Spaghetti squash and turkey-beef meatballs offer healthful way to enjoy an old favorite

Eating healthy doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do without some of your favorite comfort foods. It’s all about finding ways to swap out ingredients that are high in calories and low on nutritional value with more healthful options. So today we’re talking about spaghetti squash topped with sauce and meatballs.

When spaghetti squash is cooked, the inside portion of the squash can be pulled apart to form slender strands that look like pasta.

Spaghetti squash is rich in dietary fiber, which supports digestive health, helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes a sense of fullness. Inn addition, it's low in calories: 42 calories per cup compared with cooked pasta, which comes in at 221 calories per cup. Its taste is mild and slightly sweet, and its texture is different from that of pasta.

Squash is a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C. The vitamin A comes from beta-carotene, an important antioxidant that helps keep cells healthy and prevent eye diseases.

Look for spaghetti squash that is firm, without bruising or soft spots. You can store the squash for up to two months in a cool, dry place. Squash that has been stored in the refrigerator will remain fresh for about two weeks.

There’s a trick to cutting the hard exterior of the spaghetti squash. Make one line of several slits on the top of the squash and a similar line on the bottom. Be sure to pierce the skin when making the slits. Then microwave the squash for four to five minutes. This will soften the skin so you can cut the squash in half for baking. This speeds up the cooking time. (Baking a whole squash can take an hour or two.)

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Serves: 6 / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 large spaghetti squash

1 pound ground turkey

½ pound ground round

2 egg whites

1 slice whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess moisture squeezed out

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon ground fennel

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon tomato paste, unsalted

2 15-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, no added salt

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove squash from the oven.

When cool enough to handle, use a large spoon or fork to scrape the strands from the skin. Set aside and discard the skin.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the meatballs and sauce.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add the bread. Add turkey, beef, cheese, onion, spinach, salt, pepper and ground fennel. Stir to combine. Form mixture into similar-sized meatballs. (A 2-inch size makes about 24 total.)

Heat oil in a large sauce pot. Carefully add meatballs and turn to brown evenly. Cook in batches if needed. Remove the meatballs from the pot.

In the same pot, sauté garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Add tomato paste and sauté an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Add in crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and add the meatballs back in. Simmer sauce with meatballs until they are cooked through, about 15-30 minutes depending upon their size. Serve over spaghetti squash.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

396 calories (35% from fat), 15 grams fat (2.5 grams sat. fat), 33 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams protein, 443 mg sodium, 87 mg cholesterol, 202 mg calcium,  6.5 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 bread, 3 vegetable, 4 protein.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spaghetti squash topped with turkey-beef meatballs is a calorie crusher