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Holiday Side Dishes: Something for Everyone!

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The holidays are a time for celebrating with family, giving gifts and, most importantly, enjoying delicious food! While ham or turkey takes center stage for most holiday meals, they just wouldn’t be complete without the perfect side dishes. Here are some that everyone will enjoy.

Classic Scalloped Corn

This dish is pure comfort food with its creamy texture and cheesy taste. It’s perfect for a down-to-earth homebody—someone who prefers mac and cheese to prime rib. Use Libby’s® Sweet Corn and you’ll have a delicious companion to the holiday’s main course.

Green Bean Casserole

This is a tried-and-true holiday side dish that never disappoints. It’s a staple for those who like to keep holiday meals traditional rather than introduce trendy and exotic dishes. Use Libby’s® Cut Green Beans for a dish that is bound to please your family and friends.

Ginger Candied Vegetables

The brown sugar and ginger in this recipe will bring a unique flavor to the table. It’s a great way to please a sweet tooth while eating healthy. Libby’s® Gourmet Whole Baby Carrots, Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, and Libby’s® Sweet Peas create a colorful and delicious mix of vegetables that is sure to be a hit. 

Creative Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

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Thanksgiving gives us the chance to spend time with our family, be thankful for all of the good things in our lives, and, of course, eat delicious food. From turkey to stuffing to pies, there is always enough food to last for days! Here are some ways to make Thanksgiving leftovers just as exciting the second time around.

Grilled Turkey Reuben Wraps

Most families have plenty of leftover turkey to go around—it’s a matter of finding creative ways to use it! Use fresh turkey here to make this twist on the classic deli sandwich; it’s so much better than cold cuts. Give the sandwich its trademark kick with Libby’s® Sauerkraut and enjoy!

Leftover Stuffing Veggie Bites

Stuffing always takes center stage as far as side dishes go, but there’s only so much of it you can eat after Thanksgiving has come and gone. These tasty veggie bites combine stuffing, along with half a can of Libby’s® Peas and half a can of Carrots to give the holiday side dish new life—and makes them the perfect complement to any leftover dinner.   

Day-After Turkey Soup

Nothing beats a warm, hearty soup on a cold day. This recipe gives you the chance to mix Thanksgiving turkey with some vegetables that didn’t grace the holiday table. To make this recipe even easier to prepare, substitute one can of Libby’s® Cut Green Beans in place of fresh, a can of Sliced Carrots instead of sweet potatoes, and a can of Whole Kernel Sweet Corn instead of frozen.  Feel free to add more or less of each veggie to your liking! 

Summer Salads for Every Occasion

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‘Tis the season for light, fresh meals full of flavorful veggies. We all have our go-to salads we make over and over again, but here’s some inspiration to pull you out of your salad rut to create delicious combinations the whole family will enjoy.

Super Food Salad

Dinner salads are a smart way to work in a variety of nutritious ingredients into one meal. Start with a leafy green such as romaine lettuce or spinach, add a colorful assortment of your favorite veggies and top it off with a protein source like hardboiled eggs, grilled chicken, beans, or canned fish.  For added flavor, incorporate fresh herbs such as dill, basil and parsley.  Beware of creamy dressings that can negate the healthy properties of your salad and instead opt for vinaigrette which is easy to make with a few staple pantry ingredients. We like this Salmon & Dill Green Bean salad as a complete meal in a bowl.

Salad for Picky Eaters

While it may seem that salads and kids don’t mix, sometimes picky eaters may be sensitive to particular textures or temperatures.  Mellowing out the intense textures in a salad could help.  For instance, if raw carrots are too rough or crunchy, try using Libby’s® Sliced Carrots and Sliced Beets over a bed of soft spring mix.  Our Beet & Carrot Salad is a great salad to start with.

Appetizer Salad for Backyard Barbecues

Complement your grilled burgers or chicken skewers with a tangy Easy Three Bean Salad instead of a high-calorie potato or macaroni salad.  This versatile salad can be served as a topping with tortilla chips or French bread, a top a bed of lettuce or simply on its own.

Salads in a Snap

With a well-stocked pantry, you can create a fantastic salad in minutes. Keep on hand canned veggies like Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Libby’s® Sweet Peas plus nuts, seeds, beans, canned fish and dried cranberries. In the fridge, store bagged lettuce and, if you have time, precooked quinoa and precut veggies. With all the ingredients right at your fingertips, a healthy, yummy salad is easy to throw together!

Facebook Sweepstakes: Building Blocks for Healthy Eating

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With summer just around the corner, Libby’s® Vegetable Cups can help you and your family enjoy healthy foods that taste good and are easy to eat, whether you are eating at the kitchen table or the picnic table. Libby’s® Vegetable Cups not only make a convenient side dish, but also double as a fun, frozen treat! These flavorful veggie combos are frozen right in their individual containers for a nutritious, pre-portioned snack.

Try the recipes below by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD, LDN for a refreshing and delicious summer treat.

In addition, share your ideas for delicious frozen pop combinations on Facebook for the chance to win a $250 Visa gift card to use toward your own healthy summertime meals. Read the official rules here.

How To Enter:

1. Comment on a Building Blocks Sweepstakes’ Facebook post with your own original fruit & veggie pop flavor combination.

2. Submit a new idea once per day for your chance to win a $250 Visa gift card.

Sweepstakes lasts from 12:00:00 PM ET on Friday, June 6 until 11:59:59 PM ET on Friday, June 20th. 

Sweet Corn Frozen Pops

Makes 6 pops

Ingredients:

  • 4 Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn Cups (4 oz. each)
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Supplies:

  • 6 Popsicle sticks
  • 2 4-oz. paper cups (for extra mixture)

Instructions:

Add corn to a bowl. Do not throw out cups; wash and dry them to use for freezing pops. Mash corn with a potato masher to release liquid.

In a medium pot over medium heat, add corn, milk and sugar. Heat for 5 minutes, mixing a few times, until sugar dissolves and corn softens. Remove from heat and puree in blender. Pour through mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cool in refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Whisk yogurt and vanilla extract into cooled corn milk. Pour mixture into four empty Libby’s Cups and the remaining mixture into two 4-oz. paper cups. Position a 3½-inch popsicle stick in the center of each cup and freeze overnight.

Cost Per Serving: $0.87

Total Cost For Recipe: $5.21

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (One Sweet Corn Pop): Calories: 97, Total Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 135mg, Carbohydrates: 16g, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Protein: 6g, Vitamin A 2% DV, Vitamin C 67% DV, Calcium 11% DV, Iron 3% DV

Avocado Sweet Pea Frozen Pops

Makes 8 pops

Ingredients:

  • 4 Libby’s® Sweet Peas Cups (4 oz. each)
  • 2 ripe medium avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 1½ cup low-fat milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 large lime)

Supplies:

  • 8 Popsicle sticks
  • 4 4-oz. paper cups (for extra mixture)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to blender or food processor. Do not throw out cups; wash and dry them to use for freezing pops. Puree until well mixed.

Pour mixture into four empty Libby’s Cups and the remaining mixture into four 4-oz. paper cups. Position a 3½-inch popsicle stick in the center of each cup and freeze overnight.

Cost Per Serving: $0.92

Total Cost For Recipe: $7.34

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (One Avocado Sweet Pea Pop): Calories: 119, Total Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 100mg, Carbohydrates: 15g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g, Vitamin A 5% DV, Vitamin C 58% DV, Calcium 7% DV, Iron 2% DV

 

 

 

Vegging Out

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More and more of us are realizing the benefits of a vegetarian diet, even if it’s just eliminating meat on Mondays!  Creating satisfying, balanced meatless meals that please the whole family might sound impossible, but here are some tips and recipes to ensure your vegetarian night still packs a protein punch and burst of flavor.

Skip the Beef, Not the Burger

Beans are a staple protein for vegetarians, and they are a smart substitute for beef in burgers.  To avoid bland veggie burgers, add flavorful ingredients into the burger mixture and top with zesty condiments. Check out these hearty Mexican-style Veggie Burgers made with Libby’s® Organic Pinto Beans and Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and garnished with a fresh salsa with a kick. Your carnivores won’t even miss the meat!

Fill Up on Soup & Salad

Hearty soups and crisp salads are a mainstay in vegetarian diets. Plus it’s a quick, easy dinner to prepare that provides a satisfying balance of warmth and freshness. And the combinations are endless, so get creative pairing various soups with salads. We like how the sweet hint in this Carrot Coconut Soup complements the zing in this Summer Garbanzo Bean Salad.

Breakfast for Dinner

Eggs and potatoes are a perfect substitute for the protein and heartiness that we get from eating meat.  Besides, what’s more fun than breakfast for dinner!  Libby’s® Sweet Peas and Sliced White Potatoes are the heroes in this Frittata that can be whipped up in about 20-25 minutes beginning to end!

What do you serve on Meatless Mondays? Leave a comment on our Facebook page to let us know!

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