5 Fall Recipes to Hit Your Goals

When the temps start dropping, suddenly smoothies and salads don’t seem as fun and refreshing anymore. The problem is that if these are the foods that are your mainstays for “clean” eating, it can feel like you’re not motivated to eat healthfully and hit your goals.

But the reality is that autumn calls for a different palate – and just because it’s not a salad or a smoothie doesn’t mean that you can’t hit your protein and fiber goals. Warmer, fuller, more comforting dishes seem much more inviting, and with a little thought, you can tweak them to provide just as much nutrition as your summertime favorites.

Please enjoy these delicious fall recipes to hit your goals, and let me know which one is your favorite!

Pumpkin Risotto

(4 servings)

Ingredients 

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice (or rice of choice)
• 1 lb. 93% (or leaner) ground chicken, turkey, or beef
• 1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 package low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• Salt, pepper, fennel seed, oregano, parsley to taste

Instructions

While you can make this like a classic risotto with lots and lots of stirring, I prefer to use a rice cooker and just make it a little simpler!

• Combine rice with 2 cups chicken broth, and cook in rice cooker
• Meanwhile, sauté garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with the seasonings in a hot pan with olive oil
• Add ground meat to vegetables, crumble, and brown
• Once the meat is cooked through and seasoned to taste, add the pumpkin puree and cook it down a bit over medium heat, stirring consistently
• Once the rice is done cooking, add it to the meat/pumpkin/vegetable mixture, and combine well

You can serve it with a little Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, or even fresh basil as a topping!

(If you want to make this a little lower carb/calorie, you can make half the amount of rice, and separately steam a bag of frozen cauliflower rice and then combine it when you add the rice)

Burrito Bowl

(4 servings)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice (or rice of choice)
• 1 lb. 93% (or leaner) ground chicken, turkey, or beef
• 1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt, pepper, chili powder to taste
• Fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado
• Salsa or pico de gallo

Everyone loves chili, but this is a fun take on chili that is pretty much just as easy to make!

Instructions: 

• Combine rice with two cups of water, and cook in rice cooker
• Separately, sauce the white onion and bell peppers in a hot pan with the olive oil
• Add the ground meat and crumble
• Once the meat is cooked through and seasoned to taste, add the pinto beans
• Serve the meat, beans, and veggies over the rice and top with avocado, cheddar cheese, salsa/pico, and cilantro

(Just like the Pumpkin Risotto, if you want to make this a little lower carb/calorie, you can make half the amount of rice, and separately steam a bag of frozen cauliflower rice and then combine it with the rice)

Thai Shrimp Coconut Soup

(serves 4) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. shrimp
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. red curry paste
• 1 can “lite” coconut milk
• 4 limes, two of them for juicing and two of them for garnishing
• Fresh cilantro
• Peanuts, chopped

While not exactly an autumnal classic, this soup is majorly warm and comforting, and if you love Tom Kha Goong, this is a pretty close imitation. Once I figured out how to make this, I realized I never needed to get Tom Kha Goong takeout again!

Instructions: 

• Saute the onion, zucchini, carrots, garlic, ginger, and zucchini in the coconut oil in a hot pan
• Once the veggies are softened, add the red curry paste
• After about 3 minutes of cooking and stirring, add the coconut milk and simmer for about 10 minutes
• Add the shrimp to the mixture, but watch out – they will cook fast!
• Turn off the heat and add the lime juice
• Serve topped with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced limes, and chopped peanuts

13-Bean Soup with Farro

(serves 4) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 13-Bean Soup Mix (or something very similar)
• 1 cup dry farro (or quinoa if you need to be gluten-free)
• 1 package low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. to taste

This delicious, hearty soup is a great alternative if you’re bored with chili as the go-to fall soup!

Instructions: 

• Cook the farro (or quinoa) in a rice cooker with 2 cups of chicken broth
• Meanwhile, sauté the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with salt and seasonings in a hot sauce pan
• Add the diced tomatoes and cook down a bit over high heat, stirring consistently
• Add the bean soup mix and any chicken broth (plus water) that you have left
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 2-3 hours, until all the beans are completely tender and you’ve seasoned it to taste
• Serve over the farro

Southwestern Loaded Sweet Potatoes

(serves 4) 

Ingredients: 

• 4 small/medium sweet potatoes, baked with skins on, and then sliced open lengthwise
• 1 lb. 93% (or leaner) ground chicken, turkey, or beef
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, etc. to taste
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
• Greek yogurt to use as sour cream topping
• Salsa or pico de gallo
• Lime wedges
• Green onion, minced

Instructions: 

• You can bake the sweet potatoes anytime in advance as part of your meal prep! Simply stick them with a fork a few times, and then bake them on a foil-covered pan for 45-60 minutes, or until you see the sweet juice oozing out!
• In a pan, sauté the onion and bell peppers in the olive oil with salt and seasonings
• Add the ground meat, crumble, and cook through, seasoned to taste
• Serve the meat and black beans over the sweet potatoes, topped with cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa, lime wedges, and green onion. You can even twice-bake the sweet potatoes with the meat, beans, and cheese before adding the cold toppings!

Which of these fall recipes to hit your goals is your favorite? Let me know!

And if you need help setting smart goals for this season, set up a free 30-minute consultation to talk about your lifestyle and nutrition!