Recipe Rehab: Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs

Coming home to a hot cooked meal during the winter months is something to look forward to, and I love my slow cooker for providing this for my family. Slow cooker recipes traditionally feature soups, stews, and baked beans, but in my house meatballs are always a favorite. Tangy sweet and sour meatballs are traditionally made with ground chuck, breadcrumbs, moistened with eggs and covered with a thick sauce made from a combination of sugar and vinegar. Low in fiber and high in both sugar and fat, this is one of those comfort foods that could use a rehab.

I will make the meatballs with ground turkey breast instead of beef. Consuming less red meat has been linked to lower rates of certain cancers and ground turkey breast is much lower in fat than even the leanest ground beef. That said, it's important to look for the "ground turkey breast" because it contains only lean ground meat unlike the regular "ground turkey" which may contain as much fat as the 85 percent lean beef. By combining the ground turkey with instant oatmeal and egg beaters, I will further decrease the fat and add a little fiber to the meatballs.

Since the sweet and sour sauce is the main culprit for the high sugar content of this dish, I will use only natural sweeteners from the canned pineapple and its juice. To increase the nutritional content and add additional fiber, I will include green beans and tomatoes to round out the dish. Served on top of brown rice, the dish now contains whole grains, a lean protein and a variety of vegetables which makes a nutritious dinner that's ready when I walk in the door.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 3/4 cup dry instant or rolled oatmeal
• 1/4 cup egg beaters
• 1/2 cup minced onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 1 can (14 ounces) pineapple chunks, solids and liquids
• 2 cups frozen chopped green beans
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vinegar

Instructions:

1. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Shape into one-inch meatballs.

2. Brown meatballs in a non-stick skillet until all sides are no longer pink. Place in a slow cooker.

3. In a medium sauce pan combine the canned pineapples (chunks and juice), green beans, and tomatoes and heat over medium heat until boiling. Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, and vinegar. Add to the pot and stir until thickened.

4. Pour sauce over meatballs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for five hours.

Alternative Preparation: Recipe can be baked in a conventional oven. Prepare as above except place browned meatballs in a casserole dish and cover with sauce. Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 30-45 minutes.

Serves: 8

Nutrition Content (per serving):

222 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 21 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 31 g protein, 172 mg sodium

Try my Turkey Chili for another great dish made with ground turkey!

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us an e-mail at reciperehab [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com.