HappyTummy              

Despite the fact that B usually takes a few days off from work every month in the summer to play golf (must be nice to have that freedom!), he likes to boast about his strong work ethic. He oftentimes reminds me that he’s been working since he was 14. Throughout both high school and college, he worked at all kinds of restaurants–fast food, family, gourmet–in all different capacities–bus boy, waiter, dishwasher, etc. Boy, it can be tiring to listen to someone brag about things he did more than 15 years ago! :)

Anyway, his work at various restaurant chains is most likely the reason he eats and enjoys really terrible food. He, however, will argue that many of those restaurants have healthy options…like a salad bar. A few months ago, he begged me to go to national family food chain, whose name I won’t mention here. He wanted to eat their (grade D) steak and shrimp, and suggested I could find something I liked at their salad bar.

Let me tell you about their salad bar: Next to the wilted lettuce, watery tomatoes and dried out cucumber rounds (all baking under the green glow of a warming lamp), were chicken wings, mashed potatoes, mac ‘n cheese, fishsticks, battered chicken nuggets, meatloaf smothered in gravy…you get the picture. It was basically a buffet line disguised as a “salad bar.” I spent dinner picking at a sorry little salad, so let’s just say it goes down in history as one of the the worst “meals” I ever had in my life. Even B later admitted it was a poor choice for me (and my digestive system)…and we haven’t been there since.

Because I know I can’t prevent B from ever eating that kind of food, last weekend, I made a meatloaf for dinner…but my meatloaf was made with ground turkey and lots of veggies. It’s also made with rolled oats instead of the typical bread crumbs, which gives it a good dose of fiber.

I chose not to make any type of gravy; instead, I thinned out some ketchup with Worchestershire sauce and water, and poured it over before I baked it to add flavor and create a thin crust. Yummy and healthy.

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

• 1/2 cup rolled oats, moistened with water
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1/3 cup Egg Beaters
• 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine all the ingredients. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 3 inches high. Bake for about 1 hour or until meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.