Healthy Twists on Favorite Fall Comfort Foods

In this article: 

• Turn classic fall comfort foods into nutritious versions that support weight loss and health without sacrificing taste.
• Simple swaps can add whole grains, vegetables, and lean proteins while reducing calories, fat, and carbohydrates. 
• Use tricks like blending in pureed squash for added creaminess and incorporating mushrooms for a hearty texture. 
• Take a look at healthy ideas for macaroni and cheese, cabbage rolls, chili, tomato soup, and spiced apple crumble.
• Lark is available 24/7 to help you eat healthier and achieve your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1 medications.

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As the weather cools down and days get shorter, it’s common to want hearty, warming foods. Fall comfort foods can be irresistible, but they can also be high in calories, fat, and refined carbohydrates. Examples include creamy macaroni and cheese, hearty shepherd’s pie, and sweet and spicy apple pie. 

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Thankfully, simple ingredient swaps in favorite comfort food recipes can lead to big improvements in nutritional value. You can end up with more whole grains, vegetables, and fiber, while getting fewer calories and less saturated fat, sugar, and refined starch. Here are some healthy twists on favorite fall comfort foods. 

Creamy" Butternut Squash  Mac and "Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is high in calories, fat, and refined carbohydrates…until now. A few modifications can lead to a serving of vegetables, extra fiber from whole grains, and less saturated fat. You can also get a boost of beta-carotene by using pureed pumpkin or butternut squash. 

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Twists to try: Swap refined elbow pasta for whole-grain elbows or any other favorite shape of pasta. When making the cheese sauce, add pureed butternut squash or canned pumpkin puree. Reduce the amounts of milk, cream, and cheese you use, and swap low-fat cheddar for full-fat. For more vegetables, stir in cooked chopped broccoli florets or spinach leaves. For more protein, stir in low-fat cottage cheese. 

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Serve your mac and cheese from a pot, or bake it in a casserole dish for a beautiful presentation. Serve with fresh fruit or a side salad with vinaigrette dressing. 

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Here’s a recipe for lightened-up mac and cheese. 

Hearty Harvest Chili: Turkey or Vegetarian

It’s hard to think of fall comfort foods without chili coming to mind, but it can be one of the worst offenders when it comes to your waistline and heart health. Fatty ground beef or other cuts of meat can lead to a high amount of calories and saturated fat, while toppings like cheese, sour cream, and fried onions can make things worse. A few easy swaps can make chili a top food for comfort and health, while preserving flavor.

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Twists to try: Easily reduce calories and saturated fat just by swapping beef for lean ground turkey. Make sure to cook it in broth, canola oil, or olive oil instead of oil. Then add unlimited fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients with beans, extra canned tomatoes, and diced vegetables like celery, onion, and bell peppers. 

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Vegetarian chili can be hearty, delicious, and cholesterol-free. One option is to swap beef or turkey for soy or vegetable protein. Another option is to omit the beef or turkey. Just add your favorite types of beans like garbanzo, kidney, and black beans. Diced mushrooms can add more texture. 

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Serve chili with healthier choices like low-fat cheese or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. For crunch, consider 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds or cashew pieces. 

Un-Stuffed Cabbage Bowl

Stuffed cabbage leaves with beef, rice, and tomato sauce can be delicious and filling, but they can also be high-fat and time-consuming to make. Get the same textures and flavors in a more nutritious and easier form: a deconstructed “un-stuffed” cabbage bowl. 

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Twists to try: Swap ground beef for lean ground turkey, and cook the turkey in olive oil, cooking spray, or broth instead of butter. You can also use shredded cooked chicken or vegetable protein instead of beef. Make an antioxidant-rich, flavorful sauce with diced onions, canned tomatoes, and spices, and simmer brown rice and shredded or chopped cabbage in the sauce until the rice is cooked. 

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Serve your unstuffed cabbage in a bowl like soup. Top it with plain Greek yogurt. For a low-carb meal with extra fiber and healthy fats, use riced cauliflower instead of rice, and add 2-3 slices of avocado or sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of walnuts on your cabbage bowl. For a more filling meal, have a side of fresh fruit or roasted vegetables. 

Creamy Tomato Soup

It’s okay if summer’s tomato bounty is over. You can make a delicious and satisfying tomato soup with less effort when you use canned tomatoes. Making your own tomato soup instead of buying it from a store lets you avoid added sugars. You can also find creative ways to make it creamy without as many calories and as much fat as heavy cream.

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Twists to try: To make your soup creamy, add low-fat cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt. A plant-based, vegan option is to soak cashews. Pour boiling water over the cashews to submerge them, let them cool, and refrigerate overnight. Then you can puree them and add them to the soup. 

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Turn your tomato soup into a complete meal with grilled low-fat cheese on whole-wheat bread or a side salad. Fresh fruit, like sweet apple slices, is another option.

Spiced Apple Crumble with an Oatmeal Topping

You’re in luck if you have a sweet tooth or you love cinnamon in the fall! Traditional apple pie or apple crumble can be high in added sugars from the filling, and saturated fat from butter or shortening in the crust. Still, you can get your cinnamon apple fix without harming your waistline. In fact, you can use your dessert to add fiber and antioxidants to your day!

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Twists to try: When making an apple crumble, cut the usual amount of sugar that you add by half or more. You can omit it entirely if you choose sweet apples. For a healthier crust, use whole grains like whole-wheat flour and oats. Swap butter for a small amount of oil. For a low-carb option, use chopped nuts instead of a crumble topping.

Swap ice cream for two tablespoons of whipped topping to enjoy a creamy addition with 100-200 fewer calories. 

How Lark Can Help

Fall flavors can be comforting, inspiring, and perfect for keeping you on track with your goals. Lark can help you make more small changes to improve heart health, lose weight, and manage or prevent chronic conditions. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

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Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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