, and in maintaining or regaining heart health.

As a Registered Dietitian, I have the privilege of helping people improve their lives through changes to their diet. Ill be the first to admit that eating a heart-healthy diet can be challenging within the demands of our busy lives. Ill also be the first to tell you its entirely possible to do so, even when youre short on time or inexperienced in the kitchen. The slow cooker can be a lifesaver (pun intended!) when it comes to getting a meal on the table that can best support your heart-healthy lifestyle.

When I got married in 2009, my cooking experience was limited to what I had used to survive through collegea jar of marinara heated on the stove top with a ton of vegetables thrown in, served over a bed of whole-wheat pasta. Although my passion for nutrition had been set in motion, it was those early days of marriage that developed my love for cooking. Having the knowledge and skills to put a balanced, heart-healthy meal on the table for my husband and myself was important to me. I had forever struggled with my weight and knew my family had a long history of heart disease, so eating a heart-healthy diet that limited sodium and saturated fat while including generous amounts of fiber was my priority. Beyond the healthiness of the meal, I also knew I had to create food that tasted amazing. If your food is uninspiring and tasteless, your heart-healthy efforts will be short-lived.

A slow cooker is the ideal appliance for preparing heart-healthy food. The low-and-slow cooking method promotes taste and texture without added fat or salt. When my clients start using their slow cookers to prepare simple recipes, they quickly realize how easy improving their diet can be. Thats the best part of being a dietitianhelping people experience that lightbulb moment when they recognize that creating easy meals at home can keep them healthy and still allow them to enjoy their meals.

Today, I also have little mouths to feed. Two of them! Motherhood combined with a full-time job can leave me desperately short on time. Ive become more reliant than ever on my slow cooker, and in recent years have perfected the art of simple prep-and-go meals that are perfect for a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The recipes in this book were designed with the ease of the slow cooker in mind. You wont find mandatory precooking requirements in here; just prep everything and throw it in the slow cooker. And most main dishes cook for 8 hours, ensuring that you can go to work and come home to dinner. Its my hope that these recipes will help you maintain your diet and health, and live your best life.

When we give consideration to not just eating but also eating healthily, we are often left with more questions than answers. Whats a heart-healthy diet, anyway? What should we eat to combat or prevent heart disease?