Recipe for Turkey Meatloaf with Hidden Vegetables

Meatloaf is a comfort food, but it can add way too many calories, not to mention a load of saturated fat from ground beef. Luckily, this turkey meatloaf is both comforting and healthy. It’s packed with lean protein, fiber, and flavor. It can even help you sneak in more vegetables or get vegetables onto the plate of anyone who claims not to like them. 

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You can add 1-2 additional cups of chopped vegetables like sliced mushrooms, grated eggplant or zucchini, or chopped green beans. One option is to serve the meatloaf with low-fat mashed potatoes made with buttermilk and broth instead of butter or cream. Otherwise, try it with pureed cauliflower, baked acorn squash, or whole-grain crackers with low-fat cheese.

Recipe for Turkey Meatloaf with Hidden Vegetables

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 20-ounce package of ground turkey, 93% lean
• 1 (10 ounce) package, frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained well)
• 1 cup of uncooked quick or old fashioned oats 
• ½ cup of finely chopped onion
• ½ cup of shredded carrots
• ¼ cup of tomato paste
• ⅓ cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
• 2 egg whites or 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 ½ teaspoon of No Salt Italian Herb Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of allspice
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 5 or 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, oats, onion, carrots, egg, milk, Italian herbs (mixture of oregano, basil and thyme), salt (optional), and pepper. Mix in the turkey.
3. Place the mixture into the baking pan.
4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees internal temperature. The meat should be brown, not pink. 
5. Let the loaf stand out of the oven for 5 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition information: 200 calories; 6.5 grams of fat; 2 grams of saturated fat; 60 mg of cholesterol; 100 mg of sodium; 15 grams of carbohydrates; 2 grams of sugar; 2 grams of fiber; 20 grams of protein

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Reviewed by Heather Tonkins, Lark Health Coach