Nowadays, with seemingly everybody on the run, finding a way to enjoy healthy, easy meals with family is becoming more and more difficult.

But a program at Hy-Vee, run by Chef Kristine Wolner and registered dietitian Courtney Kremer, is helping people create that opportunity using the very idea of kitchen convenience — the crockpot.

Simple Fix is a program where Wolner and Kremer show people not only how to prepare meals for cooking in the crockpot, but how to do the simple things like cutting vegetables and preparation.

“The crockpot — it’s midwest, it’s winter time,” Wolner said before one of the classes last week. “What’s better than coming into a warm house with a good smell.”

In the most recent class, three people took part in a class that features preparations as the major aim. Both Wolner and Kremer took them through the six recipes they prepared, placing each of the recipe ingredients in plastic bags for meals later at their homes.

“This is a very easy way to get a warm, nutritous meal to the table,” Kremer said.

The program came into being two years ago when Wolner and then-dietitian Jena Pape came up with the idea.

The idea was very straight forward: Easy meals that anybody could make using the crockpot that would provide ample portions and yet be healthy at the same time.

“People could still have their meat and potatoes and still be healthy,” Wolner said.

A class starts with an intro to the meals they will be cooking and how the class will progress. Wolner and Kremer go through the recipes, highlighting how they will progress with Wolner usually handling the cutting portion while Kremer deals with the meal, canned foods and seasoning.

From there it’s just the process of preparing each recipe.

Erica Nelson has taken around four classes and with her and her husband’s first child on the way, Simple Fix has played a big part in helping Nelson start thinking about food and meal preparation.

“One hundred percent is the time issue,” Nelson said. “It’s great that you also get the recipes. They’re healthy and the benefits have been tremendous.”

“It’s the opportunity to make multiple meals at one sitting,” she added.

The other big part that makes Simple Fix a nice concept for people is how healthy each meal is.

“A lot of these recipes don’t have salt and pepper,” Kremer said. “We keep them low sodium and that keeps them on the healthy side.”

Simple Fix is more than just the cooking though. The versatility of the crockpot allows not just for simple meals but for an increased social aspect of food, such as spending more time  with family.

“Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore,” Nelson said. “It can be a good social activity.”

Both Wolner and Kremer recognized this aspect and actively promote the social side by talking and joking with each person as the food prep continues through the hour and a half- to two hour class.

“It’s not just a come in and cook class,” Wolner said. “It’s a chance to socialize.”

That socialization carries over to the home where these meals create that necessary time for families.

“The class lives up to that level of making lives easier, happier and healthier,” Kremer said.

“It helps free up a little time,” Wolner added.

Each class costs $88 with participants taking six prepared meals home at the end, ready to simply be placed in the crockpot.

“It’s just one more thing they don’t have to worry about,” Kremer said.

For more information contact Courtney Kremer by calling the Austin Hy-Vee at 1-507-437-7625 or by email at ckremer@hy-vee.com