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Healthy Meatloaf | With A Tasty Glaze

Meatloaf is a classic dish that everyone loves! This post will show you how to make my Healthy Meatloaf recipe. And wouldn’t you know, It’s GREAT for meal prep!

Meatloaf is a classic dish that everyone loves! This Healthy Meatloaf is clean eating and easy to make. Bonus: It’s great for meal prep!

I’ll tell you right off the bat. 

You are going to adore this Healthy Meatloaf! It’s the kind of recipe that you’ll come back to again and again.

The ingredients are simple, meaning that this is a clean eating recipe. Plus it’s a breeze to make – you simply mix the ingredients together and put the mixture in a meatloaf pan.

Pop it into the oven and let the flavors blend into a juicy and tender dish that is fabulous any night of the week. After 45-50 minutes, the oven has done the work.

Voila! Dinner is prepared and pairs well with yummy Low-Carb Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes or Baked Carrot Fries. Another favorite of mine with meatloaf is Strawberry Salad With Chia Seed Vinaigrette

Getting hungry? Let’s make this Healthy Meatloaf!

Close up view of a package of ground beef,85% lean and 15% fat, uncooked.

What Is In This Healthy Meatloaf?

Here are the ingredients for this easy-to-make dish:

  • Ground beef: I use 85/15, which means 85% lean and 15% fat
  • Almond meal: This is a healthy way to help the meatloaf retain moisture
  • Chopped Italian parsley: The flavor boost is amazing
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese: I love to add the cheese, but you can omit it if you want a dairy-free recipe
  • Sea salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 egg as a binder (if you need to substitute the egg, try 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt)

For the glaze (it’s divine!), you’ll need tomato sauce (I make my own to avoid hidden sugar), coconut sugar and dry mustard. That is it – so delicious yet absolutely good for you.

Overhead view of ingredients ready to be mixed for the Healthy Meatloaf, including ground beef, almond meal, sea salt, pepper, and parsley.

How To Make It?

Now that you’ve seen the ingredients, you’ll want to make this recipe tonight!

This is how you do it.

1. Preheat your oven. The temperature required to make this tasty meatloaf is 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Sort: In a large bowl, place all of the ingredients. You’ll need beef, almond meal, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg.

3. Combine: Mix the ingredients with a fork until mixed, but do not overmix.

4. Get Your Glaze Ready: In a small bowl add the glaze ingredients, which are tomato sauce, coconut sugar and dry mustard.

5. Meat To Pan: Put the meat mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. 

6. Glaze: Spread the glaze over the top.

7. Bake: Usually 45-50 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F

8. Try To Wait! Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Overhead image of meatloaf in a meatloaf pan, with glaze being spooned on the top.

What Is The Secret To Moist Meatloaf?

To make a moist meatloaf, I use 85% lean ground beef and 15% fat. This fat ratio ensures that the dish is moist. I don’t recommend a higher ratio of fat (because there is the chance that your meatloaf will become greasy instead of moist).

Here’s some other factors:

  • I use almond meal. It helps to retain the moisture as opposed to it draining away. I like to use almond meal instead of breadcrumbs to make the meatloaf gluten-free. But breadcrumbs work as well.
  • Don’t over mix the ingredients either. Doing so can result in a dryer, tougher meatloaf. Just mix until the ingredients are combined. When adding the ingredients to the pan, don’t compress the meat too much because it may take longer to cook. This risks a dryer meatloaf, too.
  • Lastly, let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If you slice it right away, you’ll see the juices flowing out. Letting it rest and reach a lower temperature ensures the juices remain.
Close up view of an instant-read thermometer reading 160 F being inserted into cooked meatloaf.

Should Meatloaf Be Covered While Baking?

I don’t cover the meatloaf. If you bake the recipe at a low temperature, your meatloaf will cook evenly and will not dry out. Some people cover with foil to keep the top of the meatloaf from drying out. But when the dish is cooked at a low temperature with a glaze on top, you do not have that issue.

As mentioned, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness. This way you do not dry out the meatloaf by overcooking. Having an uncovered meatloaf makes this easy to do, also!

What Can I Put On Top Of Meatloaf Instead Of Ketchup?

Put my glaze on top, of course! Tomato sauce, coconut sugar, and dry mustard are all you need to make this appetizing glaze. You can also use barbecue sauce, mushroom sauce, or even salsa.

Close up side image of a meatloaf, cut in half on a parchment paper lined sheet. pan.

What Goes Well With Healthy Meatloaf?

The first thing that comes to mind to pair with healthy meatloaf is Butternut Squash Healthy Mac and Cheese. Talk about comfort food! If you’d like to go lighter, Healthy Green Bean Casserole goes well. You get the idea, right?

These recipes are all healthy! Here are more ideas for what goes well with meatloaf:

How To Store Healthy Meatloaf

Store this healthy meatloaf in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to wrap it in a reusable storage bag and then put it in an airtight container.

To freeze, wrap the meatloaf and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat. Meatloaf sandwiches are amazing, so go ahead and slice the meatloaf, packaging a few slices together in each container. Just make sure they are well wrapped.

Side view of a white plate with meatloaf, broccoli and potatoes.

More Healthy Entrées

Are you ready to try more good-for-you recipes? I’ve got a ton of them on the blog. These are just a few!

This post contains affiliate links to products I use regularly and highly recommend.

5 from 1 vote
Healthy Meatloaf
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

Meatloaf is a classic dish that everyone loves! This Healthy Meatloaf is clean eating and easy to make. Bonus: It’s great for meal prep!

Categories: Easy Dinner
Difficulty: Easy
Keyword: best meatloaf recipe, best meatloaf recipes, clean eating meatloaf
Servings: 6
Calories: 334 kcal
Author: Lacey Baier of A Sweet Pea Chef
Ingredients
For the meatloaf:
  • 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese omit if going dairy-free
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • For the glaze:
  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 1/2 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Place the ground beef, almond meal, parsley, parmesan, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork.

  3. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf pan.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, dry mustard and coconut sugar for the glaze. Pour the glaze over meatloaf and spread evenly.

  5. Bake until meatloaf reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 45/50 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

  6. I've never needed to grease the pan or use parchment paper, but you can do so if you wish.

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Meatloaf
Amount Per Serving (3 oz)
Calories 334 Calories from Fat 175
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.4g30%
Saturated Fat 7.8g39%
Cholesterol 86.7mg29%
Sodium 263.7mg11%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5.5g6%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 250IU5%
Vitamin C 3.3mg4%
Calcium 170mg17%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Lacey Baier

Hey y’all, I’m Lacey Baier and I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a healthy lifestyle influencer and the creator of this clean-eating blog and YouTube channel, A Sweet Pea Chef. My recipes have been published on Food Network, Good Morning America, FoxNews, Tastemade, Fitness Magazine, and much more. I live in Dallas, Texas with my husband and four kiddos. Let’s get started!

22 thoughts on “Healthy Meatloaf | With A Tasty Glaze

    1. Why would you not include onion, garlic, or another allium in a recipe for meatloaf? I’m sorry but just because it leaves out fats and has so few ingredients doesn’t make it “healthy.” This meatloaf deserves vegetables, flavor, and LOVE.

  1. OMG!!! I tried the meatloaf and the parmesan green beans they were delish!!! I will never go back to can green beans. Thanks for all the recipe’s

  2. Found this recipe on Pinterest. We’re about to have a very American meal here in Korea–complete with mashed potatoes and green beans! Yum! Thanks!

  3. Wonderful recipe. My husband does not like leftovers, but managed to eat the leftover meatloaf for lunch and dinner the next day!

  4. My husband wasn’t thrilled when I told him I wanted to try this recipe, since he’s never been a fan of meatloaf. Tonight when I pulled it from the oven, he came downstairs and said that the smell of it’d had his mouth had been watering for the past 15 minutes! He took one bite and said it was the BEST meatloaf he’d ever tasted. I have an easy new go-to dinner now–it was delightful, thank you!

  5. Tried this recipe tonight and it was to die for. I wasn’t able to include nutmeg because I did not have any on hand but it was still delicious. I would love to have more of the ketchup glaze mixture to eat with the rest of the meatloaf because it was so tasty! Thank you, this is definitely the best recipe for meatloaf I have tried.

  6. Just finished making the meatloaf recipe.
    Sounds amazing can’t wait to try it.
    One typo, the worcheshire sauce is listed in the ingredients, but missed from where to put it in the directions. I realized this after everthing was put together so I just put a few drops over top before the glaze was added.
    If you can fix that in the details that would be great.

  7. I just have to say I have enjoyed following your recipes… I’ve been reading for about a week. Tonight I saw your measuring spoons and had to comment! My mom has the exact same ones. I think the five kids in our family all teethed on them and so did all our children! 🙂

  8. I must start by saying I’m not a huge fan of meatloaf, but my husband is, so I’m always looking for a recipe he might like. I took a little nibble when it came out of the oven and mmmmmmmmm, OMG, delish :-).

    Even my 15 month old daughter, who is incredibly picky, enhaled it.

    I made it exactly as written (except I used pork and beef mix, since that’s what I had on hand). Thank you so much for sharing.

    1. I’m learning more about the different types of flours one can use instead of regular flour. I will definitely have to try the almond flour — I think that would have really helped keep the meatloaf more “normal.” Thanks for sharing, Carrie!

  9. Who doesn’t love a good meatloaf? I have been on a quest to find the best one, I think that it isn’t the easy recipe that everyone thinks it is. Yours sounds very good and I will enjoy trying your recipe. Thanks!

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