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Black Beans

Eat Your Veggies… For Dessert!

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The last place you’d expect to digest your daily dose of greens is during the sweetest treat of your day – dessert. Though we fully support indulgence in moderation, experimenting with veggies as a baking ingredient substitute is a guilt-free way to have your cake and eat it too. Rather than ending a meal with empty calories, infuse your favorite desserts with nutritious ingredients that add fiber, antioxidants and vitamins. Here are some easy ways to sneak in vegetables into your favorite baked goods and snacks. You won’t even taste the difference!

Black Bean Brownies

To a chocoholic, there is nothing more satisfying than a rich, fudgy brownie. Combine a can of Libby’s® Organic Black Beans with chocolate chips, eggs and a few other baking staples for a luxurious dessert packed with fiber and protein! This recipe from Yummy, Healthy, Easy only takes thirty minutes and is gluten-free.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Thanks to gourmet bakeries, cupcakes are a delicate indulgence traditionally served during special occasions. Whip up red velvet cupcakes with a healthy twist to make them a year-round treat! Canned beets pack a nutritional punch with beta-caratone, folic acid and bone-building manganese. Kiwi Magazine also notes that the red color of the vegetable naturally dyes the cupcake batter, eliminating the need to add artificial food coloring.

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is a classic dessert that incorporates vegetables without having to substitute ingredients. Our Carrot Cake Bites recipe calls for one can of Libby’s® Sliced Carrots, mashed with a fork. This ingredient results in a more moist cake than using raw carrots, and the bite sized form of this decadent dessert helps to minimize overeating.

Snickerdoodle Dessert Hummus

Just like savory hummus, the sweet version of this healthy snack contains canned garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. By adding simple ingredients such as almond butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup to roughly one can of Libby’s® Organic Garbanzo Beans, this dish tastes like your favorite snickerdoodle cookie with added fiber from the garbanzo beans. Nutmeg Notebook recommends serving this as a dip for crunchy apple slices or a spread for whole wheat toast.

Do you have any favorite ways to incorporate veggies into your desserts? Let us know on Facebook!

Tips to Help Make Organizing Your Family Reunion More CANvenient

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Libby’s Meal Plans, Helpful Tips and More to Avoid Breaking the Bank While Getting the Family Together

September is Get Back to the Table Month and this year Libby’s Fruits and Vegetables asked families to pledge to reunite with extended family members by entering our Family Reunion Contest at the Libby’s Table Facebook page. We will be rewarding one lucky family with a trip for up to 10 family members, including travel and hotel accommodations, to gather for a reunion dinner. We are currently reviewing the entries and will unveil the five finalists who will compete for America’s vote to win the grand prize on October 3. Be sure to visit the Libby’s Table Facebook page to see the finalists and vote up to once a day to determine the winner!

Planning your own family reunion? Here are some helpful tips to help make organizing your family’s get-together a little easier!

  • Create an invite list. Make a list of family members that you will invite to the occasion. Reach out to one person from each branch of the family to help you contact everyone else on your list. Collecting email addresses can make it easier to provide updates and ask questions.
  • Gather Information. Whether your event includes 10 family members or 100, you’ll want to make sure that everyone who wants to attend, can attend! Send an email survey to help determine details such as dates that will work for the majority, recommendations on where the reunion should be held, as well as any food preferences or menu ideas.
  • Set the date and location. Oftentimes it helps to schedule a reunion to coincide with a summer vacation or holiday, since many family members may already have plans to get together. Also, be sure to look for a location that’s accessible and affordable to the majority of family members.  
  • Plan the menu. This step is often the most complicated, as satisfying everyone’s taste buds can be a challenge. However, to make it easier, you can choose a theme and focus all the dishes around it. Perhaps you have a summer barbecue and include traditional items like barbecue chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs, as well as creative side dishes like Libby’s Sunshine Salsa, Sweet Pea Dip, French Style Potato Salad and even meatless hamburgers, for any vegetarians in the family. Using these recipes can keep your meal CANvenient, affordable and nutritious with Libby’s canned fruits and vegetables. You can also ask everyone to submit their favorite family recipes so you’re sure not to forget to include Grandma’s famous fruit crisp and others!
  • Capture the memories! Ask a member of the family to be the photographer so you can capture heartfelt moments and make new memories. Give several family members disposable cameras with assignments to capture memories of the day. Prior to the event, ask your family to bring snapshots of family activities and milestones (weddings, births, etc.) from the past year and display so that everyone can enjoy them.  
  • Get back to the table. Depending on how many people you are expecting, you can determine if you should have a buffet style or sit-down dinner. Either way, you can have fun with table settings by labeling each spot at the table with a baby photo or fun fact about the person that is assigned to sit there. This will get your guests talking about old memories and provide a fun way for everyone to find their seats.
  • Keep in touch! To make sure everyone stays in touch, be sure to create and send out a post-reunion contact list with any stories or photos taken at the reunion. Also include family members that couldn’t attend, so they can be filled in on the fun.

Back to the Lunch Sack

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For many of us, back to school time means to back to the lunch packing grind. But before you start singing the lunch box blues, here are some ways to keep the fun (and nutrition) in your kids’ midday meals:

Beyond PB&J – While some kids prefer the same thing everyday, others may be up for a sandwich switch up. Mix it up by using different breads like flatbreads or whole wheat wraps like these Green Wheels and Ham Sammies. Try shredded carrots or avocado slices instead of the basic lettuce. Upgrade American cheese to Muenster, havarti or fresh mozzarella slices.

All In One – Think about one-dish dinner leftovers rolling over into a fulfilling next day lunch. Items such as hearty soups, chilis, leftover casseroles, or pasta salads make for easy packing and lunchtime satisfaction like Kicked-Up Mac & Cheese or Tortilla Chip Macaroni & Bean Soup.

Be a Green Packer – Say goodbye to those plastic baggies. Instead, get some hip, reusable sandwich bags like Lunchskins or WasteNot Saks – they come in a variety of cool colors and designs and are dishwasher safe. Visit www.resuseit.com for a wide selection of eco-friendly packing solutions – get your kids to pick out their favorites.

Go Bento– A longtime lunch packing staple in Japan, bento boxes are becoming more popular here and are a terrific way to pack a fun and well-balanced meal.  Some bento “friendly” foods include cut up fruit, raw veggies, bean dips, whole grain crackers, cubed cheese and mixed nuts.

Keep the Treat–As a dietitian, I’m all about packing each of the food groups but there’s always room for a small dessert – and it doesn’t have to be a prepackaged or overly processed sweet. On weekends, I like to bake with my daughter so whether it’s a simple chocolate chip cookie or one of these fun Carrot Cake Bites – the whole family can enjoy a little homemade goodness in their lunches during the week.

Picky Eaters: Tips for the Table

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Even though I’m a dietitian and my 4 year old helps in the kitchen, I still deal with a fair share of eating ruts, dinner skipping and basic picky eating from my dear daughter.

So what’s a parent to do? Have faith that your kids are probably getting enough to eat but to go beyond the grilled cheese and chicken fingers, here are some ways to expand kids’ culinary and nutrition horizons:

Keep on Trying– Did you know it may take up to 15 exposures to a food before a kid accepts it? Understandably, parents often give up after a few attempts and chalk it up to something Johnny doesn’t like. Instead, continue to encourage but without forcing the issue. And avoid the “clean plate” ideal – as long as your child takes a few bites, it’s better than forcing food, which leads to a negative impression.

Rename the Plain – In a Cornell University study, four-year-olds ate nearly twice as much of a vegetable when it had a fun name like “Power Peas” or “X-Ray Vision Carrots.” Unlike sneaking veggie purees into brownies or sauces, this technique shows kids exactly what they are eating. Get creative and serve up “Dinosaur Broccoli Trees” or “Princess Green Apples.”

Dip & Dunk – It’s amazing how something as simple as a condiment gives a dish a whole new light a child’s eye. Plus, they love having command over their food.

  • Serve peanut butter-yogurt dip with raw fruits and veggies
  • Combine corn, black beans and salsa; pair with baked tortilla chips
  • Mix applesauce and cinnamon for whole-wheat toast dippers

Cook with Kids– Sure, it can be a hassle to have your children involved when you are rushing to get dinner together. But just 15 minutes of assistance from a tiny sous chef can eventually pay off into healthier eating. The feeling of control and independence often inspires kids to try new things. Here are some age-appropriate tasks:

  • Toddlers: Rip lettuce/greens; wash produce in bowl of water
  • Preschoolers: Cut fruit/vegetables with plastic knife; toss salad
  • Tweens: Separate eggs; blend a smoothie; stir ingredients for baking
  • Teens- Plan a dinner menu, grocery shop and prepare the main dish

And remember, did you like to eat everything when you were a kid?

Good Grill Hunting

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As summer kicks in and temperatures soar, grilling rules. And what better way to simplify family meals while taking advantage the warm weather? Here are some tips on making it healthy but hearty enough for everyone:

Don’t Smoke – Avoid cooking on high heat for longer periods of time as this can produce carcinogens that have been linked to certain types of cancer. Cut off any burnt or black bits before eating. Also get in the habit of scrubbing down the grill rack after each use. Removing excess food prevents future charring, smoke and off-flavors in your food.

Look to Lean- The leaner the protein, the less chance of fat drippings causing smoke and burnt food. Look for cuts of loin, round or leg when selecting beef, pork or lamb. Try different fillets of fish (wrapped in foil.) Choose extra-lean ground beef, chicken or turkey for patties. Cook up veggie kabobs brushed in olive oil or grill portabella mushrooms for a rich, flavorful “burger”.

Dunk or Rub- Marinating or rubbing spices on meats and chicken before grilling adds flavor and may also reduce the formation of carcinogens. Use about ½ cup marinade for each pound of protein. Always discard the remaining marinade – never reuse after raw meat has touched it.

Think Outside the Grill – Get out of your steak, burger and hot dog rut. You can experiment with chili (place a cast iron pot right on the grill!), fruit, and even pizzas on your grill.

Portion Your Plate –Look to the new MyPlate food icon – fill half your plate with vegetables (grilled veggies, salad), a quarter with whole grains (rice, pasta, bread) and a quarter with lean protein (meat, chicken, fish, seafood, beans.)

Check out this month’s Sunshine Salsa recipe – the perfect summer side for grilled shrimp, chicken or fish!