high protein vegan Meatballs With Zoodles and Marinara Sauce
If you’re currently on a fat-loss journey, you already know the ultimate dieting struggle: trying to hit a high protein target without blowing your daily calorie budget. When we started developing recipes for our brand-new fat loss cookbook, we made it our mission to create meals that feel like a cheat day but macro-match a physique athlete's cutting phase.
Enter my High Protein Meatballs with Zoodles and Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara.
We really wanted to experiment with making our own homemade vegan meatballs from scratch. Why? Because we knew it would be incredibly easy and would give us total control over the ingredients to ensure the macros were absolutely flawless.
The Secret to High-Protein Vegan Meatballs
The star of the show here is TVP (textured vegetable protein) mince. For gym-goers and anyone watching their weight, rehydrated dried TVP is an absolute game-changer. It is one of the most useful, high-protein plant-based ingredients out there, offering a massive percentage of protein relative to its calorie count.
To take these meatballs to the next level, we didn't stop at TVP. We also added:
Gram Flour (Chickpea Flour): To bind them together and perfect the texture.
Nutritional Yeast: For a subtle, savoury depth of flavour and an extra protein kick.
The result? Tender, savoury, protein-packed meatballs that rival any traditional recipe.
Smart Swaps for Easy Fat Loss
Of course, a great meatball needs a great sauce. We’ve paired these with a rich marinara sauce, elevated with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes for a deeply intense, savoury flavour.
To finish the dish and keep the calories incredibly low, we are serving this over zoodles (spiralized zucchini/courgette) instead of traditional pasta. Now, don't get me wrong—pasta is a fantastic ingredient! But when you're dieting, volume is your best friend. Finding clever, high-volume swaps like courgettes allows you to eat a massive, comforting bowl of food that keeps you completely full from the fibre, while leaving plenty of calories to spare for the rest of your day.
Ready to whip up a batch? Let’s get into the recipe!
Servings: 1
Macros (per serving)
407 kcal, protein 36g, carbs 41g, fat 6g
Ingredients:
30g TVP mince (dry weight)
2 sun-dried tomatoes (oil-free)
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
10g chickpea flour (gram flour)
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp smoked paprika
5 medium mushrooms, finely chopped
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning or mixed herbs
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
50g frozen spinach
1½ medium courgettes (300g)
METHOD:
Pour boiled water over the TVP and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Cover the sun-dried tomatoes in boiled water and set aside for 10 minutes. This will remove some of the salt from them.
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F.
In a bowl, mix the ground flaxseed, chickpea flour, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast and smoked paprika.
Drain the TVP mince and squeeze out some of the excess water from it (I like to do this with the back of a spoon while it’s in a sieve).
Add it to the bowl and mix.
Form the mixture into 5-6 balls and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. You may need to shape the mixture delicately; however, once the balls are cooked, they will hold their shape excellently.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip and then bake for a further 10 minutes.
Steam-fry the mushrooms and onion for 6 minutes.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and add to a blender along with the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic clove, salt and pepper.
Mix until smooth.
Add to the pan of vegetables, along with the basil and spinach, and cook for 10 minutes (or until the sauce reaches your desired consistency).
Slice the ends off the courgette, then spiralise it into long noodles using a spiraliser.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the noodles and blanch for 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Shake well to remove as much excess water as possible. Place on a clean tea towel and gently pat to remove more of the water.
Add to a plate and top with the marinara sauce, meatballs and a sprig of basil.
This recipe is from our newest cookbook
‘Plant-Based Weight Loss Bible’, which includes 45 high-protein, delicious recipes!
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