In most dishes, including casseroles, increase the amount of vegetables for more nutrition in every bite. Roasting the vegetables, as in this lasagna, will add more flavor.

It's fall, the time of year comfort food cravings really settle in. There are creamy and hearty soups and chowders, cheesy lasagnas and casseroles drenched in cream-of-something soup.

That comfort often comes with a pretty hefty cost: lots of calories, fat and sodium. But it doesn't have to be that way. There's a way to indulge without overindulging and still satisfy those comfort food cravings.

Registered dietitian Gail Posner of Healthy Ways Nutrition Counseling advises clients to head to the farmers market and stock up on what's in season. There, “prices are low now and the flavor is high,” she says.

The fresher the produce, the better the flavor. So says Mary Spencer, a cooking instructor at Taste: A Cook's Place in Northville, Mich. Spencer recommends cooking with lots of herbs, spices and flavored oils.

“When you add herbs at the beginning and the end of cooking, it brightens up the dish,” she says. “What you're trying to do is eliminate the salt and some of the fat, but keep the flavor.”

Here are five tips to keep in mind for a healthier spin on fall cooking from Posner, Spencer and Christa Byrd, a registered dietitian at Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, Mich.:

Plan ahead

It is one of the things healthy people often do, Posner says. “Things get hectic this time of year,” she says. Having the menu set will make for a healthy dinner instead of a fast-food emergency pickup.

Shop smart

Don't shop while hungry and stock up on foods when you can. But also plan to make what Posner calls the “10 minute shop” between your larger shops to replenish fruits, vegetables and lean proteins like low-fat yogurt, eggs and low-fat cheese. “Many people end up eating unhealthy meals because they've run out of the fruits, vegetables and lean proteins,” she says.

Read labels

A key component of shopping smart is reading labels and understanding what they mean. With sodium content, for example, there is a difference between “low sodium,” “reduced sodium” and “no salt added.” Products labeled low sodium must have 140 milligrams of sodium per serving or less. Reduced sodium means the product has 25 percent less sodium than the original version. Byrd says watch out for products that state “low” on the label. “Low sugar is usually higher in salt and low fat is higher in sugar,” she says.

Roast vegetables

Roasting is an easy way to add flavor to your veggies. “You can cut up vegetables, drizzle with some oil and roast,” Spencer says. But what about those who don't have time to chop tons of veggies? Just eliminate that step, she says. So instead of cutting that pumpkin into cubes, just cut in half, roast it with the skin on, seed it and enjoy. In most dishes including casseroles, Posner and Byrd say, increase the amount of vegetables for more nutrition in every bite.

Swap out ingredients

Byrd suggests using vegetable purées instead of high-fat ingredients to provide texture and thickness in some dishes. “Cook northern white beans, purée them and use them in place of the higher-fat dairy,” she says. Eggs can provide a creamy texture while adding protein. And don't add sugar to casseroles that have ingredients with natural sweetness, such as sweet potatoes.

Serves: 10Prep time: 45 minutesTotal time: 1 hour, 30 minutesDon’t be discouraged by the long recipe. Once you prep all the ingredients and roast the vegetables, the lasagna goes together fairly quickly.3 cups sliced zucchini3 cups sliced mushrooms3 cups eggplant, peeled and quartered2 red peppers, seeded and sliced5 tablespoons olive oil, divided3 teaspoons dried oregano, divided¾ teaspoon salt, divided¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided8 cups plum or Roma tomatoes, quartered3 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced½ teaspoon fennel seed1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes2 teaspoons sugar1 container (15 ounces) low-fat ricotta cheese2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided2 tablespoons fresh parsley, choppedNonstick cooking spray9 no-boil lasagna noodlesPreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have ready 2 large sided baking sheets, such as jelly roll pans.On one baking sheet place the zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant and red peppers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons oregano, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and toss to coat.On the other baking sheet, toss the tomato wedges with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, fennel seed, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and red pepper flakes.Place both sheets in the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Turn the vegetables over and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove roasted vegetables and roasted tomatoes from oven.Carefully place the tomatoes and all pan juices in a bowl and add the sugar and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Mash the tomatoes to create a sauce.In a medium-sized bowl combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper; set aside.Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. To begin layering the lasagna, place about 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce in the baking dish, spreading to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 3 noodles, half the ricotta cheese mixture, half the roasted vegetable mixture and one-quarter of the tomato sauce.Begin again with 3 noodles, remaining cheese mixture, remaining roasted vegetables and remaining 3 noodles. Top noodles with remaining tomato sauce and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake lasagna uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or until edges are bubbly and the cheese topping is golden brown.

Serves: 8Prep time: 30 minutesTotal time: 1 hour, 40 minutes1 pound lean ground beef (labeled 93 percent-96 percent lean)Salt to taste1 large white onion, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika½ teaspoon dried thyme2 cans (14.5 ounces each) petite diced tomatoes1 can (8 ounces) regular or no-salt-added tomato sauce5 cups unsalted beef broth or stock4 cups chopped green cabbageFreshly cracked black pepper1 cup cooked brown riceIn a large soup pot set over high heat, season the ground beef with salt and cook, using a potato masher to break the meat into small pieces as it browns.Drain any fat from the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Add the onion, garlic, paprika and thyme and cook until the onions are soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock and cabbage, and season with the remaining salt and black pepper to taste.Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the cabbage is soft, about 35 minutes.Add the cooked brown rice and simmer 5 more minutes before ladling the soup into 8 serving bowls to serve.