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Healthy Meals for Every Family

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Cooking and enjoying food with your family on a routine basis can help establish long-term, healthy lifestyle habits. Recognizing that many families are often pressed for time, it’s important to note that making a family meal doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or labor-intensive process. The following recipes demonstrate that a healthy family meal can easily be prepared. 

 

Hot off the Griddle Corn Cakes

Breakfast eaters or not, your whole family will wake up excited for these Hot off the Griddle Corn Cakes. These corn cakes provide wholesome vegetables, taking a more nutritious spin on traditional pancake recipes. No one will want to skip breakfast when you’re making this recipe! 

Quick and Healthy Fried Quinoa with Mixed Vegetables

If your active family needs to fuel up, you’ve got to try this nutrition-packed Quick and Healthy Fried Quinoa with Mixed Vegetables recipe. This recipe is great for athletes of all ages who come home hungry. Mixed with colorful vegetables and ready in a short time, this recipe is sure to become a staple for a busy household! 

Frozen Veggie Pops – Avocado Sweet Pea Frozen Pops

Whether your family’s summer adventures are at the park or the pool, be sure to bring along some Avocado Sweet Pea Frozen Pops. These refreshing treats are packed with vitamins, providing the nutrients you need for all of your fun-filled adventures.

Celiac Disease Awareness Month: Living a full life without gluten

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By Kristin Kessler, Registered Dietician 

For most of us, consuming foods like bread, pasta, and tortillas is not a problem. However, for about 1% of the population the protein called gluten can cause major gastrointestinal damage1. Luckily, fruits and vegetables are gluten-free! In honor of May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month, here are some helpful tips and gluten-free recipes that everyone can enjoy. 

 Scrumptious Substitutes

  

Thankfully there are plenty of foods available at the grocery store to help fill the gluten gap. Brown rice and corn tortillas are excellent replacements for whole wheat foods. Try this Creamy Coconut & Veggie Brown Rice Pilaf with Honey Roasted Pecans or Corn and Crab Salad Tortilla Cups for your next weekday meal. Really craving bread or pasta? There are more choices than ever made from gluten-free ingredients such as brown rice bread and quinoa pasta. 

Read the Label 

  

The trickiest part of following a gluten-free diet is often the “hidden” gluten. Opt for gluten-free soy sauce, such as Tamari-style sauce, marinades and dressings. If you’re not sure whether something has gluten in it or not, look at the ingredient list, searching for key words such as “wheat,” “malt,” and “spelt.” This recipe for Quick and Healthy Fried Quinoa with Mixed Vegetables is a wonderful recipe that can easily be adapted to be gluten-free by using Tamari-style sauce instead of soy sauce.

Now that you’ve learned the hard stuff, the great news is that Libby’s fruit and vegetables are all naturally gluten-free! Use them to fill any dish without having to worry. Since a deficiency in fiber intake can be a concern for gluten-free diets, the fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and beans will not only keep you full for longer between meals but is also great for your health!

1 Celiac Disease: Fast Facts. (2015, April 29). Retrieved from Celiac Central: http://www.celiaccentral.org/celiac-disease/facts-and-figures/

Celebrate Earth Day the Libby’s Way!

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While everybody is looking for new ways to live more sustainably, the classic three Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle – are always reliable! Just in time for Earth Day, which takes place each year on April 22nd,  we have compiled three simple ways you can go green!

 

Reduce

Not only are veggies good for you, they’re good for the environment! It takes approximately 29 gallons of water to produce a pound of vegetables. Compare that to the 1,850 gallons needed for a single pound of beef. Consider making more of your meals meatless. You and your family won’t feel like something is missing with a hearty dish such as Individual Herbed Vegetable Pot Pies.

Reuse

Reuse household items, like Libby’s cans, to create arts and crafts! Once painted and decorated, steel cans make excellent planters.  You can then incorporate your home-grown herbs into recipes, like this one for Turkey Pasta Salad with Basil Dressing.

Recycle

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what items can be recycled. Cardboard, paper, food boxes, glass bottles, jars, jugs, plastic bottles and caps, and, of course, cans can all be recycled. Libby’s cans are made with 100% steel, so you never have to question how to best dispose of them.

Be sure to involve your kids in your Earth Day initiatives. It’s a great way to make them excited about the importance of preparing meals, watering plants, or taking out the trash. You might feel more enthusiastic about these chores too, knowing your small changes are helping make the world a little greener!

Eating O’ the Greens

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By Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD

 

When March rolls around, I’m thinking GREEN. There’s St. Patrick’s Day, of course, but it’s the first day of spring that has me anticipating green buds on the trees, green grass on the ground and all the green edibles that will be soon popping up.

 

Dark leafy greens and green veggies are nutrient powerhouses that we all should be eating more of. Here are my top 5 favorite ways to get more flavorful greens into your every day diet (beyond the iceberg salad): 

  1. Veggie Roast – Roasting any vegetable brings out a natural sweetness and can make bitter tasting ones taste better. Toss chopped broccoli, Libby’s® Cut Green Beans or Brussels sprouts with olive oil, minced garlic and black pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring every 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
     
  2. Dynamite Dips & Spreads – Puree cooked greens with Libby’s® Garbanzo Beans and seasonings in a blender (add a little water if too thick). Or make this Sweet Pea Dip with fresh mint. Serve as a dip with whole grain crackers or use as a sandwich spread.
     
  3. Stellar Soup & Stews – Simmer chopped Swiss chard, broccoli rabe or collards in any soup – from chicken noodle to your favorite chili – to add extra nutrients and flavor. Mix greens into cheese and broccoli soup and puree for extra creaminess without a lot of extra calories. Or try this Spicy Sweet Pea Bisque.
     
  4. Buddha Power Bowls – The latest trend in bowl cuisine features noodles or whole grains paired with eggs, beans or tofu and chopped veggies. Add in chopped, sautéed leafy greens, like kale and spinach or try this Lean Green Warm Barley Salad.
     
  5. Punched Up Pesto – Traditional pesto mixes basil with pine nuts but you can blend almost any green veggie, herb and nut with olive oil and parmesan cheese for delicious results. Swap in arugula with pistachios or mint with almonds for a super quick pasta sauce.

 Here’s wishing you a green filled week!

Salt Sense

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By Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD

February is American Heart Health month so it’s a good time to talk about sodium. We tend to eat too much of this mineral that can have a negative impact on our blood pressure and in turn, our blood vessels and hearts.

It’s important to know where sodium lurks – it’s much more than just the salt you add to your food. A dash of salt makes many foods, like vegetables, more palatable; however, the biggest sodium contributors in our diet come from overly processed foods – not the salt we shake onto food. 

More than 75% of Americans’ sodium consumption comes from [1]: 

  • Fast foods / takeout pizza
  • Deli meats, bacon, hot dogs
  • Other processed foods like bread, rolls, ready-to-eat cereals 

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Here are some smart strategies to keep your food tasting good…with less sodium.

Top 10 Sodium Solutions for Good Salt Sense 

  • When buying processed foods – like bread, frozen meals or canned goods – look for lower sodium or no salt added options. 
  • Eat more potassium! Potassium balances out sodium in the body and is good for our hearts. Prime sources of potassium include beans, bananas, leafy greens, potatoes and yogurt. 
  • Use low-sodium broth as a base for homemade sauces, soups and stews. 
  • Use ¼ – ½ teaspoon less salt than you usually use in cooking and add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar instead. The acidic liquid wakes up the flavor of your food. 
  • Check your condiments – spreads like teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, salad dressings, ketchup and relish tend to be higher in sodium. Look for less salt options or make your own toppers like this Smoky Carrot Hummus Sandwich Spread. 
  • Before eating out, look at menus online for nutrition information or once there, ask the waiter for lower sodium options. 
  • Make your own tomato sauce with “no salt added” canned, diced or pureed tomatoes, minced garlic, onion and fresh herbs for whole wheat pasta recipes and homemade pizza. 
  • Instead of snacking on pretzels, which can be high in sodium, swap for homemade popcorn or these Sweet & Smoky Peas. 
  • Experiment with different spices like smoked paprika, Chinese 5 powder spice, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. They add lots of flavor without adding sodium, as seen with this Winter White Chili. 

And lastly, if you cook at home more often, you’re bound to decrease your sodium intake as you are in control of the ingredients. 

[1] http://www.cdc.gov/salt/pdfs/sources_of_sodium.pdf

[2] http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/011110p62.shtml

Make School Lunches Healthy and Fun for Your Kids

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While this can sometimes be difficult with the temptation of pizza and hot dogs doled out in the school cafeteria, it is important to make healthy lunches a priority. October 13-17 is National School Lunch Week, dedicated to improving the quality of school lunches. In recent years, schools have made serious efforts to reduce trans fats and sodium levels, and introduce more lean protein, fruit and vegetables into lunch menus.

 

Take charge of your child’s nutrition – make a homemade lunch and introduce healthy eating habits from a young age. Here are some healthy and fun lunch options that revamp the typical school lunches.

 

Confetti Tuna Rice Salad

 

When food is visually appealing, kids get more excited to eat it. Instead of the quintessential tuna salad sandwich, pack a colorful (and healthy!) alternative like our Confetti Tuna Rice Salad. Packed with Libby’s® Sweet Peas, Organic Black Beans and Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, this flavorful entrée will ensure your kids are eating a wholesome and filling lunch.

 

Lunch Box Pasta Salad

 

Put an Italian spin on lunch with this classic recipe, minus the mayonnaise. Use Libby’s® Mixed Vegetables and Whole Kernel Sweet Corn. The whole wheat pasta also adds a healthier alternative to your kids’ lunch.

 

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

 

Image via Snack the Planet

Most healthy cafeteria lunches feature salads made with iceberg lettuce, which has little nutritional value. This dish takes a healthy twist on that old standby. Use Libby’s® Organic Black Beans and Whole Kernel Sweet Corn to add some fiber to the dish. Romaine lettuce serves as the base for this nutritious side salad.

 

What changes would you make to your child’s school lunch? Share your thoughts and revamped recipes on our Facebook page!