Iowa recipe: Healthier Meatloaf

I'm embarrassed that this is the best photo I got of the meatloaf recipe I recently tried.  The meatloaf didn't stick together that well because I added more ground beef than was called for from the recipe.  So it's my fault; I don't blame the recipe.

One of my favorite blogs is Iowa State University Extension's "Spend Smart. Eat Smart." I've learned a ton about meal planning from this blog and the website that goes with it.  The big take-away that I've learned from this website is that when it comes to meal planning, less is more.  Healthy meals at home don't have to be complicated or expensive.  Just keep your pantry stocked with ingredients for easy meals that your family enjoys. 

I used to buy groceries whenever our cupboards were bare, and then I'd go on a huge shopping trip and fill my cart until it was overflowing. But after following the advice from ISU Extension, now I go shopping once a week, and I'm more careful to plan my meals around what is on sale. It's made my trips to the grocery store a lot less stressful and helps me manage my food budget better.

In February, the "Spend Smart. Eat Smart" website featured this recipe for Mouthwatering Meatloaf. I loved the healthy ingredients: shredded carrots, oats and skim milk.  So I gave it a try and was very happy with the results.  It's a pretty basic recipe, but you can play around with the spices if you want.  My husband added a little mustard in the ketchup topping before we placed it back in the oven to finish cooking.  We also liked that the recipe says to cook the meatloaf on a broiler pan so the fat drips away.

Oh, and if you're wondering, you can't taste the carrots in the finished dish, so I'm sure kids will like this meatloaf, too!  Please let me know what you think if you give it a try.