It’s fun (and easy) to get sneaky with meatballs. Their texture allows you to incorporate all sorts of healthful ingredients that your picky eaters would never suspect. I took full advantage and experimented with zucchini and oats with my latest rendition. Try ’em tonight!

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Zucchini Meatballs

It’s fun (and easy) to get sneaky with meatballs. Their texture allows you to incorporate all sorts of healthful ingredients that your picky eaters would never suspect.
Yield: 14 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1¼ pounds lean ground turkey, at least 90 percent lean
  • ¾ cup Parmesan
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats, dry
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 twenty-six ounce jars marinara sauce

Instructions
 

  • Shred or finely chop zucchini, carrot and onion in a food processor. Scoop the mixture onto layered paper towels and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
  • Add the vegetables to a large bowl along with ground turkey, Parmesan, eggs, oats, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
  • In a large pot, add 2 jars marinara sauce. Shape turkey mixture into medium-sized balls (approximately 44) and carefully add each one to the pot of sauce (it’s OK if some are on top of each other and not submerged in the sauce). Do not stir or the meatballs will break apart.
  • Cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover the pot, gently stir the meatballs so they are all covered in the sauce, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
  • Serve over steamed greens or with whole-grain spaghetti.

Notes

Each meatball is 35 calories without the sauce and 50 calories with the sauce. If you serve 4 meatballs with 1 cup of pasta, the total will be 420 calories.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Calories: 50Carbohydrates: 4gProtein: 4gTotal Fat: 2g— Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g— Saturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 160mgFiber: 1gTotal Sugar: 2g— Natural Sugar: 2g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.
I’m hoping you loved this recipe! If you made it and want to share feedback, I’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please leave a review below or tag @joybauer on Instagram!