Healthy Fall Recipes

When weather gets colder, I crave fall comfort food. Unfortunately, not all of it is kind on the waistline. I mean seriously Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte has almost 50 grams of sugar! So, I’ve complied 3 of my favorite fall recipes that should satisfy both your palette and your diet.

I really like this super-simple recipe as a great alternative to all those pumpkin flavored baked goods you see this time of year. Don’t worry about the lack of eggs, water, or oil; the batter is supposed to be thick.

Punk-in’ Mini Muffins

By Jenn Walters, co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls via Fitsugar

Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin (plain, don’t use pumpkin-pie filling)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a regular box of spice cake mix and mix well with the can of pumpkin. Divide the batter evenly between 24 mini-muffins and spoon into a mini-muffin tin that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 13 minutes.

This is a great hearty, vegetarian recipe for when it gets chilly. Feel free to replace the pumpkin with any type of squash you have available.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

By Tiffany Tse of Shape Magazine
Ingredients:
1 c. pumpkin, roasted and diced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 c. tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 c. corn
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. ground coriander
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, add the oil, pumpkin, onion, corn, carrots, tomatoes and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft, then add coriander, salt and pepper. Stir in black beans and pumpkin. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the mixture is soft.

Sweet potatoes are great for you. They’re high in vitamins B6, D, C as well as iron, potassium, and magnesium.

This is a holiday favorite in my house. This dish blends sweet and spicy, soft and crunch to fully satisfy even the most discriminating palate.

Though there is maple syrup in this recipe, you can make it healthier with a few simple replacements if you want. Replace the vegetable oil with the same amount of olive oil. You can also substitute Smart Balance for the unsalted butter.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Spiced Maple Sauce

By Aida Mollenkamp via Food Network

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into large dice
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange rack in the middle.

While oven heats, place pecans on a baking sheet to toast until they smell nutty and are slightly darker, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. (I will often roast these in my toaster oven).

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Roast until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, stir in maple syrup and cayenne and let cook briefly, about 1 minute. Serve sweet potatoes with a drizzle of maple butter and a scattering of pecans.