This hearty soup is a hit in my home. It is easy and inexpensive to prepare, and is as healthy as it is tasty. The great thing about this soup is you can make excellent use of left over vegetables with it.

Easy and healthy recipes like this are perfect for those who are on the go. You can prepare everything ahead of time, and then let the crockpot do the rest as you take care of your business. Healthy foods do not have to be difficult or time consuming to prepare. Nor do they have to cost you a lot of money.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound 85/15 ground beef
• 3 fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup green beans
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup long and wild grain rice
• 14 ounces of beef broth
• 2 1/2 stalks celery
• 1/2 medium onion

1. Brown the ground beef, then drain off the fat in a colander. Rinse the ground beef to remove any residual fat. Place in crockpot.
2. Dice tomatoes, and add to crockpot with remaining ingredients.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook on high in crockpot for 6 hours.

This recipe makes 12 servings for 78 calories, 7.7g carbs, 3.1g fat, and 5.3g protein