This easy to make, flavourful Meatloaf recipe is perfect for anyone following the Weight Watchers program. Low in points and generous in serving size it’s a no brainer for anyone wanting a WW friendly version of this American classic.

At just 6 SmartPoints per slice on the myWW Green plan and 5 SmartPoints per slice on the myWW Blue & myWW Purple plans this recipe is sure to become a Weight Watchers favourite.

I often get emails from people who have visited Pointed Kitchen when they are looking for WW recipe inspiration.

Occasionally they enquire whether I have a WW friendly recipe for a particular dish that they are missing since starting their WW journey.

Over the last few months, a number of people have asked whether I have a WW friendly Meatloaf recipe.

Perhaps this is because it’s such a comfort food and people need comfort at this time of the year!

I hadn’t a WW friendly version, so for weeks I have been trying out & adapting different meatloaf recipes, with varying success.

Some have been too dry, some have lacked flavour and some have been too high is SmartPoints for my liking.

After all this meatloaf making & eating, I am now a little tired of it to be honest 😀 but I am sure I will quickly get my taste for it back!

This particular recipe, in my view, is the perfect combination of moistness, flavour, ease and number of SmartPoints.

It has a tangy glaze that adds to the flavour (but importantly doesn’t increase the SmartPoints too much) it is a perfect texture, not too dry but equally not moist or oily and it’s very simple to make.

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What breadcrumbs can I use?

For this recipe, I used low calorie sliced white bread to make the breadcrumbs.

I toasted the slices of bread (4 slices that weighed roughly 100g in total) and then I placed the toast in my Ninja Food Processor to make the crumbs.

The breadcrumbs worked out at 7 SmartPoints for the 100g (approx 1 cup) that were needed for this recipe.

You could use Panko breadcrumbs instead but you would need to check the nutritional information for the brand that you use first. Most come out between 8 – 10 SmartPoints per 100g.

Why grate the onions?

I wanted the flavour of onion in this meatloaf but did not want to be biting down on bits of chopped onion in the cooked loaf!

By grating the onion, the flavour is spread through the meatloaf evenly & to be honest, I also find grating an onion less time consuming than finely chopping it!

Seasoning the Meatloaf

As the meatloaf recipe included Worcestershire sauce and crumbled stock/bouillon cubes, both of which are salty, I did not feel that the recipe needed any further salt added.

However, if you were to use low sodium stock/bouillon cubes you may feel the need to add a little salt to bring out the flavours.

Tips for making this dish?

This meatloaf is just so simple to make but there are a few suggestions to make it perfectly each time.

Place the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, crumbled stock/bouillon cubes, grated onion, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, milk, pepper and chopped parsley (if using) into a bowl (picture 1).

Combine the ingredients using a wooden spoon or even better use your hands to squidge it all together.

Grease a loaf tin using the calorie controlled spray oil, making sure that you get right into the corners of the tin.

Tip the meat mixture into the tin and press it down firmly. Smooth out the top so that there are no cracks or lumps or bumps (picture 3).

The glaze is made by combining the remaining tomato ketchup, vinegar, mustard and sugar (picture 2).

Spread half of the glaze over the top of the meatloaf. The remaining glaze is used as a ‘top up’ towards the end of the cooking time.

Once cooked, leave the meatloaf to sit for 10 minutes or so to settle before slicing.

Serving suggestions?

For the ultimate comfort dinner, serve this meatloaf with mashed potato and peas or sweetcorn for no additional SmartPoints if following the Purple plan.

If you are following the Green plan or Blue plan and serve the meatloaf with mashed potato you will need to work out the SmartPoints for this separately.

Alternatively, if you are following any of the plans you could serve this meatloaf with this Mashed Celeriac or this Roasted Butternut Squash Mash for no additional SmartPoints.

Can I freeze any leftovers?

Yes, you can freeze leftovers!

Cool the meatloaf completely before portioning it up into freezer safe food storage bags.

I particularly like to use re-useable bags that are dishwasher safe, like these ones available from Amazon.

Defrost in the fridge and reheat till piping hot before serving.

How long will it last in the fridge?

This meatloaf will keep, properly stored, in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

SmartPoints in Meatloaf

As I am sure you are aware Weight Watchers changed their program at the end of 2019.

It now includes 3 individual plans, giving anyone following the WW program lots of choice about how they use their SmartPoint allocation.For more information about the new myWW plan see What is the New Weight Watchers Plan?

Using the official WW recipe builder I have worked out the SmartPoints for this Meatloaf for each of the plans.

• myWW Green Plan – 6 SmartPoints per serving
• myWW Blue Plan – 5 SmartPoints per serving
• myWW Purple Plan – 5 SmartPoints per serving
• old Freestyle Plan – 5 SmartPoints per serving

What is the serving size?

This meatloaf serves 8!

Please be aware that I have calculated the Weight Watchers SmartPoints based on the individual ingredients used to make this recipe and not from the nutritional information that is found in the recipe card below.

I did this using the Official WW recipe builder.

The way that I have calculated the SmartPoints takes into consideration zero point foods and is the way that WW SmartPoint values are worked out!

Best Meatloaf | Weight Watchers

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

This easy to make, moist & flavourful meatloaf is perfect for anyone wanting a healthier version of this American classic. Perfect for anyone following the Weight Watchers plan, it is just 6 SmartPoints on the Green plan and 5 SmartPoints on the Blue or Purple plan.

Print

Ingredients

• 1kg extra lean ground beef / mince (5% fat)
• 4 slices (100g) low calorie bread - toasted & made into breadcrumbs *
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion - grated
• 3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2 beef stock cubes / bouillon cubes - crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup (70 ml) skimmed milk
• 6 tablespoons Heinz tomato ketchup - 50% less sugar or no sugar added (divided)
• 1 handful of fresh chopped parsley (optional)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 - 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 5 sprays of calorie controlled spray oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F.
2. Use 5 pumps of calorie controlled spray oil to grease a loaf tin (approx 9 inches by 5 inches)
3. Place the ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, minced garlic, black pepper, crumbled stock cubes/bouillon, milk and 2 tablespoons of the tomato ketchup into a large bowl.
4. Mix with a wooden spoon (or your hands if you prefer) to combine all of the ingredients.
5. Stir in the chopped parsley if using.
6. The mixture will be wet but this leads to a moist, succulent meatloaf that is less inclined to crumble once cooked.
7. Place the meat loaf mixture into the pre greased loaf tin and smooth the top.
8. Mix the remaining 4 tablespoons of ketchup with the sugar, white wine vinegar and mustard to make a glaze.
9. Spread half of the glaze on top of the meatloaf and set aside the rest for later.
10. Place the meatloaf on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and cook for 50 minutes.
11. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread over the remaining glaze.
12. Place back in the oven for a further 25 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and let the loaf stand for 10 minutes or so before slicing it into 8 generous slices.

Notes

* Please read notes above about breadcrumbs.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Heinz Ketchup No Added Sugar (13 oz Bottle)
• 
  Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (10 oz Bottle)
• 
  Cuisinart AMB-9LP 9-Inch Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware Loaf Pan, Silver

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 518mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 41g

Please be aware that the nutritional information above has been automatically generated and does not account for variations in product brands and types, weights of individual ingredients etc.  It should therefore be considered as an estimate. PointedKitchen.com has calculated Weight Watchers Smart Points based on the individual ingredients used to make this recipe and not from the following nutritional information. PointedKitchen.com is not responsible for any loss or damage relating to your reliance on this nutritional information.

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