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Eat Well

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!

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!

Don’t Bust Your Food Budget

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I’m coming out and saying it – I think it’s a myth that eating healthy has to be an expensive endeavor. You can cook and enjoy nutritious, tasty meals by simply shopping at your local grocery store, no less. Here are my top food budget trimmers that I routinely practice to get nutrient-rich foods into my grocery bags and healthy dinners onto the family table without breaking the bank.

Have Shopping List in Hand

You can’t “eat” this tip but it’s my number #1 food budget no-brainer. By having a grocery list with me, I’m less likely to put random foods in my cart.  I also try to organize my list items according to which aisle they are located as another way to avoid impulse purchasing as a result of “wandering” through the grocery store (not to mention, it’s a time saver, too).

Focus on Fruit and Vegetable Options

Fresh produce can be more expensive – so don’t forget about the canned and frozen versions, especially ones packed in their own juice or without added sauces. Produce companies can and freeze fruits and veggies at the height of freshness, which locks in nutrients and prevents vitamin loss that may happen over time with fresh produce. Buying canned fruits and veggies also reduces food waste – less chance of them rotting in the fridge, forgotten.

Pick Protein Savers

Canned beans are one of the most inexpensive, convenient protein options around – they are also high in fiber but low in fat; this makes them a pantry must-have. Look for low-salt versions, and always drain and rinse the beans to remove excess sodium. Eggs, canned tuna and peanut butter are also nutrient rich, protein packed and beneficial money savers.

Buy Bulk Bargains

Take advantage if your store has a bulk aisle where you can bag and weigh the quantity you want to buy. You can save a lot on whole grains, (like oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa and popcorn), nuts, dried fruits and even spices this way.

Raid Your Own Pantry

Try this a few times a month (as I try to do): rather than go to the store for those few items for a certain recipe, go to your pantry/fridge/freezer and make do with what’s on hand. The truth is, if you practice these food budget tips regularly, you’ll have enough items to pull together a nutritious and satisfying meal or two like Mixed Veggie Fried Rice, Cuban Black Bean Soup or Chickpea & Kraut Pasta Toss without that extra grocery shopping run.

Kitchen Tool Gifts for Healthy Holidays

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By Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD, LDN

I’m a fairly practical girl when it comes to cooking gadgets and kitchen tools. If it’s a one trick pony, chances are it’s not taking up space in my kitchen. Instead, I stick to cooking tools that can do more than one task and can ultimately help me in preparing healthy food. Here I’ve compiled a list of ideas for people on your gift list who are resolving to eat better and cook more often in the New Year – which may include you!

Chef’s Knife – A good sharp chef’s knife is one of the most important tools to healthy cooking. Chopping, slicing, cubing and peeling fruits and vegetables is often the only barrier to cooking them so this knife really can be your gateway to all kinds of nutritious eating.

Salad Spinner – It does the obvious of cleaning salad greens but this wonderful twirling strainer can do so much more to prep healthy ingredients. Use it to clean and thoroughly dry Libby’s® Organic Garbanzo Beans before making Salt and Vinegar Roasted Garbanzo Beans. Strain and rinse canned beans to get rid of extra sodium. Wash, spin and dry fresh herbs or berries before eating.

Stick/Immersion Blender – This hand held gadget is the main reason that my daughter and I eat more vegetables. I use it to make creamy vegetable soups right in the pot or for blending in extra cooked veggies like onions, zucchini and peppers into tomato sauce. Blend cooked sweet potatoes in hummus or the sauce for mac & cheese. It’s also a handy tool for making homemade baby food and applesauce.

Hand Held Grater/Zester – Often referred to as a microplane®, I regularly use this fine tooth grater for adding lemon, lime or orange zest to anything from roasted veggies to baked goods. It’s fantastic for grating aged cheese over pasta (you’ll use less compared to spooning it out) and I also use it to grate whole nutmeg into coffee, smoothies and even sautéed greens. All delicious ways to add extra flavor without a lot of extra calories.

Food Scale – It doesn’t have to an expensive one but having a food scale is very beneficial when it comes to portion control. It also can help improve your baking skills as exact measurements result in superior baked goods!

Start with a Can, End with a Happy Family

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Weeknight meal planning is tough for busy families. Our friend Deanna Segrave-Daly (who is also a dietitian!) started with a can of Libby’s® Vegetables and whipped up a variety of healthy, flavorful meals that will have your family scrambling to the kitchen table. Take a look at her suggestions below, and comment on our Facebook page to tell us which one you like best!

Keep Your Family Happy and Healthy – Never Hungry

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Getting a healthy dinner on the table that your family will eat can be a daily stressor – probably because we have to do it day in and day out. Even those of us who love food and enjoying cooking (that would be me) can get worn out from the constant task (that would be me, too.)

So, this past month, I was eager to work with Libby’s on their Dinner Dilemma initiative to help answer the timeless question, “what’s for dinner?” Here are a few solutions that have worked for me:

Schedule Supper: It almost sounds silly but putting a family meal (when everyone can be around the table) on the calendar makes it more likely that you will get a plan in place. Menu planning is my Achilles heel – I’m more of a “see what we’re in the mood for” cook – but I find if I schedule weekly dinners in advance, I’m less stressed and my family is, too.

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Leftovers are time savers but are even better when you can transform them into a completely new meal. One of my favorite repurposed recipes is to make a big batch of tomato sauce with extra lean ground turkey. I serve it over pasta and then the next night, add some beans and spices for a chili dinner. Or if I make grilled chicken with brown rice one night, I use the leftovers to stuff whole wheat tortillas for burritos the next night.

 

Do a Dinner Flip: As a kid, I loved when we had breakfast for dinner and as an adult, I realize it was my mom’s way of whipping up a quick, no-brainer meal (usually scrambled eggs with bacon.) In my house, we do multi-grain pancakes or even oatmeal for dinner, paired with cut fruit, veggie sticks and slices of cheese. Sometimes, I’ll even serve dessert first in the form of parfaits layered with nonfat Greek yogurt, sliced fruit, crushed whole grain cereal and nuts.

Upgrade Take-Out: There’s nothing wrong with pizza night (a Friday night staple for my family) especially when you load on the veggie toppings. Pair with a jazzed up salad and you got a nutritious and easy meal (plus Ieftover pizza is a great grab-and-go breakfast the next day!)

Check out Libby’s “What’s for Dinner?” board on Pinterest for more tasty solutions to mealtime.

And for more creative mealtime tips and ideas, click over to my post on Family Meals Matter and this Multitask Cooking post.