Turkey Meatloaf

Yesterday I met with a wonderful group of 18 year old girls to speak to them about nutrition. Some were athletes looking to get into D1 colleges, others just needed guidance to get healthier.

They were all receptive to what I had to say, and I was so glad to be able to connect with them. They had great questions and were open with their obstacles related to healthy eating. A lot of them stayed after the allotted 45 minutes to find out more information. I loved their interest, their passion and their curiosity.

I have to admit that I was nervous.. what if they just don't care? I was quick to realize I was way off. If anything, this age group cares the most. They have finally moved out and are living at school. It is time for them to make their own decisions about eating.

Some had never stepped foot in a grocery store to shop or thought twice about what they snacked on. Now is the best time for them to get educated on healthy eating and sports nutrition because it is at this age where they are looking for information and solutions. The last thing you want is for them to get absorbed into the world of liquid diets, sport supplementation and caffeine roller coasters.

All that to say that I was so pleased when I met the two coaches who suggested I do this nutrition brief. They knew the importance of nutrition for these kids and they acted upon it.

I can't wait until the day all schools, sports clubs, workplaces, you name it, put the necessary emphasis on teaching healthy nutrition consistently. Don't get me wrong, so many places have made great changes in their system but I just think a lot of people are still looking for accurate and real information and don't know where to find it.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" meaning people, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do. So your cafeteria can offer as much lean chicken and whole grain rice as they want, but unless the person is educated, informed and motivated there will always be a corner store selling a hot dog.

But, on the flip side, for those looking for a healthy choice- the lean chicken and whole grain rice is a gift and a relief! So I couldn't be happier to see the progress of schools and restaurants in that respect. I just think in order to motivate people to eat the healthy stuff, we have got to teach them the short and long term benefits. Somehow get them motivated to do the right thing for their body and mind.

Alright! Let's see our recipe for today, shall we?

I have switched out our beloved red ground beef for ground turkey in this meatloaf. It is delicious.

Turkey Meatloaf

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce + extra for top of meatloaf
• 2 eggs
• mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Drizzle olive oil in fry pan on medium. Cook garlic and onions. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked garlic and onions, ground turkey, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, Worcester sauce, hot sauce, quick oats, tomato sauce, 2 eggs. Mix with hands.
4. Place 1/2 of meat mixture in a bread pan. Slice mozzarella cheese and place on meat, cover with other 1/2 of meat mixture. Poor extra tomato sauce over top of the meatloaf.
5. Cook for 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 160F
6. Let rest before slicing

Enjoy this healthier alternative to regular meatloaf!

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie