Maple syrup heightens the sweetness of the pumpkin, while red pepper flakes give this salad a kick.

Serve this delicious stew over brown rice or with whole-grain bread. You can also replace the pumpkin with squash or young carrots.

Pure maple syrup, rather than sugar, sweetens this holiday favorite.

Yogurt makes these jumbo muffins especially light and tender.

Toast oats and almonds to give this muesli a nutty flavor, and add a dose of apples for freshness.

Be sure to use crisp apples with a tart edge, such as Empire or Winesap, for this delectable salad.

For this recipe, use a crisp, fiber-packed apple like Lady Apple, Cortland, or Gala. The roasted sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene.

A side of apples sweetens up trout, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients believed to promote healthy heart function.

The two types of cranberries in this recipe create a sweet and tart pie. Gravenstein apples work best because they hold their shape and have a delicious tart flavor.

A little ginger -- a powerful anti-inflammatory and digestion aid -- goes a long way in this dessert. Combining dates and apples makes for a sweet dose of fiber.

Combine two fall favorites in this sweet and savory side dish.

This creamy recipe has been adapted from Dr. Andrew Weil's book "The Healthy Kitchen" (Knopf, 2005).

Butternut squash boosts this creamy and hearty recipe with beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Instead of plain old mashed potatoes, get your holiday starch from beta-carotene-rich vegetables like butternut squash and carrots.

Any shaped pasta, such as penne, farfalle, and fusilli, can substitute for the rigatoni.

Fall's iconic orange gourd has a place beyond October 31: as pumpkin butter, a fiber-filled spread packed with beta-carotene.

Pumpkin Custard is essentially crustless pumpkin pie made with nonfat evaporated milk.

They may be tiny, but seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch.

The texture and flavor of the escarole hearts complement the pumpkin-seed-studded vinaigrette.

This dish is a great start to a healthier, flexitarian (more veggies, less meat) style of eating.

Halved and pressed into a fragrant mix of candied ginger and toasted nuts, seared apples are a sophisticated (and far healthier) version of those sticky sweet candied apples from childhood.

This preparation features celery root pureed with crisp, sweet Fuji apples.

Firm tofu or chicken may be substituted for the pork.

This applesauce gets a rosy glow from apple cider.

Buttermilk gives our squash soup a pleasant tartness, which complements the sweetness of the squash.

For this recipe, it is best to choose smaller spaghetti squash since the strands are more delicate.

Easy to prepare and packed with nutrients, this robust, versatile gourd deserves its spot at the holiday table.

Easy to prepare and packed with nutrients, this robust, versatile gourd deserves its spot at the holiday table