5 Easy and Healthy Fall Recipes That Won’t Cause Bloat

What Causes Bloat?

Bloating is a common problem typically caused by overeating or eating too much of certain foods—mainly those high in fat or sugar (or artificial sweeteners) as well as lactose.

If you frequently feel bloated after eating, it is likely due to the foods you are eating or an underlying digestive issue. Bloating occurs when there is a build up of excess gas in the GI tract, resulting in a feeling of fullness, tightness, or even pain, and sometimes visible distention of the abdomen. This impacts your day to day functioning as well as your overall health and wellness.

Banish Bloat With These 5 Healthy Fall Recipes

Dietary and lifestyle changes, such as eating the foods described below and cutting out the bad stuff, eating slower and smaller more frequent meals, chewing well, and staying active are all ways to combat bloat.

Now without further ado, let’s jump into five delicious, easy, and healthy fall recipes you can try today that won’t cause bloat.

1. Sweet Potato Falafel

High in protein and healthy fats but low in carbs, this delicious meal is the perfect comfort food for fitness buffs. Try this dish out if you’re cutting down on carbs but still want to satisfy your craving for a sweet, salty potato dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 peeled sweet potato, cubed and cooked
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 2 cups cilantro, washed and stemless
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. coriander

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Once preheated, spread the potato cubes out on the baking sheet and bake for around 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
3. Allow the potatoes to cool, then place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they form a smooth, rich blend. It might take five minutes to achieve a truly smooth, lump-free texture.
4. Then, scoop out a small mixture and form it into a ball in the palm of your hand. Each falafel ball should be about the size of one small lemon. Remember to wash your hands!
5. Next, take a large skillet, coat it in olive oil, and place over medium heat.
6. Once the oil sizzles, proceed to cook the falafel balls for about three to five minutes on each side until they form a golden brown color.
7. Place the cooked falafel balls on a plate lined with paper towels to dry out the excess oil.
8. Continue cooking the patties.
9. These are best served fresh from the pan, but you can store them in the freezer for about seven days.

2. Vegan Pumpkin-Flavored Oatmeal Cookies

This season, treat yourself to one of the best pumpkin pastry vegan fall recipes! Each bite of this pumpkin-flavored oatmeal cookie will send your tastebuds to heaven while gently massaging the insides of your mouth with its soft, decadent texture.

Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free so you can also serve it to guests who are on a strictly plant-based diet.

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp. molasses
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Glaze

• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. First, preheat the oven to 350°F while lining your cookie sheet with a baking mat or some parchment paper.
2. Next, get a small bowl and mix the ground flaxseed and water together until combined. Set the bowl aside.
3. Then, mix the molasses, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and coconut sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Take the flaxseed and blend it in with the pumpkin puree mixture. Set the bowl aside.
5. Afterward, get a large bowl and stir in the oat flour, almond flour, salt, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
6. Combine the pumpkin puree and flour mixture together in a large bowl and stir until they form a rich, smooth consistency.
7. Then, scoop out some dough using a tablespoon and place it on the pan. This recipe should yield around 12 medium to large cookies.
8. Coat your hands in water and then flatten the dough so they don’t spread out.
9. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, and then let it cool down afterward.
10. Meanwhile, mix the coconut oil and chocolate chips in a small bowl, and then melt them in the oven for about one minute. Remember to stir after every 20 seconds to achieve a lump-free mixture. This will be the glaze.
11. Finally, serve the cookies on a pan and coat with chocolate chip glaze.

3. Sweet Potato Salad with Pomegranate

Looking for healthy fall salad recipes to try this season? Then this pomegranate sweet potato salad is your best bet!

It’s a delicious, gluten-free, dairy-free salad loaded with vitamins, healthy fats, and micronutrients. A serving of this in the middle of a workday might be just what the body needs to feel energized and conquer the day like a champion!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 avocado, pitted and cubed
• 1 can black beans
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. While waiting for the oven to heat up, place the cubed sweet potatoes in a medium-sized bowl and season it with sea salt and black pepper.
3. Then, spread the potatoes out on the baking sheet and bake for around 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, take a large bowl and combine the black beans, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, avocado, and green onion.
5. After baking the sweet potato, stir it in with the salad ingredients you mixed earlier.
6. Slice the lime and squeeze the juice on top of the salad then top off with some olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
7. Stir the ingredients again and then serve!

4. Quinoa and Spiralized Vegetable Bowl

Want to start eating healthier lunches this fall? Then you should definitely try out this quinoa and spiralized vegetable bowl.

The recipe is easy to follow, and it only takes around one hour to finish four to five days’ worth of packed lunches. So set aside sometime over the weekend, prepare a few of these, and then store them in the refrigerator to retain freshness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 2 medium-sized onions, peeled
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced
• 2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 large parsnips, peeled
• 1 medium-sized sweet potato
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Instructions:

1. First, spiralize all the veggies and then place in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
3. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and then set aside.
4. Next, boil the quinoa on medium to high heat. You can add more water while cooking if needed.
5. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and then set aside.
6. Afterward, take the baking sheet and spread all the spiralized veggies on it.
7. Season with salt, garlic powder, pepper, thyme, and olive oil and then combine all the ingredients together.
8. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes until the veggies soften. Remember to stir the vegetables halfway through.
9. Meanwhile, fry the almonds for about five minutes in a skillet over medium to high heat. Set aside.
10. Lastly, after everything is cooked, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Season with some more olive oil for taste, and pack into individual containers for healthy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.

5. Pumpkin and Pecan Smoothie

Athletes can attest to the many benefits of drinking homemade smoothies. Not only are they versatile and nutritious, but they’re also extremely easy to make.

Just pop them in a blender and let it do all the work. Easy, right?

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 banana
• 1/2 pear
• 8 pecans
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice blend
• 1 Graham cracker, crushed

Instructions:

1. First, take all the ingredients and place them in a blender.
2. Then, blend the ingredients together until they form a smooth, rich texture.
3. Lastly, pour in a glass or bottle and drink up!

Tame Bloating With Spore Probiotics

While dietary and lifestyle changes are a good start to combatting bloat, if your gut health in compromised, you may need some extra help getting back on track. Support your gut and overall health with a quality spore probiotic. Our favorite is this one by Just Thrive.

The strains in Just Thrive have been shown to dramatically decrease ammonia and hydrogen gas production in the gut (what leads to gas and bloating during food digestion). 

It also contains Bacillus coagulans, a potent spore probiotic that has been shown to:

• reduced bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort
• decrease diarrhea and reduce GI discomfort
• boost mood and calm gut inflammation

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the best bloat-free fall recipes that health-conscious foodies can try this season. Feel free to modify the recipes to suit your taste and needs.

No matter what recipe you choose, we hope you share it with the people you love the most. As the old saying goes, food tastes better when you eat it with your family.