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Breakfast

Brinner: Your Answer To The End Of Summer Dinners

By Dylan Bailey, MS

It’s news that many don’t want to hear – summer is on its way out. That’s right, fall will officially begin on Saturday, September 22nd. This switch in seasons marks significant changes in our day-to-day experiences, from the foods we prefer, to how our schedules look, to how the weather acts.

While the shift in seasons may be gradual, it can still require some lifestyle adjustments. At Libby’s®, we want to help you ease into a fall state-of-mind with a comforting and healthy approach to cooking for summer’s end: “Brinner,” better known as breakfast for dinner.

This fresh take on dinner using familiar breakfast foods has a few benefits:

  • It eases the time burden of meal planning, as many breakfast foods are already pantry staples and may be on-hand (e.g. eggs, cereal, canned vegetables, waffle and pancake mix etc.)
     
  • It offers a unique opportunity for the family to get together over foods that might normally be consumed on-the-go or without much meal structure in the morning 
     
  • It lets new versions of classic breakfast food recipes shine in an exciting way

In addition to being tasty, breakfast foods can be nutrient-dense. Let’s examine one staple breakfast item, the egg. One large egg packs 70 calories, varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, and 6 grams of high-quality protein (nearly half the protein and most nutrients of an egg is found in its yolk, so don’t toss it). Who wouldn’t want to end their day with that!

Vegetables, including canned vegetables, can also round out the nutritional profile of a meal to complement your end of summer brinner. Take command of the changing seasons with these comforting, quick and easy brinner ideas using Libby’s® Canned Vegetables as core ingredients for health-focused offerings that benefit the entire family.

Frit-ta-yum

Frittatas are Italian-style omelets that can be whipped up in no time with some very simple ingredients. They’re the perfect brinner solution for when the back-to-school period hits. This Frittata With Peas And Potatoes features eggs and is packed with fiber, vitamin C and potassium, making for a hassle-free, nutritious way to end your day.

Frittata with Peas and Potatoes

Mini Quiches – Big Flavor

What do you get when you combine eggs, cheese, corn and chives? A savory protein and flavor-loaded brinner specialty that is sure to please the whole family. For a simple version of quiche that’s been miniaturized, try these Mini Cheese Quiches With Corn & Chives. Better yet, these are portable so they can also be taken to any after-school event that’s on your radar.

Mini Cheese Quiches with Corn and Chives

 

Waffles For Dinner

You’ll really enjoy these Easy Carrot Cake Waffles With Whipped Cream Cheese Topping. Created by registered dietitian Serena Ball, these waffles are a nutritious spin on carrot cake, making use of whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and Libby’s® Sliced Carrots, which provide 150% of your daily vitamin A requirements per serving. For more flavor, top with shredded coconut, walnuts, pineapple or shredded carrots!

Carrot Cake Waffles

Back-to-School: Q&A with Iron Chef America Donatella Arpaia

It’s that time of year again: back to school. While this season is full of exciting transitions and new beginnings, it can also be a hectic, stressful period. As schedules fill up, certain priorities–like eating healthy and enjoying quality family meals together–can start to slip. That doesn’t need to be the case though, and here to help is Donatella Arpaia, a regular judge on The Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef, a NYC restaurant owner and mother to a 4-year-old son. Donatella sat down with us recently to share her favorite tips and tricks for making the shift from summer to school as seamless, healthy and fun as possible. She also created two special kid-friendly recipes to help Libby’s fans kick off back-to-school season in a wholesome, delicious way!

The back-to-school transition can be bittersweet as we bid adieu to summertime fun while welcoming the excitement of the new school year. Do you have any tips for creating special traditions that celebrate this change of seasons?

During this hectic period, I think it’s crucial to create family traditions and not just back-to-school “to do” lists.  You can do this by scheduling a last “lazy day of summer” and plan the perfect day with your kids—whether it’s a day at the beach, a movie or a picnic—whatever it is, make it fun and leave all phones at home.

Also, for most families, food is an important part of making traditions. Create culinary memories together by baking a snack with your kids to go in their lunchboxes the first week of school. Celebrate the first day of class with an extra special breakfast and dinner.

With packed schedules, added extra-curricular and crazed morning routines, the start of a new school year can be an especially hectic time for families. What tips do you have to ensure that healthy eating doesn’t fall by the wayside?

It helps to plan meals ahead of time as much as possible. I like to create a menu for the week so I can see if it’s balanced. (For example, you don’t want to serve red meat everyday!). Advance preparation leads to better choices for your family, and I like to prepare recipes the night before that actually taste better the next day like my Quinoa Salad with Corn and Peas

Quinoa Salad with Corn and Peas

Healthy after-school snacking is an essential antidote to pre-dinner crankiness. Any favorite snack recipes?

Fruit and cheese is a perfect and easy afternoon snack because it doesn’t fill kids up too much before dinner, but sustains and satisfies. I like to combine Libby’s Pear Slices with a few cubes of cheese.

If we’re being honest, packed school lunches often times feel “blah.” What do you do to keep things healthy, yet creative?

Step 1: Get out of the boring sandwich rut! Buy fun, bento-style containers and create yummy recipes incorporating veggies that your kids will love, like my Sesame Soba Noodle Salad with Green Beans. It’s flavorful and healthy, and you can top it with grilled chicken for extra protein.

Sesame Soba Noodle and Green Bean Salad

Incorporating kids into the kitchen routine can be a great way to spark culinary curiosity and encourage healthy eating from a young age. What tips do you have for bringing young ones on board? 

Make your kids feel important by giving them their own work station! Set up a small cutting board and bowl and give them their own tools to cook, mix and bake with. Be sure to do this when you’re not rushing and don’t criticize them or micromanage. It’s important to let them have fun while you do the actual cooking and teach them along the way. I bought my son his own apron and we made a paper chef hat – he felt very proud!

What advice do you have for parents of picky eaters who worry about their kids eating enough fruits and veggies? 

I have a picky eater! If it was up to my son, his diet would consist of chocolate, pancakes and ice cream. When it comes to picky eaters, it’s important to be consistent and don’t let them wear you down. Every day, encourage them to eat something new. Find fruits and veggies that they like and build on that. Incorporate new fruits and veggies into their favorite foods. Also, I know some say not to “reward with food,” but it works for me. I tell my son that if he eats his fruits and veggies or tries something new, he can have a small sweet reward! Find what works and don’t feel guilty about it.

Sending youngsters off to school with a nutritious breakfast is crucial, but this is often easier said than done. Any tips for making sure a healthy meal first thing actually happens?

Although I pack my son a healthy lunch, I can’t ensure that he’s actually eating it, but I DO have control over breakfast and dinner. Parents often think that veggies can’t be incorporated into breakfast so they miss this “veggie” opportunity. It is so important to make sure kids get a protein in the morning. I like to sneak peas into scrambled eggs and then add some cheesy goodness so that my son doesn’t even realize he is eating veggies for breakfast! Try this with your kids using my recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas. It features Libby’s Vegetable Cups,which I’m a huge fan of because they’re a fast, convenient and easy way to provide a healthy portion of veggies any time of day, but especially in the morning.


Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas

I recommend starting the transition to a healthier breakfast before the school year begins. Have your little ones help you prepare breakfast and make them part of the process. This way, they’ll be more likely to try your food, and by the time school starts, they’ll be used to seeing green in their eggs!

Get Back to School, Get Back to the Table

The start of a new school year is often synonymous with stressful schedules. Between hectic mornings and jam-packed afternoons, it can be tricky to find time for a wholesome sit-down meal, let alone a healthy snack. But proper nutrition is a key ingredient to success both in and out of the classroom. The good news? Well-balanced, kid-friendly meals can be as easy as A-B-C. The following three recipes—created especially for Libby’s fans by Iron Chef America judge, restauranteur and mom Donatella Arpaia—will teach you how it’s done.

Breakfast of Mini Champs

 

Lesson #1: veggies aren’t just for lunch and dinner. Try these Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas (made with a Libby’s® Sweet Peas Vegetable Cup), and sneak in two whole servings of vegetables before the first school bell even rings. They’re also packed with protein, which will help sustain stamina until lunchtime.

Give Greens the Green Light

 

Lesson #2: kids can learn to like salads! All you need is one ingredient they already love (e.g. grilled chicken) and a generous sprinkling of cheese (opt for a low-fat version like parmesan or part-skim mozzarella). Start their lesson plan with this Mexican Chicken and Corn Salad, featuring a Libby’s® Sweet Corn Vegetable Cup and Organic Black Beans.

Variety is the Spice of Dinner

 

Lesson #3: if they’re picky, let them pick. When it comes to food, empowering your kids with choices—even small ones—can increase their likelihood of eating (and actually enjoying) the meal. This flavorful and hearty Turkey Bolognese with Peas and Carrots (made with a Libby’s® Peas & Carrots Vegetable Cup) can be served in three fun ways: sloppy joe style, over “little ears” pasta or as mini sliders. Let your eater decide, and rest easy knowing they’ll consume a full serving of veggies no matter what.

Healthy Meals for Every Family

 

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.

Veg Out

Let’s face it. Whether we’re facing picky eaters or we’re in a salad rut, most of us could use a boost when it comes to enjoying more vegetables.

When serving veggies to kids, it’s very important to avoid setting veggies up as undesirable– as in “eat two more bites of broccoli and then you can have dessert.” Rather, serve them and then let the kids decide how much they want (you can suggest a “try it” bite.) And remember, they need to see you eating your veggies, too. Here are some ideas on how to do just that:

Serve Them For Breakfast
Vegetables are a morning staple for many cultures around the globe. A few basic ideas to start your day with a veggie serving:

  • Cook up a mini-omelet with eggs, chopped spinach or mixed veggies. Layer with cheese on a small bagel.
  • Grab a piece of leftover vegetable pizza
  • Sauté chopped onions, bell peppers and sweet peas with scrambled eggs. Wrap into whole wheat tortilla.
  • Pair raw, crunchy veggies with a peanut butter and lowfat vanilla yogurt dip.

Make Them Sweet With Heat
Roasting veggies brings out a natural sweetness – my go-to recipe is toss raw or canned veggies with a few tablespoons of olive oil, minced garlic, dash of salt & pepper. Herbs and spices also bring out the best in veggies. Some combos for the oven:

  • Carrots + cinnamon + nutmeg
  • Green beans + ginger + sesame seeds
  • Broccoli + tarragon + garlic
  • Cauliflower + cumin + lemon zest

Give Them a Whirl
While I’m not a big fan of hiding veggies in food (again, implies veggies are the bad guys,) pureeing cooked veggies can enhance a recipe both in taste and nutrition. It’s up to you whether or not you tell the family what’s in the dish!

  • Mix pureed butternut squash or pumpkin into homemade mac & cheese
  • Puree onions and carrots into tomato sauce for pasta or pizza
  • Blend root veggies like turnips or parsnips with potatoes for a rich, creamy soup base.
  • If you’re feeling adventurous, blend spinach or kale into a fruit smoothie.