Here’s a healthy way to get your protein in a comfort food. Follow these tips and enjoy a delicious, perfectly portioned and nutritious meal that supports your weightless program.
The Meats: Extra-Lean Ground Beef or Lean Ground Turkey
Because what’s meatloaf without meat? Traditional meatloaf is made with standard ground beef, which is pretty high in fat and calories. But that doesn’t mean beef is off-limits. The extra-lean kind is just as flavorful as regular beef, but it has a fraction of the fat. If you don’t see anything labeled “extra-lean” in the meat department, look for these keywords: 4% (or less) fat or 96% (or more) lean.
Rather go the poultry route? Stick with lean ground turkey. This is frequently labeled as having no more than 7% fat or being no less than 93% lean. Why extra-lean beef but lean turkey. While extra-lean beef is plenty juicy, extra-lean turkey can be a bit dry — the lean kind is well worth the extra calories and fat.
Ground chicken might seem like a good choice, but it’s a bit of a food faker. Unlike skinless chicken breast, the ground stuff is typically made from skin-on dark meat, resulting in sky-high stats. Click here for more on food fakers to watch out for, and click here for healthy chicken ideas.
The Add-Ins
Starting with a smart base is key, but the wrong ingredients can quickly catapult the calorie and fat counts into dangerous territory. Here are some swaps for standard meatloaf additions…
Instead of whole eggs… use egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute. Eggs help to bind your meatloaf and give it moisture. But each large egg adds about 70 calories, 5g fat, and more than 60% of the daily value of cholesterol. When it comes to cutting calories and fat, every little bit helps; so stick with egg whites or fat-free egg sub.
Instead of breadcrumbs use quick oats. 
Starches like these give meatloaf a nice boost of texture. Basic breadcrumbs have little nutrition and are a waste of calories. Go with whole-grain oats instead, the quick-cooking kind work best, since they bake much faster and won’t be too chewy in the end.
Instead of just onion… add even more veggies. Extra vegetables will make your meatloaf larger and more filling (thanks to naturally occurring fiber) without adding a lot of calories. Chopped brown mushrooms have a meaty texture, making them perfect in meatloaf. The mix of shredded broccoli stems, cabbage, and carrots is a perfect shortcut for bulking up meatloaf.
Basic How-To:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups or spray with nonstick spray.
2. If you like, lightly cook chopped veggies in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray.
3. Combine meat, veggies, egg whites/substitute, oats, and spices. Mix well.
4. Evenly divide mixture among cups of the muffin pan.
5. Top with ketchup or sauce.
6. Bake until firm and cooked through with lightly browned edges, about 35 minutes.
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