I originally created this Whole30 Approved Meatloaf while I was participating in a Whole30 round. I've updated the recipe swapping out ground beef for ground turkey since we are cutting back on the amount of red meat we eat. Don't be frightened by the ground turkey. This meatloaf is still moist and delicious with the addition of grated zucchini. Yes, I love the added bonus of an extra serving of hidden veggies!
You can find out more about the Whole30 program in Melissa Hartwig's books It Starts with Food or The Whole30 if you're interested. It really helped me change my eating habits to a cleaner whole foods approach. While I am not perfect by any means, focusing on whole unprocessed (or at least less processed) foods makes me feel so much better.
Whole30 Approved Meatloaf only takes about fifteen minutes to whip up and about an hour to cook. It's an incredibly easy recipe that can easily be doubled. Freeze the second loaf, and you have an easy weeknight meal to thaw and pop in the oven during those busy work weeks. I would suggest making the topping the day you are going to cook the second loaf.
GROUND TURKEY OR GROUND BEEF?
It really is a personal preference. And, it really depends on the type of turkey or ground beef you buy. Both have similar calories and fat content, but lean turkey does have a lower saturated fat content. I always opt for the leanest ground meat I can find when using it in recipes like this. If you can find fat-free turkey, it is significantly lower in cholesterol. From a flavor standpoint, when you're adding in all the spices and vegetables, I think the ground turkey tastes great as a meatloaf or for meatballs. You can choose to use either turkey or beef for this Whole30 Approved Meatloaf and know that either will taste great.
MAKE WHOLE30 APPROVED MEATLOAF:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and prep an 8x8 baking dish. Next, cut the ends off a medium-sized zucchini, and grate directly onto a clean tea cloth or cheese cloth. Twist the cloth over your sink, and squeeze the zucchini to remove as much moisture as possible. Place the zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Next, finely chop the onion and red pepper, then add to the bowl with the zucchini. Add the ground meat, egg, tomato paste, minced garlic, almond meal, and Italian seasoning to the bowl. Mix everything together well. I find that it is easier to just use my hands to mix the ingredients. You're going to get them dirty to form the loaf anyway.
Once all the ingredients are well-integrated, form the mixture into one large ball. Place the ball in the baking dish, them flatten with the palm of your hand to form one giant patty that is a few inches thick.
Make the topping by whisking together ketchup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and date nectar. For Whole30 make sure your ketchup is approved (I like Tessemae's.), and omit the date nectar.Use a small spatula to spread the topping over the meatloaf. (Note: While dates are compliant, using them as an added sweetener is not in the spirit of Whole30.)
Place the meatloaf in the oven, and bake for about one hour. Make sure the meatloaf is done by checking that the internal temperature reads 165ºF on an inserted thermometer. Let the meatloaf rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. As always, if you make it and like it, please leave a comment or rate the recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
(Note: My posts do contain affiliate links that provide me a small commission if you purchase a product through my link. Thanks for supporting Inspired Fresh Life.)
RECIPE NOTES:
- Make sure to use almond meal as your binder, NOT blanched almond flour.
- Barney's Baker is an affordable almond meal, but if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they carry their own brand of almond meal as well.
- If you're doubling the recipe for meal prep, you can also cook one of the meatloafs without the topping, and freeze it. Just make the topping the day you decide to heat it back up.
SAVE TO PINTEREST SO YOU CAN FIND THE RECIPE LATER
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
BAKED ITALIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS
Whole30 Approved Meatloaf
Whole30 Approved Meatloaf is moist and delicious with the addition of grated zucchini. Yes, I love the added bonus of an extra serving of hidden veggies! Healthy comfort food and easy to prepare? That's a win in my book.
Ingredients
For the meatloaf:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
For the topping:
- 3 tablespoons ketchup (Make sure it is compliant for Whole30.)
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon date nectar (Omit for Whole30.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and prep an 8x8 baking dish.
- Give the sweet peppers and onion a fine dice. After being rough chopped, a few pulses in the food processor will make this process faster.
- Cut the ends off the zucchini, then grate onto a clean tea towel or cheese cloth. Twist the cloth tightly to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the zucchini to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the meatloaf to a large bowl. Stir to combine everything well. It's actually easier to just use your hands for mixing.
- Shape the meat mixture into a large round ball, then place in an 8x8 prepared baking dish. Press down to form a giant patty that is a few inches thick.
- Prepare the topping by whisking together the ketchup, mustard, date nectar (omit for Whole30), and minced garlic. Spread on top of the meatloaf in the prepared pan.
- Place the meatloaf in the oven, and bake for about one hour. Make sure the meatloaf is done by checking that the internal temperature reads 165ºF on an inserted thermometer. Let the meatloaf rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Make your own date nectar if participating in Whole30. Simply soak, then blitz a date in a mini food processor.
- Make sure to use almond meal as your binder, NOT blanched almond flour.
- If you’re doubling the recipe for meal prep, you can also cook one of the meatloafs without the topping, and freeze it. Just make the topping the day you decide to heat it back up
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 366Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 111mgSodium 369mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 4gSugar 8gProtein 26g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
Leave a Reply