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Let Your Green Gleam this Earth Week

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In recent years, “going green” has grown from a suggested practice to a regular lifestyle for many families. If you haven’t yet adopted many environmentally friendly habits, Earth Week is a great time to start and get the whole family enthusiastic about the change. Here are some tips to help you own Earth Week today and beyond!

Minimize Your Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint calculates how much a person or household contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. To offset your own carbon footprint, use energy efficient light fixtures and heating systems, take advantage of public transportation, eat locally grown or organic ingredients, and separate recyclable materials from other waste. Encourage your children to get involved by drawing footprints that show what your family does to reduce your carbon footprint.

Eat Organic Ingredients

When organic is printed on labels in the grocery store, it means the food is grown and packaged without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetic modifications or growth hormones. Eating organic foods not only provides your body with more antioxidants, but also reduces exposure to pesticides that are harmful to the environment. While some organic foods are more expensive than the alternative, Libby’s offers a line of organic vegetables to help you practice healthy and green eating at while maintaining a manageable budget.

Limit Use of Paper Goods

So many aspects of our lives have converted to the digital realm, from emails to credit card payments to books. By taking advantage of digital conveniences, you contribute less paper waste to the environment. Libby’s helps you limit your use of hard copy cookbooks with our Digital Recipe Box and Pinterest Boards. Browse through our delicious and easy recipe ideas the whole family will love!

Put Some Spring (Holiday) in your Step with Libby's

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Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, springtime holidays are the perfect excuse to gather the family together for a delicious meal. Libby’s® Fruits & Vegetables is making the meal planning process a little easier with our new Digital Recipe Box, an application on our Facebook page, that brings our recipes from your desktop to your tabletop! The Digital Recipe Box houses more than 100 recipes using Libby’s® products and allows you to share recipes with your Facebook friends, or email and print them out for future reference. The app makes it easy to plan meals by dish, ingredient or type of gathering. Through the advanced search features, you can easily add dishes like Corn and Potato Casserole or Peach Hand Pies to your Easter brunch or Passover Seder. If you prefer to create your own categories for recipes, the contents of our Digital Recipe Box are now also available on Pinterest. Do you struggle to find vegetarian options for a Meatless Monday challenge or kid-friendly dishes for that picky eater? Libby’s Table Pinterest boards can help you find exactly what you need to keep your family healthy and happy at the dinner table (and beyond.) Repin our recipes, health tips and suggestions for family activities to your own Pinterest page to share delicious food and fun family activities on your own boards. Once you have explored our app, please let us know how we’re doing! If you have any suggestions for recipes you would like to see in the Digital Recipe Box, send us an email at [email protected].

Cross Your Heart and Hope for Health

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Even though Valentine’s Day has passed, we’ve still got hearts on our minds. We dedicate February to heart health because many women are at high risk of cardiovascular disease [1]. At Libby’s, we love our customers and hope you will make a pact to live and eat in ways that are helpful to your hearts – starting now. Consume Legumes As the saying goes, beans are good for your heart! Varieties such as black and kidney beans are rich in soluble fiber and help to decrease cholesterol levels [2], thereby contributing to a healthy heart. Try to make a heart-healthy meal that includes beans at least once a week. We’ve got some great recipes on our website, like our Mexacali Turkey on a Bun and Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas with Spanish Rice! Vary your Exercise Regimen Do you often get bored of completing the same running path or attending the same aerobics class every week? Researchers at Louisiana State University [3] found that the best exercise regimen for your heart includes a varied routine of resistance and aerobic training. Not only will this type of program keep you interested, but it will also help you drop a few pounds and decrease your diastolic blood pressure to help reduce your risk of heart disease. Remember to consult a physician before beginning a new exercise program. Do What Makes You Happy The best way to keep your heart anxiety-free is to surround yourself with the things that make you relaxed and happy. Too much stress in your life can damage arterial linings that keep the heart working properly [4]. Whether you prefer to relax in a bubble bath or play outside with your children, block off time in your busy schedule for activities that help you wash away daily stress and allow you to enjoy life. How will you improve your heart health this month? LIKE Libby’s Table on Facebook and tell us! Sources: [1] Womenheart.org: http://www.womenheart.org/ [2] Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/beans-health-benefits_n_1792504.html [3] Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-heart-exercise-idUSTRE76O65J20110725 [4] Scripps.com: http://www.scripps.org/health-and-wellness__women-s-health__heart-health__infographic

Score a Touchdown at Your Big Game Party

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In two weeks, families all across America will gather around television sets for the most watched sporting event of the year. While two teams of professional athletes anticipate the biggest game of their lives, you can prepare a big game party worthy of your own victory dance. Sketch a Game Plan While the pros diagram plays down in New Orleans, where this year’s game will be held, make your own game plan for a touchdown-worthy celebration. Send invitations, by traditional mail or email, with enough time for guests to respond. Tackle your menu plan ahead of time and create a timetable for the day so all your food is ready by the time the guests arrive. Map out a space big enough for all your guests to have a clear view of the game and easy access to the food. Avoid a Food Fumble Your snacks will take center stage during commercial breaks and halftime. While the big game is the main focus of the gathering, we suggest creating a buffet table so guests can grab food whenever they like. Score an extra point with your guests by preparing fun party dishes like Libby’s Corn and Mac Casserole and Southwestern Chicken Quesadillas. Fill the Viewing Arena with Team Spirit Even though your camp will be watching the big game from the comfort of your home, you can still amplify the spirit and excitement as if you were viewing it live from the stadium. Construct easy and fun centerpieces, like football floral arrangements, and hand out pom-poms in your team’s colors to create an electrifying atmosphere. Practice Good Sportsmanship Sometimes we forget that major sporting events are held to bring groups of people together, foster tradition, and entertain. As the party host, it is up to you to create an atmosphere that promotes good sportsmanship, no matter the outcome of the game. Offer prizes for all your party attendees, not only those rooting for the winning team, and make sure each of your guests leaves full and happy!

Turn Mealtime into Learning Time

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At school, children learn about topics ranging from the periodic table to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but you can turn your home into a place for education as well. Here are some tips to subtly turn mealtime into learning time.

  • Time to count those peas. Addition and subtraction are two of the most basic arithmetic skills, and the easiest to practice in a fun, at-home setting. While you enjoying your Libby’s Sweet Peas tonight, ask your kids to count how many peas are on their plate at the start of the meal. Ask again about halfway through, and see if they can calculate how many peas they ate!

  • Kitchens can be chemistry labs, too. There are two types of cooks: those who are precise and those who are intuitive. When you cook with your kids, take a chance at being the spontaneous chef – add a “pinch” of salt, a few “shakes” of pepper or “three seconds” of paprika. Your kids will love pretending to be scientists while they create a complex concoction. You can even get a few giggles by dressing in lab coats and goggles!

  • Four score and seven bites ago. Everyone has a favorite food, including our nation’s leaders. With Presidents’ Day still on our minds, conduct a lesson during dinnertime through that follows the history of presidential food. The Food Timeline says Barack Obama loves trail mix and chocolate, while George W. Bush prefers a hearty chicken potpie. Serve dishes your family and the First Family share in common as favorite food, and sneak some American history facts in there while you are on the subject. The kids are likely to remember historic facts if they have fun while learning.

Budget Friendly Valentine’s Day

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Although Valentine’s Day is not until next week, it’s never too early to prepare! Take some time from your hectic life filled with science projects, basketball practice and everything in between to show your Valentine how much you care. These helpful tips can show you how to create the perfect Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank.

  • Make sweet Valentine’s Day decorations. Flowers and chocolate may be the traditional Valentine’s Day accessories, but you can spice things up this year with some unique pieces that make your special someone smile. Design a mason jar with brightly colored paper and fill it with chocolate for a homemade touch, or construct festive, felt fortune cookies with “sweet nothings” inside. These easy crafts can also double as favors for your kids’ class parties or centerpieces for your romantic dinner for two. 
  • Prepare a feast filled with love. Nothing is more romantic than a homemade meal tailored just for your Valentine. Create a dish that shows you care, like our Paella Salad or Vegetable Sausage Soup. Don’t forget to finish it off with some Libby’s Fruit Cocktail drizzled with chocolate syrup for dessert!
  • Spend quality time at home. After the kids go to bed, turn up your playlist to your favorite songs, crack open a bottle of your favorite wine, and relax. A board game is a great way to spend some quality time with your Valentine, while still having fun.

This Valentine’s Day, ditch the candy hearts and fancy restaurant protocol and plan an evening just as special in your own home.