By now you should have developed a sense of how important nutrition is to your end goals. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about improving muscle growth or losing those annoying extra pounds, your diet will help you the most.

A lot of people seem to hate dieting because what they do is they eat the same type of food every day. They choose those foods and meals that are good in macros and micronutrients and they just stick with them for a very long time. Those foods that they tend to go with usually are very bland and lack taste. The truth to the matter actually is that you can make some kick-ass meals with just the right set of ingredients that will not only taste amazing but will also help you achieve your end-goals.

This specific meal is packed with valuable nutrients as it is high in protein, low in fat, low in carbohydrates and it contains foods that are considered as fat burners that will help you elevate your metabolic rate. And they are also really good for your general health as it is packed with super foods such as ginger which is a superfoods that has anti-inflammatory properties, it fights cancers and aids decrease your chances of heart disease, and it helps with digestion. There is also apple cider vinegar that helps maintain a healthy digestive track, lowers cholesterol and is widely used by a variety of famous individuals like Mega Fox as a weight loss tonic (Read more about Megan Fox’s Vinegar addiction).

Furthermore, they are spicy as they contain crushed red peppers. Spicy foods have what is commonly referred to as a thermogenic effect. It is where your body generates heat, or energy, by increasing the metabolic rate above normal. In other words, spicy foods are good when you’re trying to lose some stored body fat (Read the case study of how spiced foods affect your metabolic rate)

And as if it was impossible to make everything even better, even though we are talking about meatballs over here (i.e. the meal consists primarily of meat), the meal has a really good dietary fiber content. The better the dietary content of foods the lower the glycemic index is, and the lower the glycemic index is the lower the impact the foods will have on your blood sugar – thus your body will not release insulin and you will not accumulate extra body weight (Check out the case study of the importance of dietary fiber on your diet)

The best part about this meal is that it’s only packed with valuable nutrients, but it is also packed with flavor! So without further adieu I give you

Spicy And Sweet Low Fat Turkey Meatballs

Yields: 18 meatballs and can serve 6 people

Content of serving size (3 meatballs): Calories: 240 | Fat: 7g  (1.5g of saturated) | Trans Fat: 0g | Carbohydrates: 20g | Dietary fiber: 2 g | Sugars: 10g | Protein: 17 |

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (7% fat)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons of ginger (fresh or powdered)
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoon honey (this is from where the sugar comes)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons of freshly cut coriander
• 1 tablespoon Red Pepper powder or flakes (if you do not wish to make the meatballs spicy then there is no need to add this ingredient. It won’t change the essence of the dish).
• Bonus: (100g) low fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees (or 176 Celsius)

In a bowl of choice, preferably that of larger size, mix together all of the essential ingredients: ground turkey, egg, green onions, garlic powder, ginger, red pepper flakes, and the himalayan salt.

Set the mixture aside for about 15-20 minutes so that the breadcrumbs can expand. After the time has passed you can proceed rolling them into 1” balls (roughly 2.2 centimeters) into diameter. Place the rolled meat balls on a baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for about 18-22 minutes – until the center of each meatball is cooked. Transfer the meatballs to large skillet or frying pan of choice.

In another bowl, whisk together the honey and vinegar. Drizzle the sweet and sour mixture over the meatballs. Cover the skillet/frying pan with a lid that is large enough to cover the whole thing (if you can find one that is glass that’d be better because you can keep an eye on the meatballs without having to take off the lid). Stir every 2-3 minutes to keep the meatballs from sticking to the pan. Cook until you start noticing a darkening color of the meatballs. Take one of the meatballs and open it up by using a kitchen utensil (knife or fork) to check whether the meat is fully cooked from both the inside and outside. If the meat is no longer pink on the inside then that means that the dish is ready.

Remove the skillet or frying pan from the heat and place in a different bowl. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds (to boost dietary fiber content) and some freshly cut coriander to add some color.

Serve the meatballs as they are still hot.

Bonus: in a separate bowl you would like to grate some low fat cheddar cheese (about 100g). Once the meatballs are still sizzling hot you can drizzle the cheddar cheese on top to add a bit more flavor to the mixture. Keep in mind that this will also boost the calories and fat content of the dish – from 7g to 10g and from 240 to 280.

Serve meatballs immediately and enjoy!

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