About recipe

For National Nutrition Month, our nutrition team is focusing on portion size. Beth Kitzis, one of our registered dietitian nutritionists, notes, “Although your overall health is greatly affected by what kinds of foods you eat, how much you eat also matters. Even healthy foods, such as nuts, beans, lean meats, and fruits can add up to excess calories if you consume too much of them.”

Pre-portioned foods, like these individual lentil meatloaves, can help you stick to proper portion sizes and avoid overeating.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 cup dry lentils (green or brown)
• 3 cups of water (divided)
• 3 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (flax meal)
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 small red pepper, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
• 1 1/4 cups oats
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup

Preparation

1. Combine 2 1/2 cups of water and lentils in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a sauté pan, combine vegetable oil, garlic, onion, pepper, carrots and celery. Sauté over medium heat until soft. Add spices and mix well. Set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl, mash 3/4 lentils until fairly uniform in texture.
5. Add remaining 1/2 cup water, oats, flax, sautéed vegetables, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup of lentils. Mix until combined.
6. Spoon onto a loaf pan that is coated with nonstick spray. Top with ketchup and spread evenly over loaf.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool slightly before slicing.