I chopped up a bunch of veggies which only took a few minutes and then I literally threw everything into the crock-pot! I had it as a main meal, a side dish, and for lunch I added in chicken for extra protein! You can definitely swap in different veggies too. I made this recipe mild but it would be great with some chopped up jalapenos or a few splashes of hot sauce!

SUPER HEALTHY VEGGIE CHILI

Ingredients:

3 small zucchini

½ red bell pepper, ½ orange bell pepper, ½ yellow bell pepper

1 medium onion

1 can petite diced tomatoes

2 tsp cumin

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 can beans (your choice I used chickpeas)

1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup water

2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

Toppings: Cheddar Cheese, jalapenos, avocado, salsa

Directions: Chop up veggies, throw everything in the crock-pot for 3-4 hours on high. Serve in a bowl with toppings. (This chili would be great over rice or quinoa)

A little cheddar cheese and avocado on top was a must for me!

There’s only one slice of meatloaf pictured on my plate but I had seconds! We have also been cleaning out the grocery store on sweet potatoes, I am slightly obsessed lately.

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

½ package of sliced mushrooms

¼ cup diced red peppers

½ medium onion

1 egg

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ breadcrumbs

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In a medium size pan sauté the veggies with olive oil for 5 minutes. Let cool. In a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Once the veggies are cool, add them to the bowl and mix.  Spray a loaf pan with baking spray and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Does anyone else LOVE sweet potatoes?

My chili has tons of veggies and it is made with lean ground beef so it is super nutritious and low fat! I made it right on the stove top, but you could even throw it all into the Crock-pot and let it cook while you are at work! Who wouldn’t love to come home to a cooked dinner!

PALEO LEAN BEEF CHILI W/ BUTTERNUT SQUASH

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

1lb lean ground beef (I used trader Joes 94%)

1 1/2 cups frozen butternut squash chunks

1 onion

1 red pepper chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup frozen chopped kale

1 tbsp chili powder

1 bay leave

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp crushed red peper (optional)

¼ tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Turn stove on to medium heat. In a large pan saute peppers & onions with olive oil.

Add in the ground beef and cook about 10 minutes making sure to break up the beef.

Add in the diced tomatoes, kale, and seasonings. Mix well and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Add in butternut squash and mix again. Turn heat to low and cook another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with brown rice or baked tortilla chips!

Toppings Avocados, jalapeno, light sour cream, olives, reduced fat cheese

***Check out my Fall Turkey Chili recipe if you don’t like ground beef***

I served mine over some brown rice but it would be great with mashed potatoes or a baked potato!

PORK MARSALA

ingredients:

4 boneless pork loins (about 4oz each)

1 8oz package of sliced mushrooms

1 small onion chopped

6 tablespoons of flour (I used white, only because we ran out of wheat flour)

1/4 cup marsala wine

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour. Place pork chops in pan and brown for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pork and set aside on a dish. Add onions & mushrooms and saute until brown. Add flour & oregano too the pan and mix. Add in chicken broth and marsala wine and stir until sauce is smooth, bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for 3 minutes. Add Pork chops back to pan for 2 minutes, sprinkle with salt & pepper and Serve!

SKINNY PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 1 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you like the spice add a little more)

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp canned pumpkin (mine were heaping tablespoons!)

Chocolate chips ¼ cup (optional) I made some with chocolate chips and some without.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients except for the sugars. Mix well. In a separate bowl mix the butter and sugars until combined. Add in egg whites, pumpkin, and vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients and stir well. (Optional add in chocolate chips)

On a non-stick baking sheet drop about 1 tbsp of dough until you have 16 cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Makes 16 cookies

About 80 calories per cookie, 1.9g fat, 13.8g carb, 0.8g fiber, 1.8g protein

I added some frozen butternut squash which added the perfect amount of sweetness! I am a big fan of chili especially with lots of veggies and for those of you who don’t like beans, it’s bean free!

I served my chili with a little cheese and a baked sweet potato on the side.  Believe it or not the chili was quite tasty served over the potato which was not part of my plan!

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey 93%

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion

1/2 container of sliced baby bella mushrooms

1/3 cup of tomato sauce (I used jarred tomato & basil)

3/4 cup frozen spinach or double if you are using fresh

3/4 cup frozen butternut squash (not pureed, chunked)

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp parika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saute pan, brown the turkey meat. Remove from the pan and add in oil then the onions and mushrooms an saute veggies until soft. Add the turkey back to the pan, add in tomato sauce and seasonings and mix well. Add in remaining veggies and mix. Cook on low for 20 minutes or until it’s time to serve!

Optional toppings: sliced jalapenos, cheddar cheese, light sour cream or greek yogurt for some creaminess!

Cooper loves the Fall too.. It is very difficult to keep him away from the leaf piles!

This is a basic recipe that you can roast in the oven and decide how you want to serve it after it’s cooked. Sometimes I opt for spaghetti squash plain with some light butter or olive oil, but you can always add some parmesan cheese or serve it like pasta with sauce and meatballs! Yum.

The options are endless! What’s even better about this delicious squash it nutritional value… it has tons of vitamins and is low in calories & carbs! Check out how simple this is…

Ingredients:

1 medium Spaghetti Squash

Salt & Pepper

BEFORE

AFTER

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in 1/2 (long ways). Add salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet with the cut side up and roast for 1 hour.   Take a fork and scrape the squash from the skin. It should look like spaghetti as you pull it apart! Place in a bowl and add whatever toppings you prefer!

looks similar to Spaghetti

Serves about 4: 1 cup servings, approximately 31 calories and 7g carbs (not including toppings or oil/butter)

Get creative with Toppings: Parmesan cheese, olive oil, butter, pasta sauce, ground beef/turkey with peppers and onions, chili, meatballs, etc)

This bread is great topped with a little light butter or peanut butter to amp up the protein!

The flavor is light on the pumpkin spice so if you prefer it to have more of that pumpkin flavor add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of 1!

HEALTHY PUMPKIN BREAD

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can)

1 egg

2 tsp vegetable oil

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup water

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1-cup whole-wheat flour

¾ cup white flour

1-teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1-teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional, I use it because I love cinnamon)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9X5 Loaf pan with baking spray.  In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices and mix well.

In a large bowl mix eggs, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Add flour mixture and mix until combined.

All the ingredients combined together

Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Yes I added chocolate chips on top, doesn’t it look much prettier??!!!

Check with a toothpick before removing from the oven to make sure the middle is cooked.

Let cool for 10 minutes and Enjoy!

Serves 8: Per slice approximately 180 calories, 2g fat, 1.5g fiber, 4.3g protein

(The chocolate chips are not included in the nutrition facts)

If you don’t have any of the vegetables that are listed in your fridge you can always substitute! This is a simple recipe that makes a ton and can feed a whole family or makes great leftovers for the week.

Healthy Chicken & Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts (about 1.25lb)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped kale

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup organic low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons any jarred marinara sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Fill a large pot with about 6-8 cups of water, place chicken breasts in the pot and boil for 30 minutes. Scoop out any chicken fat from the top of the pot. Add in remaining ingredients (veggies & seasonings). Boil for 30 minutes and then remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork. Return chicken to the pot and continue cooking on medium heat for 30 minutes. Serve hot in a bowl and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese!

Serves 6, per serving approximately 195 calories, 4g fat, 8g carb, 2.2g fiber, 32g protein

Optional: Cook up and type of small pasta or noodles and cook separately. Serve the soup over the noodles.