Like any good basic girl should, I love fall. It’s such a comforting time of year. I get to wear more leggings and big sweaters. Who doesn’t love a good latte in the fall? (Fall isn’t just pumpkin spice latte season, it’s all latte season!) My boyfriend is also happier because it’s football season. Don’t get me started about beautiful fall hikes where leaves are changing into glorious shades of red, orange, and yellow. One of my favorite parts of fall is the food! Fall food is like a big hug. It is so hearty.
Since my love for fall foods is so great, I have round up the best healthy fall dinner recipes on Pinterest. I chose dinner because I am the queen of leftovers for lunch. Why would I want to spent $8 for a boring sandwich or $15 for a bland salad when I can have my delicious leftovers? What is also awesome for you, is that all of these recipes stay really good as leftovers. I know this because I have personally made all of these meals. I can also vouch that they are all delicious!
Most of these are paleo friendly because that I how I usually eat. I also have a vegan and a pescatarian recipe in the round up is well. Even though these recipes are healthy, they pack a lot of flavor.
The 9 Best Healthy Fall Dinner Recipes:
Sweet Potato & Bison Shepherd’s Pie
First, we have a yummy bison shepherd’s pie. I love bison because it tastes like ground beef but leaner. However, it is a bit more expensive so I also make this recipe with grass-fed ground beef or ground turkey.
You can also sub out the sweet potato for parsnips if you are following the SCD (Simple Carbohydrate Diet). Just google mashed parsnips to learn how to mash them. I have made this both ways and it is great. Once secret for the mashed parsnips…add 2 tbsp of horseradish to it. The horseradish gives it a great kick.
Creamy French Lentils With Mushrooms and Kale
Next, we have a delicious vegan lentil soup. I’ve made this meal the original vegan way and non-vegan by adding meat. Both ways are delicious. You definitely don’t need to add meat to this one because it is super filling. I added venison during the step where you saute the shallots so if you want to add meat, do it then. I also added extra kale, because why not? If you are sensitive to legumes, I recommend soaking the lentils for a few hours before using. You can find soaking instructions easily via Google.
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Slow Cooker Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Next we have a slow cooker chicken curry. I love, love, love slow cooker recipes. Do the prep in the morning and come to an apartment smelling like heaven. If you don’t have a slow cooker, I highly recommend this one. It’s the one I have and it is reasonably priced.
Slow Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry
The boyfriend and I love curry so sorry for the double curry recipes but it was a must. I also love easy slow cooker meals. This one has pumpkin as it secret ingredient which I was a little hesitant about but it turned out phenomenal. Just make sure you pay attention to the type of pumpkin you are buying. You don’t want the ones you carve. Like with most of the recipes I cook from other websites, I doubled the spinach.
Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale and Tomato Cream
This butternut squash sausage bake is a staple in my house. It is also super easy to make and who doesn’t love easy recipes?
It gets its creamy flavor from coconut milk so all my dairy free people can rejoice in its creamy deliciousness. I also like to double the kale on this one for an extra health kick. If you want lots of leftovers, double the recipes and use a large casserole dish like this one. I like it because it has a cover so I don’t have to put the leftovers in a new container.
Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash and Garlic Kale
For all you pescatarians out there who want a hearty meal, this one’s for you. Although it says to use bacon fat, I don’t keep that lying around so I subbed out both olive oil and butter on different occasions and either way tastes great. Feel free to use less cheese than they suggest to make it a little lighter. It still tastes good with less especially using a sharp cheese.
World’s Best Chili (aka Bill’s Chili)
Obviously chili made the list. It’s a football staple at my house. I don’t know who Bill is but he makes a mean chili. Bill, wherever you are, my taste buds thank you.
To keep this one light, make sure you limit yourself on tortilla chips or rice if you want to have them with the chili. I usually eat this one without any rice, even cauliflower rice, because it was so filling. Instead of packaged processed shredded cheese, I shred some fresh aged cheddar on top, about 2 tbsp per serving.
Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Sausage, broccoli rabe, and gnocchi can do no wrong together, especially when you combine red pepper flakes and some parmesan cheese. I swear in another life I was more Italian than the 5% my DNA test claims I am.
Healthy Chicken Soup with Kale
Of course, last but not least, I had to include a chicken soup recipe – it is flu season! I love this recipe because of the healing properties of the broth, ginger, and kale. Some change ups I have made to this recipe include subbing chicken breast for chicken thighs (more flavor), using bone broth instead of regular broth (your skin will thank you for the collagen), adding mixed mushrooms (mushrooms are insanely good for the body), and adding a diced jalapeno for some kick (clear the sinuses baby!). I would also recommend doubling the recipe so you can freeze the leftovers.
Let me know what you think of the recipes below or if you have any other clean eating fall recipes!
Eliza B.
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