Healthy Meat Loaf

1 pound diet lean ground beef
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 package whole carrots
1 package raw spinach (when rough chopped up it should equal about 3 cups)
1 small yellow onion chopped fine.
1 can diced Italian tomatoes (or make your own recipe below)
2 regular size cans tomato soup (do not add water)
3 garlic cloves run through a press or minced
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Egg (optional)*

Step 1:
Clean the carrots, clipping off tops. Fine shred all the carrots. Set to the side.
Fine chop onion
Fine chop spinach
If making own diced Italian tomatoes mix together:

• 5 Roma Tomatoes diced fine
• 1 TBS Dried Basil

Step 2:

Remove 1 cup of the shredded carrots. Reserve the rest to the side.

In a large mixing bowl mix together 1/2 can of the tomato soup, the ground beef, onion, 1 cup shredded carrots, spinach, diced Italian tomatoes, garlic salt and pepper. (If you prefer denser meat loaf add the egg now). I prefer mixing with my hands to get everything well incorporated. Pour into an non-greased 9 x 12 pan shaping it into a loaf the length of the pan, leaving space on both sides of the loaf.

Step 3

Pour the rest of the shredded carrots over the meat loaf and down beside the meat loaf. Yep cover that puppy. Then with a spoon, spoon over the remaining can and 1/2 of tomato soup over the entire pan of meat loaf and carrots making sure everything is covered with the soup.

Step 4

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven until the internal temp is 160 - 165 degrees taken along the length and in the middle of the loaf. Usually around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Variations and Notes:

If I have left over pasta or tomato base sauces use them up by adding it to the meat mixture.

If I have left over cooked veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, squash, yams, sweet potatoes, I puree them and add them to the meat mixture in addition to what is listed on the ingredient list to use them up.

I prefer a looser version of meat loaf this is why I don't add the egg.

The carrots give a wonderful flavor to the ground beef instead of fat. My DH and Children love the side carrots on this meal as the ground beef lends a wonderful flavor to the carrots. I leave the skins on the carrots, I just wash very well as this is where the most nutrition is.

IF, you have a picky eater who you think will see the veggies in the meat loaf and refuse to eat it, here is what you do: Replace the one cup shredded carrots with two cups carrots that have been steamed and pureed with a hand blender or in your regular blender or food processor then add it into the meat mixture. Then in a food processor, process the raw spinach to fine particles and add it into the meat mixture, they will never see it or taste it but all the good stuff for you is still there.

This is a great place to add ground flax seed to the meat mixture 3 heaping tablespoons should do to maximize fiber.

I serve this with (fake) garlic mashed potatoes:

Steam a whole head of cauliflower, once soft but still warm toss into food processor and gently pulsate until the constancy of mashed potato add a little butter, 1 clove garlic pressed, salt & pepper. Yum, you would never guess this is not mashed potatoes.