Is Meatloaf Healthy? (7 Tips For Weight Loss) 

Meatloaf is a popular American comfort dish, and if you love Meatloaf but are wondering if it’s healthy, or good for your waistline, this article is for you. Find out what goes into making a classic Meatloaf, how many calories it contains, and how to stay in shape while indulging in this delicious American dish.

Meatloaf is a meat dish made with minced meats and other ingredients and is then baked. It has its roots in Germany, Belgium, and Scandinavia and was brought to the states by German settlers at colonial times. German-Americans in Pennsylvania would make Meatloaf with ground pork and cornmeal.

Although Meatloaf is delicious, is it actually healthy?

Meatloaf can be healthy, as it offers a balance of all three macronutrients, which translates to a suitable range of calories. However, it depends on how you prepare it. 

Here are seven steps that explain what Meatloaf is, the calorie amount in one serving of Meatloaf, as well as how to stay fit and healthy while eating this classic American dish. 

1. What Goes into Making Meatloaf?

2. How Many Calories Are in One Serving of Meatloaf?

3. Understand How Many Calories You Need to Consume in a Day

4. Understand Your Macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, & Fats) 

5. How to Increase Your Activity Level 

6. How to Stay in Shape and Build Muscle

7. Make Sure To Have a Consistent Cardio Schedule

Now that we know our seven steps, let’s get into the details that will help you stay in shape while enjoying some delicious Meatloaf.

Tip 1: What Goes into Making Meatloaf?

Meatloaf is a classic American dish that rose to popularity during the Great Depression where many families looked for ways to create a delicious meal for less. During these times, inexpensive meat was used and breadcrumbs to stretch the meat. The traditional way was using a sauce made with ketchup and brown sugar, however, you can also substitute it by either making an onion or brown gravy, using barbecue sauce or cream of mushroom soup.

It’s an easy, delicious, and budget-friendly dish. 

Let’s find out what goes into making a classic Meatloaf.

Traditionally, Meatloaf is made with either ground beef or ground pork, or a mix of both, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, egg, onion, garlic, ketchup, thyme, salt, and pepper. 

You mix all ingredients together and transfer it to a loaf pan, bake it and brush the remaining ketchup on top of the Meatloaf and bake it for another 10 minutes. Meatloaf is usually served with mashed potatoes and some sort of veggies but you of course serve it with other side dishes. 

To make Meatloaf healthier we suggest making a few changes. 

Regarding the meat, we recommend using the leanest meat you can find. Such as ground sirloin, ground turkey breast, and lean ground pork. Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use oats, bulgur, or quinoa. As well as seeds, such as sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds, which are high in protein and healthy omega-3 fats. 

And last but not least, if you like to make this dish even healthier you can replace half of the meat with mushrooms for example. You can also add carrots and bell peppers 

If you are a vegan, you can try making a Meatloaf using lentils and veggies. Or you can use plant-based meat options to make a vegan and vegetarian-friendly Meatloaf. 

Now that we know what Meatloaf is and how to make it, let’s take a look at the nutrition facts of one serving of Meatloaf.

Tip 2: How Many Calories Are in One Serving of Meatloaf?

The key aspect is to understand how many calories you need to consume in a day, whether you have a sedentary lifestyle or an active lifestyle, and to make sure not to overeat on your total calories for the day.  

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts. As you can see, one serving of Meatloaf has 280 calories with a macronutrient ratio of 19 grams of carbs, 28 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat.  

The calories in one serving of Meatloaf are relatively moderate and can be easily incorporated into your daily caloric intake, as long as you work out and don’t overeat. Keep in mind that although this dish is high in protein it is also high in sodium with 630mg.  

The key to dieting is a nice balance of macronutrients, as well as having an active lifestyle.  

What’s important when eating food is understanding the balance of both calories and macronutrients.  

Calories define how our bodies look and feel which is a concept that we will talk about in the next section.  

What makes up those calories are really what’s important and having those macronutrients skewed to fats and carbs will be detrimental to your diet. 

A good rule of thumb is sticking to 30% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fats.  

If you consistently work out and only stick to one serving of Meatloaf, you can easily incorporate the calorie amount into your daily caloric intake.  

Just keep in mind that the calorie amount will be higher adding a side of mashed potatoes and veggies.  

Now that we know a little bit more about the nutrition facts of one serving of Meatloaf, let’s take a look at how many calories you need to consume daily to stay in shape.

Tip 3: Understand How Many Calories You Need to Consume in a Day

Great health and fitness are all about calorie or energy balance, which means that you can still eat your fats and carbs, and stay in shape. 

If you burn more calories than you consume, then you will find yourself in a “caloric deficit” which is the only way fat loss can occur. 

You can easily overeat on unhealthy, processed foods that are high in fats and carbs, especially when something is as delicious as Meatloaf. Overeating is usually the quickest way to get out of shape. 

To stay healthy and in shape, we need to first go over your daily caloric needs and figure out how many calories you need in a day, as well as figure out how much of each macronutrient you should be consuming.

There are a few factors that determine your daily calorie intake. Such as weight management, weight loss, or weight gain. Other factors that play a major role are your gender and your height. 

So, how do you know how many calories you should be eating in a day?

The answer is through trial and error and finding a calorie range that allows you to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. 

However, a good place to start is to multiply your body weight by 12 or to use an online TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator.

Your TDEE relies heavily on how active you are and how much movement you see in your day.

Within your TDEE lies a subsection, which is called TEPA (Thermic Effect of Physical Activity) which accounts for 15-30% of your entire day’s worth of calories.

This means, you are in control of 15-30% of how much you can eat, which is a huge portion of calories.

It’s important to find foods that keep you full longer and still deliver a balanced amount of macronutrients. 

If you’re someone who loves to eat a lot while staying fit, then being active is the key to a balanced lifestyle that allows you to eat whatever you like, such as Meatloaf, and stay in shape. 

Once you know your calorie intake based on your weight and height, you can then decide how much you want to decrease it. 

So, if you want to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, we suggest you start with 100 calories less than what you are currently consuming and see if you notice a difference within a week.

If you don’t see any changes in your weight, decrease your calorie intake by another 100 calories and see how that works. 

However, it is suggested, to not decrease the calorie intake below 1,200 per day for women, or below 1,500 calories per day for men.

So, just calculate whatever calorie range you find, and split up your calories by following those macro guidelines. 

Now that we know how many calories to consume daily, let’s take a look at what macronutrients are.

Tip 4: Understand Your Macronutrients (Protein, Carbs, & Fats) 

Calories come from three different sources of macronutrients called protein, carbs, and fats.

I’m sure you’ve heard of these before but it’s crucial to understand the importance of what each one does and how much of each you should eat in a day. 

To sum it up briefly, proteins are in charge of muscle growth and all bodily functions, carbs provide a direct energy source to fuel your activity, fats maintain hormones, vitamin intake, and give flavor to foods. 

The main thing here is to get your protein which can be one of the most challenging things to do when dieting.

However, many American dishes deliver high amounts of protein without too many fats and carbs. 

Protein is important due to two things; it helps build and maintain muscle, and it allows you to be more satiated when dieting. 

These two aspects are crucial when dieting and it isn’t enough to simply eat less.

There are so many health benefits to getting shape and it all starts from understanding calories and macronutrients. 

In the next section of this article, we will show you how to increase your activity level. 

Tip 5: How to Increase Your Activity Level 

After you’ve figured out how many calories you need to consume daily, you need to make sure that you exercise regularly and increase your activity level.

I’m sure that you’ve heard that carbs are the enemy and they’re the main driving factor in keeping us from getting a flat stomach or abs.

Carbs are your direct source of energy and they allow you to function properly and fuel your workouts and movements.

The same goes for fats. However, the body needs healthy fats to function properly and to absorb nutrients. As well as to produce hormones. 

The real enemy is inactivity and staying sedentary while eating more carbs than you need to. 

As stated in Step #3, you need to be able to burn enough calories throughout your day to put yourself at a caloric deficit.  

Therefore it is important you utilize your calories efficiently throughout your day. 

60-75% of energy expenditure comes from your basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is how much your body burns if it did nothing all day. (NASM)

10% of energy expenditure comes from the thermic effect of feeding (TEF) which is the calories you burn from digesting different foods. (NASM)

15-30% of energy expenditure comes from the Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA) which is movement such as working out and aerobics. Source (NASM) 

To sum it up, up to 30% of our energy expenditure can come from movement and activity so this is a huge portion of our weight loss journey that you can actively control.

The more movement the better and, to utilize and burn those calories, you should be moving all you can.

That’s why it’s important to increase your activity level at least 3 - 4 times a week if your goal is to get lean. 

Now that you know how to increase your activity level, let’s take a look at how you can build muscle and stay in shape.

Tip 6: How to Stay in Shape and Build Muscle

Although it can be intimidating to get in shape, as it will be hard to learn and might be discouraging at the beginning, it’s definitely worth it in the long run for both your health and fitness.  

The best way to do this is to build muscle and to also move more throughout your day. 

Building muscle allows you to burn calories at rest, which means you can eat more and still lose fat.

This is really the goal of working out and is what keeps you healthy as your metabolism increases.

All you need are a set of dumbbells, such as these adjustable dumbbells, to build muscle and by doing a variety of workouts that target each muscle group specifically. 

As well as a reliable treadmill, such as the Bluefin Fitness Treadmill that tracks your calories and you’re on your way to controlling the number of calories you burn. 

Regarding working out with dumbbells, it’s important not to add too much weight too soon because that could result in injury if you are unfamiliar with the correct body positions. It is better to start small and then increase the weight level. 

Here is a workout plan we’ve created for men and women, where you can get started if you are someone who is new to a resistance training regimen.

MEN:

Day One: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs (Push Day) : 

• Cable Crunches: 4 sets 15 reps 

• Triceps Rope Push Down: 3 sets 15 reps

• Lateral Raises: 3 sets 15 reps

• Shoulder Press: 3 sets 10 reps

• Dumbbell Press: 4 sets 12 reps

• Bench Press: 3 sets 10 reps

Day Two (Legs & Abs):

• Weighted Toe Touches: 4 sets 25 reps

• Weighted Sit-Ups: 4 sets 25 reps

• Jumping Squats With Resistance Bands: 5 sets 20 reps

• Glute Bridges With Weight: 4 sets 20 reps

• Stiff Leg Deadlift (Romanian Deadlift): 4 sets 15 reps

• Weighted Walking Lunges: 2 sets 20 steps

• Goblet Squats: 4 sets 20 reps

Day Three: Back & Biceps (Pull Day):

• Hammer Curls: 3 sets 10 reps

• Bicep Curls: 3 sets 10 reps

• Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets 15 reps

• Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets 10 reps (Each Side)

• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets 12 reps

• Assisted Pull-Ups: 3 sets 10 reps

WOMEN

Day One (Full Upper):

• Weighted Crunches: 3x35 

• Lateral Raises: 4x15

• Lat Pulldowns: 4x12

• Knee Push-Ups: 4x20

• Seated Shoulder Press: 4x20 

• Dumbbell Row: 3x10

• Dumbbell Fly: 3x10

Day Two (Back/Hamstrings/Biceps):

• Hammer Curls: 3x10

• Bicep Curls: 3x10

• Hamstring Curl: 4x15

• Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4x15

• Cable Row: 4x15

• Lat Pulldowns: 4x12

• Assisted Pull-Ups: 3x10

Day Three (Legs/Butt/Abs): 

• Leg Lifts: 3x35

• Weighted Crunches: 3x35 

• Jump Squats: 4x20

• Glute Kickbacks: 4x20 each leg

• Glute Bridge: 4x20

• Goblet Squats: 4x20

• Squats: 5x5

We recommend working out at least three times per week in the beginning, since the resting days in between are important to build muscle. 

Building muscle will happen relatively fast if you are new to working out, so this is great news for anyone looking to get in shape.

Now that you know how you can build muscle, let’s take a look at how you can have a consistent cardio schedule.

Tip 7: Make Sure To Have a Consistent Cardio Schedule

Although working out and building muscle takes priority, having a consistent cardio schedule can help with expediting the fat loss process as it raises the energy expended throughout your week.

There are two types of cardio that you can do in your week that will speed up the fat loss results. Those two types come from LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) cardio and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) cardio. 

What you want to aim for is to burn around 1,000 calories of cardio every week through means of either LISS or HIIT. 

LISS is cardio that comes from walking or a brisk walk, you should be able to have a conversation while still building up a sweat.

HIIT cardio is intervals of a very high-intensity movement such as sprints, battle ropes, or kickboxing movements that aim to raise the heart rate quickly.

The benefit of HIIT is allowing yourself to burn calories in a shorter amount of time. 

We recommend having 80% of cardio coming from LISS while 20% comes from HIIT for optimal fat loss throughout the week.

The reason for this is that HIIT is very hard to consistently track as many of the calorie tracking devices are inaccurate. 

LISS is a much more reliable source of consistent movement and does not require rest as it does not shock the Central Nervous System the way HIIT can.

There’s a time and place for HIIT but just make sure that 80% of those 1,000 calories come from brisk walks and light jogs. 

You can also do a combination of resistance training and LISS or HIIT cardio, to improve your heart health and maximize fat burn. 

If you are new to working out, building muscle will happen relatively fast, so this is great news for anyone looking to get in shape.

The important aspect is patience and dedication. Fitness, unfortunately, isn’t something that occurs overnight and is an investment that you put into yourself that pays off over time. 

Some may be genetically gifted to stay slim and skinny while others may not.

Working out allows you to be more flexible in your diet and lifestyle, which is so important if you want to sustain a lean body and stay healthy. 

This is why we need to control the number of calories we get from carbs and fats to utilize the energy we gain through movement and workouts.

The tip here is to live active and go out and seek a workout regimen. 

So, next time you’re wondering how you can lose some weight, remember that you need to build some muscle and track your calories to your specified amount. 

THERE IT IS!

It’s crucial to understand the importance of diet and working out to enjoy foods like Meatloaf the traditional way. 

In this article, we discussed what Meatloaf is and if it’s healthy, how to make a classic version and a healthier one, how many calories one serving contains, and how to stay in shape while eating Meatloaf.

It’s all a process of controlling your calories, substituting certain ingredients packed with protein and fibers, and working out consistently and for a long period.

The key to healthy eating is balance and moderation. Our seven tips will help you stay fit while eating some delicious Meatloaf. 

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