With summer over and holiday season on the horizon we want to make sure not to bury our sense of healthy eating under our new fall sweaters. While this cooler weather cries out for comfort food, we don’t have to allow these seemingly richer guilty pleasures get the best of you. Here are our 5 top recipe choices from our most recent book, The Micronutrient Miracle, that not only cool off your comfort food cravings, but also heat up your ability to slim down this fall.

1. Sautéed Brussels Sprouts: Most people make a face when you mention Brussels sprouts, but you may want to give them another try based on new research showing their ability to burn fat. These little green fat-fighting machines contain indole-3-carbinol, which increases production of a hormone called adiponectin, which tells your body to burn stored fat for fuel. Think of them as little green fat-burning machines! They are also a good source of the mighty metabolism booster magnesium. Low levels of this essential mineral impairs one’s ability to use glucose for fuel, instead storing it as fat! Correcting any possible magnesium deficiency stimulates metabolism! Saute or bake with fresh garlic and not only will the sensational smell warm you this fall, but the garlic will aid in keeping you immune system hot as the season begins to cool.

2. Shrimp in a Pumpkin: What, you haven’t heard of this flavor sensation? This Brazilian specialty is guaranteed to impress even the pickiest of dinner party guests. It hits the seasonal mark because nothing says comfort food more than stew and there is no vegetable that screams fall more than the pumpkin. While the flavors of this South American seafood stew will make you get up and Samba with delight, the weight loss benefits should get you jumping for joy as well. The pumpkins high levels of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, can reduce the size of your fat cells while the omega-3 in the shrimp have been shown to block cortisol output thus reducing the dreaded muffin-top.

3. Buffalo Chicken Chili: In the past fall football games meant finger foods like chicken wings, but as we mature, it is time to class up the tailgate. This Buffalo chicken chili (recipe here!) tastes exactly like those Buffalo wings, but no greasy fingers you can make it far in advance to serve for your guests. The red pepper giving that chili the heat also heats up your metabolism even while you sit around watching the game. And studies show that they work diet double duty by also decreasing your appetite by moderating levels of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin.

4. Steak and Hollandaise Sauce: Is it a comfort food? Well, in our opinions it would be nearly impossible to not feel warm and snuggly with each rich and hearty bite of beef. The great news is that it is a perfect slim down menu item too! First, the carnitine in the steak carries fatty acids into the cells so they can be burned as fuel. Eating steak also protects you from a zinc deficiency, which can reduce leptin, the hormone that regulates your appetite and let’s you know that you are full. The hollandaise sauce (mmm…) on top is made dreamy featuring with the high levels of vitamin D found in the egg yolks. Did you know that vitamin D has been touted as the “Skinny vitamin”. Researcher found that women who were deficient in vitamin D were, on average, 16.3 pounds heavier than women who were not vitamin D deficient. So, pour on that Hollandaise to lower your possible D deficiency this fall. Get our 5 grilling tips here. (There are also some great recipes in this BBQ guide!)

5. Chinese Fried Rice: Rainy fall days just seem perfect for takeout and nothing says takeout more than Chinese Fried Rice. However, while traditional fried rice won’t help you trim, our Micronutrient Miracle Fried Rice will supply the familiar flavor while reducing your carb intake dramatically. The carb and calorie reduction alone will (along with the elimination of belly bloating soy sauce) start the slim down, but it’s the vitamin C in the secret cauliflower “rice” that can really make the pounds fall off this season by simply boosting the benefits of the exercise you already do. Researchers at Arizona State University proved that individuals with low levels of vitamin C burned 25 percent fewer calories during the same period of exercise than those who had adequate vitamin C levels. So fix up some fried “rice” and augment your bodies’ ability to burn calories.

For all these recipes and more, grab a copy of The Micronutrient Miracle today,  or head on over to our Micronutrient Miracle Resource Center to learn how you can become a VIP and get these recipes, personal guidance and so much more!