5 Healthy Fall Recipes That Are a Must-Try!
Do you love all things fall, pumpkin spice, and cozy nice? Have you been on the lookout for healthy fall recipes that are not only perfect for welcoming the fall weather, but also don’t damage your hard-earned weight loss progress? Well, you’ve come looking in the right place!
Listed below are some healthy fall recipes that you can make at home to give you the healthful benefits of the autumn produce, minus the artificial flavors and concentrated sugars that may be present in store-bought foods.
But, before we discuss the healthy fall recipes for weight loss and wellness, let’s first take a look at what is not considered as a healthy fall recipe.
What is NOT a Healthy Fall Recipe?
Ahhh…Fall! The leaves are changing into spirited colors and you’re changing your kitchen ingredients to make more cozy, vibrant recipes that bring the warmth of the season to your home.
But, sometimes the ingredients we’re using in these seasonal recipes aren’t doing much good for our health and weight loss journey. So, what constitutes an unhealthy fall recipe? It’s all of those artificial flavors, concentrated sugars, refined/processed foods, and added preservatives that are making your seasonal recipes unhealthy and damaging to your weight loss goals.
Remember, the acronym C.R.A.P. to help you place your fall recipes in both Healthy and Unhealthy categories. C.R.A.P. stands for Concentrated sugars, Refined carbohydrates, Artificial flavors/colors, and Preservatives. In other words, if you’re overly consuming pastries and pies that include processed and artificial ingredients, then you may be, unintentionally, contributing to your poor gut health and stubborn weight gain.
Therefore, aim to make homemade healthy fall recipes using non-artificial wholesome foods, flavors, and spices that provide all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your body to improve your gut health and help support your weight management efforts.
What are Some Hearty, Healthy Fall Recipes?
Now that we know what types of ingredients don’t make up healthy fall recipes, let’s take a look at some recipes that include wholesome, hearty ingredients that make these seasonal recipes perfect for your overall wellness and weight loss journey:
Chickpea, Butternut Squash, and Corn Soup
If you’re looking to add more plant-based protein into your healthy fall recipes and your diet, then this Chickpea, Butternut Squash, and Corn Soup is a must-try!
Chickpeas are high in protein and fiber, and are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals that all help to improve your digestion, reduce inflammation, and aid you in your weight management.
Butternut squash also has a lot of health benefits since it’s considered a nutrient-dense fruit. It’s especially included in fall and winter recipes, because it’s high in antioxidants that boost your immunity; this helps fight off infections and illnesses that are present in the environment during the colder months.
In fact, butternut squash is known to be rich in fiber and good carbohydrates that promote satiety (which helps in weight loss) and provide you with energy to sustain your body in the fall and winter months. These good carbohydrates are also responsible for promoting the growth of good bacteria in your gut and regulating your bowel movements.
Add corn into this mixture of healthful benefits, and you’ve just created a soup that is all about boosting your wellness. This is because corn is a healthy grain that contains fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants, which all work to promote your digestive and overall health.
Quinoa and Roasted Sweet Potato Jar Salad
Have you been spending your autumn evenings scrolling and googling “healthy fall recipes dinner” without much luck in the weight loss category? Then, this Quinoa and Roasted Sweet Potato Jar Salad is definitely for you!
This gut-healthy recipe can be categorized amongst those easy fall recipes that are perfect for those busy weeknights. Plus, it helps you stay on track for weight loss. How, you ask?
Quinoa is a gluten-free, fiber-rich grain that is known to help with weight loss since it keeps you feeling full for longer. In fact, studies have shown that quinoa can help regulate your blood sugar levels, and it’s also a great source of essential nutrients like folate, magnesium, zinc, and iron.
To add to this, roasted sweet potato not only adds a sweet flavor to this salad, but also delivers several other benefits. Sweet potato is a nutrient-dense food that aids in helping you manage your weight, and it’s also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of antioxidants that promote your immunity, gut health, and may even help fight against some cancers (according to some studies).
Moreover, this recipe includes a maple dijon dressing that is flavorful, rich in healthy fats and antioxidants, and is extremely versatile, so you can feel free to include this dressing in many other healthy fall recipes.
To top it off, this is one of the healthy fall recipes that is perfectly meal-prep friendly. So, you can prepare this salad, in advance, for upcoming week lunches or dinners and be assured that it’s both healthy and weight loss friendly without the extensive cooking everyday.
Vanilla-Cinnamon Granola
Want your breakfast to smell and taste like a bowl of Fall? Then, you must make this Naturally-Sweetened, Vanilla Cinnamon Granola to effectively fulfill your mission of making delicious and healthy fall recipes at home!
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This recipe contains all the healthful goodness of rolled oats, coconut flakes, and nuts and seeds along with the delicious additions of vanilla and cinnamon. Both the rolled oats and the nuts and seeds in this recipe contain healthy fats that provide you with a boost of energy to start your morning right.
In addition, unlike store bought granola, this homemade granola is naturally sweetened by medjool dates, so you’re not getting the fattening and damaging effects of refined sugar. Dates are enriched with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants; they support brain function and are also able to prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels (something that occurs often when you have refined sugar).
Both cinnamon and vanilla not only give this recipe its sensory appeal, but also provide anti-inflammatory benefits to your body.
In fact, studies have shown how beneficial cinnamon can be because of its antioxidant properties. It’s able to help improve insulin sensitivity, balance your blood sugar levels, boost your immunity, and protect you against heart disease. All of these benefits make cinnamon a great spice to add into your food especially during the flu season to ensure that your body is able to fight off infections.
Baked Chickpea, Peanut, and Spinach Curry
Finding the motivation to make healthy fall recipes at home can be a challenge, especially if you’re not a fan of extensive cooking and the exhaustive clean-up afterwards. Why not try a recipe, then, that you could pop in the oven and watch it come together in one pan without much effort?
Try making this divine Baked Chickpea, Peanut, and Spinach Curry that tastes like a burst of flavor in your mouth without costing you a lot of time and effort!
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The ingredients in this recipe not only make it perfect for the fall weather, but they are also weight loss friendly, so you can be sure to enjoy it without the guilt. As mentioned earlier, chickpeas are enriched with protein and fiber, and are great for keeping you full for longer (this prevents snacking).
Additionally, peanut butter adds those heart-healthy fats to this easy fall recipe to keep you energized throughout the day, and also helps balance your blood sugar levels to prevent spikes. This ensures that you can continue your weight loss regimes without having to experience those progress-halting energy declines throughout the day.
This curry also includes spinach that is full of essential nutrients like iron and magnesium to support your digestive and overall health. And the added spices not only add the perfect blend of flavor, but also provide anti-inflammatory benefits that give this fall recipe an extra boost of health!
Holiday Charcuterie with Pumpkin Dip
Nothing says Holiday better than a charcuterie board, and nothing says charcuterie board better than a homemade, seasonal dip!
If you’ve been searching for healthy fall recipes to incorporate into the holiday season, then this recipe is your calling. Try making this savory and sweet, Holiday Charcuterie with White Bean Pumpkin Dip!
The charcuterie board can be filled with fruits, veggies, nuts, whole-grain crackers, and dry fruits of your choice. This beautiful arrangement encourages you and your guests to snack on something healthier than processed foods (i.e. fried chips) during your get-togethers.
Add a delicious, homemade healthy dip and you’ll be surprised that you can’t stop eating those fruits and veggies that you dread on a daily basis. That’s why this white bean pumpkin dip is the perfect choice to pair those healthy snacks with!
White beans are enriched with copper, folate, and iron, and they also contain high amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. In other words, they are not only responsible for giving this dip its earthy flavor, but are also full of health-boosting properties. And pumpkin is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals that contribute to your immunity and overall wellness.
Pumpkins are considered as a nutrient-dense, low calorie food, which means that it provides your body with the necessary nutrients without stacking up on your calorie-intake. It is a food that promotes the feeling of being full for longer, and helps you in your weight management since it's able to curb your appetite.
Conclusion
Holidays are absolutely amazing for everyone sharing a love of seasonal food, but they also bring with them the guilt of consuming fattening foods that may be ruining all the weight loss progress that you’ve achieved in the summer months.
So, what can be done? Well, the solution lies in those seasonal ingredients! Make sure to avoid using artificial flavors and seasonings, and try to incorporate more homemade healthy fall recipes and seasonal foods in your diet.
These foods will not only bring you a taste of autumn vibrancy, but will also encourage your weight loss and wellness journey!
