When fall rolls around, many of us crave certain foods and flavors that seem to go hand in hand with the season. From pumpkin-spiced everything and sweet treats brimming with apples and cinnamon to cozy casseroles, savory soups and stick-to-your-ribs stews, popular fall foods can make or break a healthy diet.

The good news is that when you make your favorite fall foods at home, you can control the ingredients. So no matter what you’re in the mood for, there’s usually a way to make it healthier. Here are a few ways to enjoy some of the most crave-worthy foods of the season without it doing damage to your healthy diet:

• Pumpkin – Of course, you can’t think of fall foods without including pumpkin. But did you know that pumpkin is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber? From pumpkin pie to pumpkin soup, adding this brightly-hued fruit (yes, it’s a fruit because it has seeds!) to your diet can be very healthy. That is, as long as you don’t add too much sugar and butter to the mix! When it comes to pumpkin-spiced anything, remember that pumpkin spice is simply a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. There’s nothing unhealthy about that, as long as you don’t combine the spice mix with too much sugar, as is often the case in pumpkin-spiced drinks and treats from your favorite coffee shop.
• Apples – There’s nothing like biting into a crispy, juicy apple that’s just been picked off the tree. Apples are delicious on their own but also find their way into many indulgent sweet treats, such as pies and crumbles. If apple pie is calling your name, there are ways to make it healthier by using less butter or shortening and reducing the amount of sugar. Instead of a sugar-laden caramel-covered apple, why not slice up some apples and drizzle with caramel, peanut butter or chocolate for a fun snack with a touch of sweetness and fewer calories?
• Casseroles, soups and stews – Craving comfort food as the weather starts to chill? Soups, stews and casseroles can warm you up and drum up reminders of cozy days spent indoors. The good news is that many of these one-pot or one-pan meals are healthier than you think. To make these fall favorites better for you, use lean meats, add lots of vegetables and limit the amount of fat that’s added to the dish. Also watch out for the sodium, which can be high in ingredients such as canned broth or tomatoes.
• Other fall favorites – The beauty of the most popular fall foods is that many of them are very healthy, as long as you don’t doctor them up with too many ingredients that can make the amount of fat, sugar, sodium or calories in a dish skyrocket. Popular fall foods are often plant-based because that’s when they’re harvested. In addition to pumpkin and apples, enjoy fall produce at the peak of freshness, such as pears, figs, pomegranates, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts and dark leafy greens. These foods fit seamlessly into a healthy diet and deliver hearty goodness you can look forward to savoring at this time of year.

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