Week of Healthy Meal Prep: October 29-November 2

This slow-cooker chicken chili is a great addition to your cool weather weeknight meal rotation. Calling for a mixture of beans and hominy, this recipe boasts bold, rich flavor, something that can often be dulled in a slow cooker. Processing some of the beans in a food processor thickens the soup, lending a heartier flavor to the dish. We suggest serving the soup with green onions, cheese, cilantro, peppers, and plain yogurt, a great substitute for sour cream. Perfect for a tailgate, ideal for cool weather, and guaranteed to make your home smell amazing while you're gone, this slow cooker chili is sure to make your "must make again" list.

This hearty salad makes for a perfect leftover lunch. With a crunchy kale base and mix-ins ranging from roasted root veggies, tart apples, toasted nuts, and Pecorino cheese, this salad is far from shy on flavor. Get creative with your components and rely on seasonal fall produce to make a satisfying, healthy meal that will only taste better the next day.

It can be hard to feed your ghouls on Halloween, especially when it falls on a school night. Choose this quick hand-held recipe for easy munching.

What is chili without corn muffins? Pickled jalapeños add a little extra zip and dimension without too much heat. You can omit them or substitute minced cilantro if you like. The addition of sour cream makes these muffins incredibly tender—they won't dry out if made in advance. Looking for a spooky spin? Use blue cornmeal; it'll turn the muffins a greenish blue.

One of our favorite comfort foods—French onion soup—meets crowd-pleasing grilled cheese in a sandwich that’s got the flavors of both dishes, minus a lot of the traditional sodium and sat fat. Silky caramelized onions are the star here: their pungent, concentrated flavor means that just a touch of Gruyere is more than enough to make this sandwich sing. The other key? Shaving the cheese with a Microplane, which allows the cheese to distribute its melty goodness evenly, and makes just a bit of cheese feel like a lot.

Our plant-based riff on traditional caramel apples acquires its sweetness from fiber-rich dates, which help slash calories in half. Cacao nibs stand in for nuts to lend a pleasing crunch. Serve these kid-friendly pops at Halloween parties or any fall festivity for a healthier alternative to candy and cakes.