A delicious, gluten-free Meat Loaf recipe that the whole family will enjoy!

Ingredients:

  1. 2 cups finely diced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
  2. 2 tbsp. ghee
  3. salt and pepper, to taste
  4. 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  5. 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  6. 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
  7. 2 lbs. ground beef
  8. 2 eggs, beaten
  9. 1/2 cup almond flour

For the sauce:

  1. 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  2. 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  3. 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
  4. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 1 tsp. yellow mustard
  6. 1 tsp. crystals hot sauce
  7. salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and thyme and saute until tender, about 7 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste and coconut aminos. Set aside to let cool.
  4. When cool, place ground beef, almond flour, 2 beaten eggs, and plenty of salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl. Pour the onion mixture on top , and mix lightly with a fork. Don’t mash or the meat loaf will be dense.
  5. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.
  6. In a bowl, combine all of the “for the sauce” ingredients, stir to combine.
  7. Spread the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.
  8. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 155°F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
  9. Make thick slices to serve.
  10. Enjoy!

Meal prepping, if done properly, is quick, cheap, and easy. Here is a few meal prep ideas that will save you time, money and provide you with healthy food that’s ready to go whenever you open the fridge. When we have healthy snacks and meals readily available, that’s what you will eat. Make eating healthy a breeze!

Wash and prep your fruits and vegetables right away!

  • Wash and prep your fruit and vegetable as soon as you get it home and store in air tight containers the way you would eat it or as a fruit salad that’s portable and ready to go for the rest of the week. If buying fruits and veggies in bulk doesn’t work for you, buy frozen or pre-cut portions!

Roast or Cook 3 or 4 Veggies at the same time!

  • Each week roast sweet potatoes and broccoli in your oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes on a large cookie sheet or until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Throw in a 3rd veggie like brussels sprouts, carrots, green beens, asparagus, cauliflower or zucchini. You will have three side dishes or salad ingredients for the week done!

Grill or Bake 3 meats all at once!

  • Season chicken, steak or fish with 3 different flavors such as Cajun, Asian or BBQ seasoning  and separate with aluminum foil when cooking. You can add the meat to salads or have ready to go for dinner on busy nights. Sometimes I will crock pot a meat while I  grill several chicken breasts all seasoned differently. Cooking meat ahead of time in bulk like this is so easy and it’s so convenient to have lean meat for bowls, salads, or a meal ready to go.

Portion out your favorite healthy snacks each week!

  • Pre package serving size portions of nuts, fruit, protein balls or whatever your favorite snacks are into small baggies or air tight containers. This little bit of prep work will get you set for the week and help you avoid a hangry decision to hit the drive-thru out of desperation!

Hard boiled eggs

  • Hard boiled eggs- one of the best go-to healthy snacks! A hard boiled egg has only 77 calories and is filled with 9 essential amino acids along with 6 grams of protein. This portable protein is one of the most nutritious snacks on-the-go you can choose!

Eating healthy does not have to be overwhelming. Hopefully these easy meal prep tips will you prep smarter not harder. Planning your weekly meals and prepping a few things ahead of time will save you tons of time and energy. Here is to healthy delicious meals without excuses!