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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!

Be the Boss of Your Holiday Buffet

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Hosting friends and family is what the holiday season is all about, but entertaining can create some chaos. Grab your holiday party by the reins by serving a holiday buffet that’s easy to prepare and pleases everyone from the foodie to the health nut. Here are a few tips to help you deliver a bountiful buffet and still enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.

Warm Up with Winter Soup

The best friend for a holiday host is a slow cooker. This Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Roasted Garbanzo Beans takes up to six hours to cook, which gives you plenty of time to tend to other party preparations. For even greater ease, serve the soup in the slow cooker so it stays warm while your guests serve themselves!

Brighten Your Buffet

Serve a colorful and healthy salad, like our Carrot and Beet Salad, and skip the worry about keeping your dishes warm during your holiday soiree. Remember to serve the dressing on the side in a decorative carafe so the lettuce stays fresh and crisp.

Treat Guests with Bite Sized Treasures

We all indulge in our favorite holiday desserts, but the abundance of sweets makes it easy to over-do it. Serve extra-small desserts like mini cookies, tarts, and cupcakes, or Carrot Cake Bites, so guests can try multiple items and enjoy the right-sized portions guilt free.

We hope these tips help you be the boss of your buffet this holiday season! Let us know how you prepare for a large crowd during the holidays in the comments.

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.