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Save Green with Affordable St. Patrick’s Day Bites

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St. Patrick’s Day is all about green: green clothing, green treats, green décor. This year, make sure you’re seeing green in another place—your wallet. Cooking with Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables is a cost-friendly way to deliver tasty and wholesome bites that are also on point with the holiday’s theme. Read on for our favorite recipes that are green in more ways than one. Happy St. Patrick’s Day from our kitchen to yours!

A Bite of Delight

 

Hosting a St. Paddy’s potluck? These Green Bean Casserole Tartlets make a perfect party appetizer. They’re flavorful, melty and crispy, and the bite-sized portion will ignite taste buds without spoiling appetites. The everyday (read: inexpensive) ingredients also won’t spoil your budget.

Grown Up Hash

 

Corned beef and cabbage is a classic Irish dish that’s most often consumed on March 17. Jazz things up with this Corned Beef Hash Skillet recipe that adds Libby’s® Cut Green Beans, red-skinned potatoes and scrambled eggs to the meaty mix.

Leprechaun Shells

 

Pinching pennies and pinched for time? This Peas & Carrots Pasta is your dual solution. It’s a quick and simple dish that provides maximum flavor with minimal ingredients. Serve alongside a loaf of Irish soda bread for a leprechaun-worthy feast.

Savor the Flavor of Eating Right with National Nutrition Month®!

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By Kristin Kessler, Registered Dietitian

March is an exciting month in the land of health professionals. Why? It’s National Nutrition Month® (NNM)! This tradition was started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to educate the public on how to eat nutritiously, and each year the Academy selects a fun, nutritious (and delicious!) theme to encourage healthy behaviors. The 2016 theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” which champions the notion that food can be both wholesome AND tasty. Read on to learn more about this theme and garner kitchen inspiration with theme-centric recipes. 

Flavorful food is fantastic

 

Change your mindset from “I must eat vegetables because they’re healthy” to “I want to eat vegetables because they’re tasty!” Wholesome food—when prepared properly and with quality ingredients—can taste as good as candy, we promise! This Carrot and Beet Salad is a perfect example. It complements the simple goodness of veggies with crunchy pistachios and creamy feta cheese.

Treat traditions with thankfulness

 

We all have food traditions that we hold dear, like that Thanksgiving side dish you can’t live without or the one-of-a-kind birthday cake your mom bakes every year. Celebrate the “specialness” of food while also doing your body good by lightening up beloved classics with healthy ingredient swaps (think: subbing Greek yogurt for sour cream or whole wheat for refined grains). For a healthy twist on a traditional Sloppy Joe, try Mexacali Turkey on a Bun, made with lean meat and whole wheat hamburger buns.

Savor the fun of social eating

 

Arguably the most important lesson we can learn from National Nutrition Month? Food = FUN! Sharing meals with loved ones makes food exponentially more memorable and satiating. Potlucks are one of our favorite forums for this food + fun combo. If you don’t have one on the books, consider hosting your own—just because! This Winter White Chili, a colorful concoction that’s both kid and adult-approved, will make an excellent centerpiece at your next get-together.

For more information on National Nutrition Month and how to Savor the Flavor of Eating Right, check out www.eatright.org. 

Heart Beet-Worthy Recipes

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This Valentine’s Day, give your sweetheart the gift of good health with an alternative red treat: beets. These earthy-flavored vegetables are nutritional powerhouses, packed with immune-boosting vitamin C, gut-friendly fiber and essential minerals like potassium and manganese. What’s more, regular consumption of beets has been linked to lowered blood pressure and even decreased risk of heart disease and some cancers. Check out the below beet-centric recipes as you prep for a romantic feast on February 14—these super-veggies are the ultimate key to a happy, healthy heart.

Beet ‘n Greet

Baby toast + beet salad + creamy cheese = bite-sized culinary bliss. Begin your Valentine’s meal with these Beet & Bean Salad Crostini. They’re light yet flavorful, quick to pull together and pair exceptionally well with a bottle of bubbly.

Lettuce Feast on Beets

Continue your beet-tastic evening with this Carrot & Beet Salad. It stars Libby’s® Sliced Beets and Sliced Carrots alongside crunchy nuts and tangy goat cheese.

The Beet Goes On

 

Done with dinner and craving a sweet-yet-salty treat? We thought so. Pair this Roasted Beet Salsa with your favorite crackers and for a satisfying conclusion to your heart beet-worthy day.

10 Things You Need to Know About the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

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You’ve likely seen talk in the news lately of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. But, what exactly are these guidelines and what do you they mean for you and your family? Libby’s is here to help break it down.

The Dietary Guidelines are issued by the U.S. government every five years. They provide advice for healthy Americans ages 2 years and over about food choices that promote health and prevent disease. The 2015 – 2020 guidelines were released on Thursday, January 7, 2016 in a 100+ (!) page report, and we’ve distilled the information into 10 key highlights. While some of the information is new, some longstanding recommendations remain, including the fact that we should all be eating more fruits, vegetables and legumes.

 Read on, and then check out the Libby’s Digital Recipe Box for guideline-friendly mealtime inspiration.

  1. Sugar: For the first time, Americans are advised to limit sugar to no more than 10 percent of daily calories (e.g. 12 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet vs. 22 teaspoons of sugar currently consumed on average).
  2. Cholesterol: Dietary cholesterol is no longer on the list of nutrients to watch (previous recommendation was to limit cholesterol from foods to 300 milligrams a day), but saturated fat is still a nutrient to limit.
  3. Meat: Lean meats are recommended as part of a healthy eating pattern; however, meat consumption and cardiovascular risks are called out in one of the chapters.
  4. Caffeine and alcohol: Both appear to be safe in limited amounts.
  5. Healthy diet: Many recommendations stay the same, including more fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and a variety of protein foods (including lean meat, eggs and seafood), and less salt (less than 2,300mg vs. 3,400mg consumed on average), saturated fats and trans fats. All forms of foods—including fresh, canned, dried, and frozen—can be included in healthy eating patterns.
  6. New dietary patterns: Healthy eating patterns were expanded to include Mediterranean and Vegetarian dietary patterns.
  7. Gradual changes: Instead of specific nutrients to eliminate or include, the Guidelines focus on “shifts” to emphasize the need to make healthy substitutions rather than increasing intake overall.
  8. MyPlate: MyPlate, a healthy eating tool, remains highly visual but has a new slogan (“My Wins”) and updated website.
  9. Collective action: The Guidelines call for “collective action across all segments of society,” including partnerships with food producers, suppliers and retailers, and policies that promote healthy eating and physical activity patterns.
  10. No Breakfast Reference: The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recognized research supporting breakfast as important in a healthy eating pattern, but this is not referenced in the current guidelines. While the new guidelines focus on patterns (versus nutrients in previous guidelines), there’s actually very little emphasis on meal timing or eating occasions.

Peeling Back the Label: A Look at the Libby’s Farm Fresh Process

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Have you ever wondered where and how your beloved Libby’s products are grown? Libby’s is an industry leader that brings great tasting and nutritious foods to families all over the world. 

With thousands of acres of contracted farm land across the U.S., Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables partners with American families nationwide to ensure farm fresh product year round.

 

 

Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables places special emphasis on the sustainability and ecological well-being of the farms. Agricultural advisors and environmental coordinators map and survey fields to protect ecologically sensitive areas.

 

Freshly harvested produce is delivered directly to strategically-located processing plants and packed at the peak of ripeness to lock in quality and flavor.

 

So whenever you enjoy Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables, know that you’re also enjoying decades of sustainable, nutritious farm-fresh tradition. That’s something we can all feel good about. 

5 Realistic Resolutions for a Healthy New Year, New You

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It’s a story we all know too well. New Year’s rolls around and, feeling the effects of holiday overindulgence and inspired by the promise of a fresh start, we rattle off a handful of “get healthy” resolutions for the upcoming year. This year, l’ll stay away from sweets—period. I’ll stop snacking between meals. I’ll finally run that marathon, no excuses.

The problem is, while these “New Year, New Me” goals are undoubtedly admirable, they’re often unrealistic. We start off full steam ahead in January, but start feeling burnt by the time February rolls around, and by March, we’re back to our old, unhealthy habits.

The key to long-term success is setting obtainable, sustainable goals that easily fit into your current routine. Here are Libby’s wholesome eating tips and recipe ideas that prove you don’t need to take extreme measures to lead a healthy lifestyle. All you need is an appetite!

1.       Control snacking with bite-sized portions

 

Nibbling between meals is not bad for you. In fact, it can help manage hunger and reduce over-eating at mealtime. The key is to consume satiating, good-for-you snacks in moderate portions. These Mini Cheese Quiches with Corn & Chives make the job easy: they’re filled with Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, packed with protein and sized appropriately. 

 2.       Rethink the role of veggies

 

Yes, you CAN have vegetables for breakfast, and yes you CAN enjoy it. Starting your morning with a wholesome meal sets the tone for a healthy day ahead. This recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas delivers two servings of veggies (including Libby’s® Sweet Peas) and is packed with protein, which helps fight pre-lunch hunger. Repeat with us now: veggies are not just for dinner.

3.       Lighten up old favorites

 

Cleaning up your diet doesn’t mean you must bid adieu to beloved comfort foods. Small swaps — like subbing skim milk for whole or trading butter for Greek yogurt — can improve the nutrition profile of a dish without sacrificing flavor. This recipe for Turkey Bolognese with Peas and Carrots offers a nutritious take on a traditional sloppy joe. Lean turkey stands in for ground beef, and Libby’s® Sweet Peas and Libby’s® Diced Carrots add bonus nutrients.

4.       Dress up salads

 

Salads needn’t be your nemesis. Make your bowl of leafy greens more palatable by adding a tasty topping (think: dried or fresh fruits, nuts or seeds). Need inspiration? Try this simple recipe for Peas, Carrots & Candied Walnut Salad. Bibb lettuce and Libby’s® Peas & Carrots are jazzed up with a sprinkling of goat cheese and cinnamon-flavored nuts.

5.       Prioritize family mealtime

 

Taking the time to enjoy a homemade, sit-down meal with the whole clan — even if it’s just once a week — can improve everyone’s health. Since you’re in charge of the menu, it’s easier to keep calories, fat and sodium levels in check. Plus, the health benefits extend beyond nutrition: regular family dinners have been linked to better academic performance, higher self-esteem and lower rates of depression. Kick off your healthier lifestyle this year by getting your family back to the table. 

For more healthy mealtime inspiration, check out Libby’s Digital Recipe Box.