What's for dinner? Turkey Meatloaf

Body for Life Turkey Meatloaf

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

4 egg whites

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup quick oats, uncooked

1 sm. package italian seasoning

1/2 cup ketchup

In a large mixing bowl, combine everything except ketchup. Press mixture into 9 x 5 loaf pan and spread ketchup over the top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. This serves 6 so once this is finished baking, go ahead and slice the whole thing. This will help with portion control. :)

You could make this up ahead of time and put in the fridge uncooked. When you get home from your crazy busy day just turn the oven on and it'll be done in no time.

I pair this with mashed red potatoes and green beans. I'll share my green bean recipe another day. YUM!

What's for dinner? Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey

1 onion

sliced cheddar cheese

Sandwich rounds

Everyone knows how to make a burger but too many people are putting way too many "extras" on them. Season with herbs and onions for a low fat/low calorie meal. I usually grate half the onion to put in the meat, 1 or 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder. Then I saute the other half of the onion to put on my patty once it's cooked.

An adult should have 25g. of carbs per meal so if you choose to eat the bread - skip the chips. Or if you're like me and like a little crunch with your burger, just eat the meat and splurge on baked chips. Remember to not eat the whole bag and keep in mind that you'll be eating again in 3 hours. :)

What's for dinner? Taco Pasta

New start, New school, New YOU!

This is a Body for Life recipe and can be found in Eating for Life cookbook. It's one of our favs - the kids even ask for it.

8 oz. rotini pasta

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. Taco seasoning mix

4 Tbsp. salsa

4 Tbsp. sour cream

4 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare pasta according to its package directions.

While pasta is cooking, brown beef until no longer pink. Add water and taco seasoning to beef. Simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally.

You can either combine the sour cream and salsa or leave them separate. I leave them separate because the kids don't like salsa.

Once beef is ready and pasta is cooked, mix together in one pan.

This is 4 servings so divide it up in 4 bowls and top with sour cream, salsa, and cheese.

This is a balanced meal with a portion of carbs and a portion of protein. Enjoy!!

Tips and Tricks

If you're like me, it's easy to become overwhelmed by all the hype about nutrition. I'm not completely organic nor do I plan to be. Little changes and baby steps can make a big difference. Take for instance, Yoplait Yogurt. Yoplait now has a Simply GoGurt that is free from artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. Woo hoo!!!

Another yogurt tip, don't buy flavored yogurt because it is stacked with sugar. Buy plain yogurt and add vanilla flavoring, honey, or even a spoon full of sugar would be better than the 38 grams they have packed in per serving. Our favorite is plain yogurt, dash of cinnamon, sliced strawberries, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 packet of stevia.