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You are here: Home » Recipes » Meal Prep

Ground Turkey Meal Prep: Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Updated: Jan 4, 2024 · Published: Apr 1, 2019 by Lacey Baier · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. · 3 Comments

Jump To Recipe!

Replace your high carb spaghetti cravings with these easy, healthy, and low carb Baked Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles!  This entire meal is clean eating, paleo, gluten-free, under 350 calories, and absolutely delicious!

Healthy Ground Turkey Meal Prep Recipes | Learn how to make easy and delicious ground turkey meal prep dishes | A Sweet Pea Chef this RECIPE

When it comes to clean eating, finding healthy alternatives is important. Having a balanced diet is also important. I think you all know that limiting the consumption of red meat is recommended when following a healthy diet.

And don’t get me wrong, I love flank steak, I also love shredded beef tacos, and slow cooker beef stew. You get it, I love beef dishes. I also love to add ham or bacon to my omelets or my freezer breakfast sandwiches. Because… you know, YUM. Even though I make these dishes healthy and I can enjoy them guilt-free, I have other high protein dishes I like to make. To keep things balanced, I alternate them with healthy chicken dishes. Or with… turkey dishes. Ground turkey in this case. Which brings me to this post and this delicious Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles recipe I want to share with you.

But first, let me tell you another thing that allows me to maintain my healthy lifestyle. I think you already know what I’m about to say. If you guessed meal prep, congrats! You know me well, my friend.

Meal prep allows me to keep things under control. And to enjoy yummy dishes. I love to open my fridge and to see all the delicious dishes that are there, waiting for me to pick them up from the fridge, reheat them, and enjoy them.

So this post is not only about the Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles recipe, but it’s also about ground turkey meal prep in general. Because ground turkey meals are perfect to have in the fridge. They are healthy, nutritious, lean, and, of course, tasty. They gotta be. Otherwise I wouldn’t be talking about them, ya know?

From how to season ground turkey and what to make with ground turkey to how long does ground turkey last in the fridge and other useful tips, you’ll find the answer to all your ground turkey meal prep questions right here.

Shall we begin?

I think we shall!

Ingredients for the Turkey Meatballs in a mixing bowl including ground turkey, eggs, almond meal, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Ground turkey meatballs on a baking sheet before baking.

HOW TO MEAL PREP WITH GROUND TURKEY

Let me start with the Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles because OMG, it’s such a delicious ground turkey meal. The turkey meatballs are juicy, flavorful and so yum. You have to learn how to make them! Seriously, it’s a must. And then, when you add the spaghetti squash noodles, and homemade marinara sauce, the must becomes an ASAP must!

To make this ground turkey meal prep healthy…

  • we have to bake the meatballs instead of deep frying them;
  • use almond meal instead of all-purpose flour;
  • to make the meatballs juicy and extra delish – we add a little bit of parmesan;
  • we use spaghetti squash instead of regular pasta;
  • and we make the homemade marinara sauce instead of using canned marinara sauce from the grocery store.

Not that complicated after all, hm?

Zucchini squash on a baking sheet before being baked and turned into Spaghetti Squash Noodles.

GROUND TURKEY NUTRITION BENEFITS

Is ground turkey healthy?  Not only is ground turkey healthy, but it also has numerous nutrition benefits. And it’s easy to prep so it’s even better.

Ground turkey nutrition (per cup):

  • ~ 150 calories;
  • ~ 5 g fat;
  • ~ 54 g protein (almost 100% of the daily value of protein recommended);
  • phosphorus and selenium;
  • vitamin B6.

To sum up, ground turkey is a great lean protein that’s very good for you. This means you should try many ground turkey recipes because they are simply amazing.  Just like with ground beef, make sure to look for LEAN ground turkey when purchasing your ground turkey from the store, however, because not all ground turkey is created equal.

Making Spaghetti Squash Noodles by scraping baked squash with a fork.

HOW TO COOK GROUND TURKEY

Aside from the Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles recipe that teaches you how to meal prep ground turkey, there are other important things about how to cook ground turkey that I think you should know. Things like…

  • ground turkey is cooked when there is no pink color left, basically, when the ground turkey is fully white;
  • or the fact that you can make ground turkey change taste with spices, seasoning, and veggies. I’ll explain this later.

But the most important things you should know about how to cook ground turkey are the different cooking methods and different dishes you can make. Because different methods = more ground turkey meal prep ideas. And you know how it goes – having options is always a great thing.

You can…

  • make my recipe for Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles. The flavors and taste of the turkey meatballs are simply the best. For realz.
  • sautee the ground turkey with a little bit of olive oil breaking it apart with a spoon during cooking. You’ll get ground turkey crumbles that you can use in numerous ground turkey recipes.
  • make turkey burger patties and fry them with a little bit of olive oil. Or bake them. Now you can make healthy burgers. Yuuuhuuu!

If you ever wondered what can I make with ground turkey, now you know.

Making homemade marinara sauce for the Healthy Ground Turkey Meal Prep.
Close up of the homemade marinara sauce that will be used in the Healthy Ground Turkey Meal Prep.

WHAT TO MAKE WITH GROUND TURKEY

And speaking of what to make with ground turkey… you can come up with endless easy ground turkey recipes if you simply substitute beef with ground turkey in your favorite recipes.

  • Ground turkey tacos? They are awesome!
  • Ground turkey meatloaf? Why not? It’s yummy!
  • Burgers? I mentioned this already but seriously YUM! Or make this ground turkey bowl. It’s yummy and easy to make and you don’t have to worry about healthy burger bun alternatives.
  • Pasta dishes – also super yummy. For a healthy pasta dish, opt for whole wheat pasta or quinoa pasta.
  • Use ground turkey as filling for veggies to make delicious baked meals as I did with this Ground Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats.
  • You can sub the ground beef with ground turkey in my Healthy Spaghetti With Meat Sauce.

Close up of the Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles in the meal prep container.

HOW TO STORE GROUND TURKEY MEAL PREP

For this particular ground turkey meal prep recipe, I highly recommend glass or plastic meal prep containers. I use glass meal prep containers. I have these if you’re curious. They are eco-friendly, I can reheat the ground turkey meal prep in the meal prep container, and I can wash them in the dishwasher. Convenient, right?

However, if you don’t have meal prep containers, you can still make this healthy ground turkey meal prep. Just use Ziploc bags. Or any airtight container you have.

If you’re wondering how long is cooked ground turkey good for, you should know that, properly stored, ground turkey lasts for 3-4 days in the fridge.

3-4 days without stress over dinner? That’s a good plan! Who’s with me?

Top view of 4 meal prep containers filled with Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles.

TIPS FOR MAKING GROUND TURKEY RECIPES HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS

Making ground turkey recipes healthy doesn’t mean tasteless, boring dishes. But making ground turkey meal prep delicious can be a bit tricky since lean turkey is not high in fat. Which pretty much means is less flavorful. No worries tho’, you can easily change that. You’ll need more than salt and pepper but it’s doable. Here are my tips:

  • Use herbs and spices (garlic or onion powder, paprika or cayenne, cumin, oregano etc) to add flavor when making ground turkey recipes healthy;
  • Season the ground turkey with salt, pepper, and spices before you start cooking – the flavors will intensify while cooking. Depending on how you cook the ground turkey, you can add more herbs and spices during cooking until your taste buds are happy.
  • Add veggies to ground turkey. Not as a side, nope. I’m talking about adding veggies when you make burger patties or when you cook ground turkey to use in tacos or pasta. You can use bell pepper, hot pepper, onion or shallot. For extra flavor – sautee the veggies before mixing them with the ground turkey.

Lacey holding a meal prep container with Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles.Top view of 3 meal prep containers with Healthy Ground Turkey Meal Prep.

MORE HEALTHY MEAL PREP RECIPES

What do you think about this meal prep with ground turkey? It’s easy, right? Well, how do you feel about more easy-peasy meal prep recipes? For me, the more, the merrier. I hope that’s what you feel too cuz’ I have these recipes ready for you and I know you’ll love them.

EASY SWEET POTATO MEAL PREP – BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES 4 WAYS

You can meal prep full meals, you can meal prep main dishes separately but you can also meal prep sides. Yummy sides like this Easy Sweet Potato Meal Prep – Baked Sweet Potato Fries 4 Ways.

Horizontal image of meal prep containers filled with 4 different flavors of sweet potato fries including garlic & herbs, spicy chile, cajun, and cinnamon sugar.

Curious about the flavors? We have Garlic herb, Cajun, Spicy, and Cinnamon Sugar. Pick your favorite and get started.

HOW TO MEAL PREP – CHICKEN (7 MEALS UNDER $5)

Now that you know how to cook ground turkey and turn it into ground turkey recipes, it’s time to learn How to Meal Prep – Chicken (7 Meals/Under $5)!

Three prepared meals in a line to show how to arrange the meal prepped chicken for how to meal prep chicken.

Because chicken doesn’t have to be bland and tasteless either. With this meal prep, you get deliciously flavored Cilantro Lime Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sautéed Broccoli.

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED CHICKEN MEAL PREP

Another great idea for meal prep - Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Meal Prep. Why is it a great idea? Because you can use shredded chicken in many different chicken dishes.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Meal Prep

And you have 4 different flavors to choose from – Classic Shredded Chicken, Buffalo, BBQ, and Mexican.

Ground Turkey Meal Prep: Turkey Meatballs w/Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Healthy Habits For Weight Loss That Don't Require Dieting

Ground Turkey Meal Prep: Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Lacey Baier
Replace your high carb spaghetti cravings with these easy, healthy, and low carb Baked Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles!
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Meal Prep
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 meals
Calories 338 kcal

Equipment

  • Glass Meal Prep Containers

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

Ingredients
  

For the Turkey Meatballs:

  • 1 ½ lbs lean ground turkey breast
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for topping)
  • ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 eggs

For the Spaghetti Squash Noodles:

  • 2 large spaghetti squash
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Quick Marinara Sauce:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus more for topping)

Instructions
 

For the Turkey Meatballs:

  • To make the meatballs, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, almond meal, chopped Italian parsley, grated parmesan, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and eggs, and mix very well.
  • Using your hands, form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.
  • Place the meatballs into the baking sheet, separating them a by 1 inch so they can evenly bake.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until almost cooked through, and then turn the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes to create a crispy, golden-brown top.

For the Spaghetti Squash Noodles:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  • Carefully slice the squash in half through the stem. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard.
  • Lightly drizzle the olive oil over the flesh (cut-side) of the spaghetti squash. Then, lightly sprinkle the salt and pepper until evenly coated.
  • Flip the squash over to be cut-side down on the baking sheet.
  • Place on the oven and roast until a fork can easily pierce through the skin and flesh, approximately 45 min - 1 hour.
  • When the squash is cool enough to handle, gently scrape the flesh with a fork to remove it in long strands, and then divide into the bowls.

For the Quick Marinara Sauce:

  • Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until fragrant.
  • Add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add crushed tomato, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information provided is for 1 cup spaghetti squash noodles paired with 5 turkey meatballs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 mealCalories: 338 kcalCarbohydrates: 21 gProtein: 36 gFat: 22 gSaturated Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 112 mgSodium: 1107 mgPotassium: 813 mgFiber: 6 gSugar: 10 gVitamin A: 905 IUVitamin C: 12.5 mgCalcium: 214 mgIron: 3 mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

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  1. Jus

    April 11, 2019 at 5:02 am

    5 stars
    I have practically doubled the cheese amount and it came out even more delicious. I know this sort of breaks the concept of healthy eating that this blog tries to popularize 🙂 But I could not resist. Please forgive me my flaws 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jus By Julie

    April 11, 2019 at 5:01 am

    5 stars
    I have practically doubled the cheese amount and it came out even more delicious. I know this sort of breaks the concept of healthy eating that this blog tries to popularize 🙂 But I could not resist. Please forgive me my flaws 🙂

    Reply
  3. Jus By Julie VS The Swiss Colony

    April 11, 2019 at 5:00 am

    5 stars
    I have practically doubled the cheese amount and it came out even more delicious. I know this sort of breaks the concept of healthy eating that this blog tries to popularize 🙂 But I could not resist. Please forgive me my flaws 🙂

    Reply

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I'm Lacey! Nice to meet you 🙂

I’m a Cleanish Lifestyle Coach, YouTuber, and Blogger. I live in Austin, TX with my husband, 4 kids, and 2 mini Aussies. I'm here to help you transform your life through delicious clean eating recipes and science-backed knowledge!

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