6 doctors share their favorite healthy fall foods — including dessert

With sweet potatoes and squashes turning up at the farmer's market and temperatures cooling enough to stand having the oven on, fall brings all kinds of possibilities back to the kitchen.

"I love to cook, but fall cooking is one of my favorite activities," Dr. Adrienna Jirik, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic, tells TODAY.com. There's just something about autumn that "makes me want to nestle in my kitchen, slow down, take a deep breath, reflect, sip on some hot cider and cook," she says.

Dr. Monah Bahouth agrees: "Fall is a great time to incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes into the daily diet," Bahouth, an associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.

Like most of the experts TODAY.com spoke to, Bahouth and Jirik's food choices are in line with the Mediterranean diet, which puts the focus on fresh produce, lean protein sources, whole grains, olive oil and legumes. And with so many flavorful options now available, fall provides the perfect opportunity to have fun with cozy recipes involving a wide variety of seasonal fruits and veggies.

"Comfort foods are always in order in the fall," Jirik says. "Think of the entire gamut of soups, stews, roasts and one-sheet-pan meals."

Doctors love these fall foods:

Hearty seasonal squash

"At this time of year, I love acorn squash — it's really delicious," Dr. Shari Lipner, an associate professor of clinical dermatology at the Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

She roasts it in the oven with a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey and serves it alongside a lean protein, like chicken or salmon. The squash can take a while to cook (often up to an hour, depending on the recipe), but it's worth the wait, she says.

For Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist treating breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, her love of butternut squash comes with a wave of nostalgia.

"As a little girl, my mother used to bake butternut squash with a tiny bit of butter, cinnamon and brown sugar," she, tells TODAY.com. "I either cube the squash or slice it in half and bake in the oven. It’s an easy, healthy dish that tastes almost like dessert."

And there are some big nutritional benefits, too. "Classically fall foods, like butternut squash and pumpkin, are rich in vitamins and fiber," she explains.

Bahouth also loves squash at this time of year and prefers to grill hers.

Soup or stew loaded with vegetables

One way to combine a bunch of fall vegetables is in a cozy soup or stew, Dr. Stephanie L. Gold, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an instructor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, tells TODAY.com.

“You can actually pack a ton of nutrition into soups,” she says.

Some of her favorite combinations include white beans and parsnips well as butternut squash and apple soups. The vegetables — which could be broccoli, carrots, potatoes, onions, squash, etc. — come with tons of nutritional benefits and the beans add protein and fiber. Gold often uses bone broth rather than water, which adds more protein, too.

"I love coming home to something warm and comforting," Gold says, adding that she'll often make big batches of soup on the weekends and eat it for dinner throughout the week.

Soups are also a favorite for Bahouth. But she usually opts for a clear broth over a creamy one to reduce fat content. And, she cautions, some soups may contain a high amount of salt.

Chicken or turkey chili

Warm chili made with lean turkey or chicken is another fall favorite for Jirik. It's a perfect way to combine lean, filling protein as well as legumes (like black beans or kidney beans) and a nutritious fall vegetable, like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or even pumpkin.

Grain bowls with veggies

For Dr. Jennifer McQuade, an assistant professor and physician-scientist in melanoma medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, this is the season for grain salads and bowls often based around kale and farro, a type of grain that boasts a subtle nutty flavor, delightfully chewy texture and high fiber content.

From there, she'll add a variety of roasted veggies like beets, butternut squash, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. "I like to top them with crumbled feta, a sprinkle of nuts and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon or vinegar for the dressing," she tells TODAY.com.

Soupy beans with greens and cornbread

"My husband and I are both from the Southeast," McQuade says, "so we look forward to a bowl of soupy beans and a side of greens (such as mustard, turnip or collard) with big glugs of apple cider vinegar and hot sauce."

Soup beans are a traditional Appalachian staple, most often made with pinto beans. In general, beans are a great source of protein and green vegetables contain vitamins A, C, K, folate and iron, McQuade says. A meal like this also provides prebiotic fiber that "feeds beneficial microbes in our guts," she adds.

Of course, she also has Southern-style cornbread on the side, made without flour or sugar. "Not the cake kind," she says.

Sheet pan roasts with vegetables

It doesn’t get any easier than a sheet-pan meal like this one. Jirik’s go-to recipe includes chicken breast or thighs as well as vegetables like potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower all roasted together on one sheet pan.

Apple-based desserts

Gold is a big fan of desserts involving seasonal fruit, particularly an apple or pear crumble. "Those warm, apple-y desserts that you can serve with vanilla ice cream are always our favorite in the fall," she says. And they do give you a serving of fruit, too, Gold adds.

Jirik also goes for an apple-based dessert, but hers is a bit simpler. She prefers "a treat of steamed apples with a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar, with or without whipped cream."

Pumpkin pie

While not all of the experts TODAY.com spoke to are pumpkin spice fanatics, Comen says a classic pumpkin pie is one of her favorite desserts. Plus, it's a fun family activity.

"For a quick easy dessert, pumpkin pie — with a storebought crust — is my go-to," she explains. "I definitely don’t have much time in the kitchen, so no apologies for shortcuts. It’s also a fun dish to make with my children."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com