I know that meatloaf is one of those feared meals by many children and probably by their parents too. I admit that when I was a kid, I DUMPED on the ketchup to disguise the taste. I've come to appreciate meatloaf and what it has to offer.
I make it a lot because my husband really likes it so I'm always trying to find ways to make it a little bit healthier and not just 100% meat. I add lots of veggies and even some fruit that really helps to make it really juicy. I also use ground turkey instead of ground beef so it cuts back on some of the fat. The latest thing I changed was substituting oatmeal for the bread crumbs. Adding oatmeal adds a lot of fiber and way less sodium.
Here's the nutritional breakdown for using saltines, breadcrumbs, and oatmeal:
Breadcrumbs (1 1/2 cups): 9g fat, 1200 mg sodium, 114g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 24g protein
Saltines (1/2 cup): 1.5g fat, 300 mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 0g dietary fiber, 6g protein
Oatmeal (1 1/2 cups): 7.5g fat, 0 mg sodium, 81 g carbohydrates, 12 g dietary fiber, 18 g protein
If you're skeptical about using oatmeal, don't be, my husband didn't even notice that there was any oatmeal in it. I didn't grind it up but if you want to make it even less noticeable you can grind up the oatmeal in a food processor. Be brave and try it!
Jade's Oatmeal Meatloaf
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (if desired, grind in food processor)
2 lbs ground turkey
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 small onion diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 eggs
Mix vegetables, ketchup, soy sauce, water, lime, eggs and oatmeal together until well blended. Add ground turkey and mix well. Pat into bread loaf pan and bake one hour at 350 degrees.
I served the meatloaf with Half and Half Sweet Potato Mashed Potatoes which I mentioned in the post 10 Healthful Foods For Cents a Serving. You can do whatever ratio of regular potatoes to sweet potatoes that you like. We always keep the skin on them too, just like the article said too.
Here are meatloaf recipes using breadcrumbs and saltines. The breadcrumb recipe is more traditional and the saltine recipe is similar to the one above with a few variations.
Meatloaf
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg onion soup mix
Blend all together thoroughly. Make into a loaf in a baking dish. Pour over top 8 oz can tomato sauce or ketchup. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Family preference is to top with a squiggle of ketchup.
Luau Meat Loaf
8 1/4 oz can pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 14 crackers)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
Combine egg, ketchup, soy sauce, crushed crackers, onion, green pepper, and ginger. Add meat and pineapple. Mix well. Pat meat mixture into an 8 by 4 by 2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours.Labels: beef, turkey
