Updated June 19, 2014.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

Here are a few reasons why slow cooker stew recipes are great for diabetics:

• slow cookers retain fluid so well, they require less fat (which may be needed to prevent sticking in stove-top or oven cooking)
• time that would have spent tending a stovetop dish can be reallocated to a healthy activity -- like taking a walk, or planning healthy meals for the next few days
• having a hearty, satisfying meal waiting for you at the end of a long day can deter unhealthy pre-dinner snacking and/or resorting to quick, heavily-processed, and less diabetic-friendly meal options

Our D106 low-carb, low-fat, southern food, and busy-cook Guides all have some great slow cooker recipes that are worth checking out. I selected a few stew recipes from their sites to highlight here because they stood out to me as being very diabetic-friendly -- a beef, chicken, pork, vegetarian, and fish recipe -- just to cover all the bases!

Low-Carb Beef, Pepper and Onion Stew

Low Fat Chicken, Red Wine and Mushroom Stew

Low Fat Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

Vegetarian Crockpot Chili

Crockpot Fisherman's Stew