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

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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!

Healthy Thanksgiving Hacks

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By Kristin Kessler, Registered Dietitian

The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time for fun, family, and food indulgence. Traditional Thanksgiving comfort foods like mashed potatoes and pie may be great for sentimental effect, but they aren’t great for the waistline. Try these healthy hacks to lighten up Turkey Day while still ensuring a happy, memorable meal for all.

 

Lighten Up Favorites

Thanksgiving comes just once a year, so this is not the time to forgo your favorite casserole or dessert! Instead, make just a few recipe modifications to cut down on the calories, fat, and/or sugar and create a “healthified” version. Swap butter with yogurt or cottage cheese, refined grains with whole grains (think: white rice versus brown rice or white bread versus whole wheat bread), and bake those previously fried recipes. Experiment with this Green Bean & Wild Rice Casserole, featuring Libby’s® French Style Green Beans. Cream of celery soup stands in for traditional cheese and butter, keeping the dish light, yet flavorful.

BYOHD (Bring Your Own Healthy Dish)

 

Curb overindulgence at Thanksgiving potlucks by contributing your finest go-to veggie or fruit-filled dish. That way, you know there will be at least one guilt-free option to lean on. This Carrot and Beet Salad (made with Libby’s® Sliced Carrots and Sliced Beets) makes a colorful, nutrient-rich addition alongside your favorite indulgences.

Make Like A Turkey and Trot

 

Let this Thanksgiving be about more than just food! Start the day with a brisk walk around the block to get your blood flowing and appetite revved. Then, remain mobile throughout the feast by pausing for mini stretch breaks in between courses. After you’ve filled up on food, ditch the usual turkey-induced nap and instead rally the group for a friendly game of flag football (once you’ve fully digested, of course.) 🙂 

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.

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!

Multitask Your Cooking: Get Wise With Your Kitchen Time

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These days, it seems like we are juggling work, family, chores and errands 24/7. For this East Coast gal, during the summer, I don’t want to spend any more time indoors in the kitchen than I have to. So, here are my tips to deliver healthy and tasty meals to the table faster and easier. (I definitely need to practice what I preach more often – i.e. planning!)

Plan Ahead
Consider the biggest time saver of all: creating a monthly menu plan. It seems daunting but by dedicating a few hours, you can save yourself an entire month of wondering, “What’s for dinner?”
Simplify by:

    1. Using an online menu template.
    2. Relying on recipe favorites and repeating some throughout the month. Check out this month’s Chicken Fiesta Rice + more CANvenient recipes here.
    3. Making batch dishes on weekends and freezing extras.
    4. Scheduling a few nights for leftovers, “breakfast for dinner” or ordering take-out.

Smart Staples – By keeping some basic food items at hand, you can whip up a last minute meal for those days you don’t have time to plan ahead. My typical freezer and pantry stockers are ground meat and chicken, frozen shrimp, broth, pasta, rice, canned vegetables & fruit, peanut butter, canned tuna, canned tomatoes, olive oil and cereals.

Cooking Techniques that Simplify – My favorite hot weather tool, the grill, is also a fantastic multi-tasker. We often cook an entire meal outside while keeping the kitchen cool and clean (I’ll post more on grilling next month!) I use my microwave daily for speed – for defrosting or steaming foods. Also “no cook” meals such as cereal, salads and sandwiches are always easy yet nutritious time-saving options. We probably do cereal night almost every week!

Slow Cooker to the Rescue – Nowadays, there’s a gadget for every possible kitchen task, but the trusted Crock Pot® or slow cooker is a true time saver. Besides cooking a variety of meals ahead of time, you can use to reheat leftovers, cook oatmeal or even bake bread.

Here’s to summer and less stress in the kitchen!