by Lisa Fillers

Created on: March 23, 2009

Eating healthier is much easier when the foods on our plate are appealing and delicious. Serving a low fat meatloaf accompanied by steamed or stir-fried vegetables is one way to provide a nutritious, healthier meal the whole family will enjoy.

Americans have enjoyed a great meatloaf at family meals for many years. Traditionally, this mouth watering entree has been extremely high in fat and calories and made with hamburger that often had a twenty or twenty-five percent fat content. You do not have to sacrifice taste in order to enjoy a meatloaf much lower in fat than the meatloaf our mothers made.

Obesity has become a nationwide epidemic in the United States and obesity has brought with it major health problems. Fast food restaurants, quick fix meals, and the electronic age is turning our children and grandchildren into obese individuals before they reach puberty. As parents and grandparents we must take action now to change our eating habits and what we serve our families or the children growing up today may not live to see their fiftieth birthday.

The first place to begin reducing calories in meatloaf is to reduce the fat content of the main ingredient, the meat. This can be done in three ways. Many people have adamantly refused to switch from using ground hamburger to ground turkey. However, with the following recipe you really cannot tell the difference. If you absolutely cannot stand the thought switching to ground turkey meat, purchase the leanest ground beef available, ground sirlon or ground round. For those willing to attempt to switch to ground turkey but who are not quite ready, try mixing half ground sirlon or ground round and ground turkey.

Ketchup traditionally used in meatloaf has a much higher tomato content. It has been reduced down in cooking and contains sugar. Though sugar is listed as fat free, we all know it converts to fat once consumed. Along with the higher tomato content also comes a higher salt content, an enemy to anyone counting calories since it causes you to retain fluid. There is a tasty alternative, tough.

This leaves only the need to further reduce the fat in the other ingredients used to mix the meatleaf. The following recipe will allow you to reduce the fat in the total meatloaf and present a scrumptious meal at the dinner table.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of ground turkey breast, ground sirloin or ground round, or a mixture of half beef and half turkey

2 jars 15.6 ounce each Tostios mild chunky salsa

2 slices Merita Light Whole Wheat sandwich bread

2 egg whites, from large eggs

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Several hours prior to mixing the meatloaf, place the 2 slices of bread in a standing position in a slotted rack so it will air dry on both sides. Just prior to mixing the meatloaf, place the dried bread in a food processor and pulse to make low calorie bread crumbs.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey breast and remaining ingredients. Go light on the salt as the salsa will have ample salt for the tomato content. If you choose to add black pepper, remember it will make the salsa hotter.

3. Mix by hand gently until all ingredients are well blended.

4. Turn the meatloaf into a 9 X 11 inch baking pan, preferably one with a roasting rack in the bottom. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 50 minutes.

Steamed fresh vegetables or a tossed mixed greens salad with a vinaigrette dressing help make this entree a very healthful, low fat, low calorie meal. A baked potato topped with a low fat margarine is a much healthier vegetable choice than mashed potatoes.

Try this recipe the next time you decide to make meatloaf and you will be sure to get a lot of compliments at the dinner table.

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