This amazing article on healthy fall recipes was written by Nicole, a holistic nutritionist with a strong belief that it is possible for everyone to discover how good their body is designed to feel. Nicole works in partnership with her clients to achieve a lifestyle that is both balanced, fulfilling and nourishing. Go check out her fantastic blog with healthy recipes, or follow her on Facebook!
As we enter our coldest seasons, it’s natural for our eating habits and meal planning ideas to change a little.
Who’d be down for a nice bowl of creamy stew, chili or homemade mac and cheese right now?
Comfort foods such as these are typically energy-dense, thanks to the inclusion of many grains and animal products. These foods give us a distinctive sense of satisfaction and tie in with an emotional memory in a form of nostalgic eating [1].
But while we may love the feeling of a comforting meal, these meals don’t always love us back. Heavy, nutrient-dense ingredients usually add up in calories – and rather quickly, too, for some of us.
Still, you should be able to enjoy some of your favourite classics, so bring some classics back to your kitchen table with these 28 Healthy Fall Recipes for Your Favourite Comfort Foods. These are nutritionist-developed, wholesome, clean-eating options that will leave you feeling more than content – and are guaranteed to love you back.
28 Healthy Fall Recipes for Your Favourite Comfort Foods
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte
Meet the ‘kind’ pumpkin spiced latte. Made with whole-food ingredients, and none of the artificial preservatives and additives. This healthified drink is naturally sweetened, made with actual pumpkin. It’s vegan, too.
Turmeric Latte
Fall in love with more than pumpkin spice lattes this fall. Try a vegan, anti-inflammatory latte, packed with phytonutrient powers of fresh turmeric roots (learn more about turmeric here).
Savory Oatmeal Bowl
Looking for sugar free recipes to start your morning right? This high-fibre breakfast is perfect for fall (and all!). Oats are such a versatile grain, we often associate them with sweet pairings, but it’s time to wander into the realm of savory oats. Your taste buds will thank you!
Morning Glory Oats
This deluxe oatmeal is complete with shredded carrot, sprouted buckwheat, medjool dates, goji berries and chia seeds. Sweetened with maple syrup, this comforting vegan recipe is guaranteed to satisfy your cravings and keep you satiated all morning.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Porridge
Grain-free porridge anyone? This paleo/vegan oatmeal alternative uses sweet potato as its base. With the addition of other superfoods, this recipe will be sure to power-up your morning!
Gingerbread Pancakes
Get festive with gingerbread pancakes! These are made with sprouted spelt flour and utilize blackstrap molasses, true cinnamon, fresh ginger, pure vanilla and nutmeg to get your holiday spirit all fired-up! Need gluten free recipes instead? Substitute in your favourite gluten-free flour blend instead of spelt!
Crispy Cassava Blender Waffles
Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Nothing says delicious, fun-to-chew cassava waffles are also grain-free, dairy-free and totally paleo!
Yum Yum’s Breakfast Cookies
Cookies for breakfast? You’re not breaking any rules with these! Paleo, gluten-free and vegan, these treats are filled with all the wholesome goodies, from sesame seeds, sunflower seed butter, cacao nibs, and emp hearts to coconut. Yum yum is right!
Hearty (Chicken) Caesar Salad
A healthy twist on a total classic. Chicken is optional. You’re going to love this cashew based caesar dressing, and the chickpea croutons are a delight! Naturally gluten-free and you can totally substitute or eliminate the chicken entirely to make this vegan!
Quinoa Cranberry and Butternut Squash Salad
If you’re looking for filling gluten free recipes, look no further. This is a true healthy comfort-bowl at its finest. This vegan salad is the perfect way to welcome fall. Leftovers are also ah-mazing!
Chicken & Sweet Potato Cutlets
Based off of a traditional Pakistani dish, these flavourful chicken cutlets make for a simple protein-packed snack or side dish! You can add them to a salad, a wrap, or enjoy as is. A great option to tide you over until your next meal, they’re also a perfect freezer staple – it just takes 5-10 minutes to heat them up on the stove.
Tempeh Shepherd’s Pie
This vegan version is almost better than the real thing! Marinated tempeh with all the classic shepherd’s pie fixings (besides the beef), a layer of herbal parsnip mash and optional vegan shiitake gravy to top it off. Sure to impress vegans and meat-lovers alike!
Kimchi Fries
Root vegetable fries, vegan butternut squash ‘cheese’ sauce, avocado, seared tempeh and kimchi? This is like a healthified poutine that you will love you (and your microbiome) back. One of the best dairy free recipes around!
Butternut Macaroni
This vegan mac and cheese utilizes the most mouthwatering (and versatile) butternut squash ‘cheese’ sauce. Choose your base of spiralized vegetable noodles, ancient grain pasta, sprouted grain pasta or a gluten-free option. Stir in some leafy greens for added body-loving benefits.
Grass-Fed Beef/Tempeh Chili
This dish could so take first place in a chili cook off. Use grass-fed beef for its omega-3, B12, heme-iron, fat-soluble vitamin and conjugated linoleic acid content (read more on grass-fed beef here) OR go plant-based and make it tempeh! Either way, this flavourful recipe is a sure competition for the classic version.
Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Soup
This super creamy potato and broccoli soup just hits the darn spot. Complete with sourdough croutons and microgreens, this healthified soup is a total fall staple.
Lemon Turmeric Rice with Paleo Naan Bread
Up for some spicy dairy free recipes? Choose between regular rice or cauliflower rice as your base and enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric and its other spice friends. Eating this dish is even more enjoyable with the super simple 3-ingredient paleo naan bread.
Hemp Crusted Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders are a nostalgic meal for most. Feel good about what you’re eating with this recipe! Not only is this recipe a total hit for the whole family, but they’re also naturally grain-free!
Paleo Chicken Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Rice
Need a healthy and comforting dinner in a pinch? Try these sugar free recipes for a super simple stir-fry and cauliflower rice! Make it vegan by subbing the chicken for your favourite plant-based protein option.
Hemp Crusted Salmon
So much omega-3 goodness! This Hemp Crusted Salmon can be on the table in less than 30-minutes and it pairs wonderfully with this Shredded Kale and Cranberry Salad.
Vegan Burrito Bowl
Rich in fibre, colour and flavour. This simple burrito bowl is totally plant-based and does not lack in comfort-feels!
Yeast-Free Rustic Spelt Crust Pizza
A perfect compromise for a healthier pizza. Made with a yeast-free sprouted spelt crust – just add your favourite toppings, bake and enjoy!
Sweet Apple Crumble
This light apple crumble is crust free and contains less than 10-ingredients (spices included!). Use gluten-free oats as needed. (Also, find out which apples are the healthiest here)
Chewy Matcha Coconut Cookies
Cookies with gut-healing benefits? This ‘sweet’ recipe uses grass-fed gelatin to provide an irresistibly chewy texture for these paleo cookies – gelatin also has benefits for Better Digestion.
Paleo Lemon Zinger
Lemon treats are some of the best treats in existence. If you agree, you’ve got to try this zesty Paleo Lemon Zinger.
Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Loaf
This loaf is just simply divine and many substitutions can be made! Replace the eggs with a flax or chia egg and use your favourite gluten-free flour instead of sprouted spelt flour. However you make it, this loaf is sure to impress. Did I mention it is a hidden source of vegetables?
Golden Milk Turmeric Chia Seed Pudding
Meet the queen of chia puddings. Ready in just 15-minutes, this chia seed pudding is made with a base of Golden (Turmeric) Milk and is served warm (the secret to its quickness). Super high-fibre, vegan, gluten-free and anti-inflammatory benefits for all!
Paleo Ginger Snaps
These little snaps are a quick and easy festive-themed cookie. Made with minimal whole-food ingredients, get into the holiday spirit with some paleo ginger snaps!
