Hello there! Glad you stopped by to check out these Healthy Paleo Baked Meatballs! If you are new to the blog, you may not it know yet…but I LOVE meatballs. However, even if you have been to the blog before, you may not know why I had the need to make a paleo-friendly version of meatballs.
Paleo is a relatively new term here on Stephanie Lee Nutrition. Not sure I have ever used it to refer to a single recipe to be quite honest. No, I am not on a strict paleo diet. But, yes, I have recently been working on making some tweeks to my personal diet.
Since the start of my early 20s, I’ve been plagued with random, inconsistent skin conditions. It started as random episodes of cystic acne and eventually the occasional bought of eczema. Two things I hadn’t had to deal with in my teens. After all, you make it out of your teen years and you think you’re good to go. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case for me.
Since this all started, I’ve tried my fair share of lotions, potions, creams, herbal supplements, and a host of antibiotics. Five antibiotics to be exact: Bactrim, doxycycline, monocycline, tetracycline, and clindamycin. If only I knew about the gut microbiome way back then. Now, the thought of that antibiotic cocktail makes me cringe. Sure, I got a little relief, but nothing ever fully worked. I’ve yet to find the root of the problem.
Even as a dietitian, I never really looked at my diet as the culprit. I never really dealt with any GI complications that seemed unusual, so how could I have a food intolerance. The more I’ve learned about food intolerance, the more I’ve learned that symptoms may not always present as GI discomfort. Over the next few months, I am embarking on an elimination diet of sorts, to see if I can uncover the root of the problem.
In part, I will be targeting soy, gluten, dairy, and my hydration status to see if the quality of my skin changes. It literally makes me want to sob thinking about the lack of cheese I will be consuming in the next few months. In the meantime, I’m hoping to bring some recipes to the blog that fit with my new (hopefully somewhat temporary) dietary changes. I’m crossing my fingers that I will be able to bring back some of those food groups back into my daily routine. If you pray, say a prayer that it’s not dairy. If you don’t, send me some good vibes!
But holy cats, that’s a lot of random info for someone who just wants the hook-up for my Healthy Paleo Baked Meatballs. Thanks for bearing with me! Now that you have the back story, you can see traditional meatballs just aren’t going to work for me right now. But I am totally someone who treats herself to meatballs a few days a month. I just didn’t want to have to quit them too!
I few healthy swaps on these meatballs allowed me to enjoy my favorite butternut squash noodles and meatballs while still leaving out the possible trigger foods. This recipe ditches the parmesan cheese and substitutes ground flaxseed for bread crumbs. With all that flaxseed, these meatballs become a fiber powerhouse! The perfect combination of fats, protein, and good-for-your-gut fiber! Additionally, you need not worry because I made sure to add plenty of herbs and spices to ensure they still have great flavor!
Pro-tip for making these Healthy Paleo Baked Meatballs, use a cookie scoop! When it came to making meatballs this time around, I didn’t feel like hand rolling them. But, I did have a 1 T size cookie dough scoop which made perfectly sized meatballs. I suggest you do the same!
Are you craving zoodles and meatballs tonight too? Get at it! Throwing these Healthy Paleo Baked Meatballs together for your family this week? Be sure to let me know by tagging a photo with #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram. I’d love to see what you all cook up. Happy eating, xo!
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- 1 pound ground beef or meat of choice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons fresh, minced garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 16 ounce jar pasta sauce optional
- 20 ounces spiralized, cooked butternut squash or zucchini optional - approximately 4 cups
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the meat, egg, ground flax, garlic and seasoning. Ingredients should be evenly combined. Form the mixture into balls and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Meatballs should contain about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until brown and cooked through. While meatballs cook, warm your favorite pasta sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Top spiralized vegetables with meatballs and top with pasta sauce.
Want more potato inspiration? Check out the tasty recipes below!
