We are all back into the rhythm of the school year. Back to school season represents many things to parents. For some, it represents ten months of free childcare. Others find that it is the time when they spend money to buy clothes, school supplies and things for their kid’s classrooms. For others it represents the beginning of carpooling, lunch making and inevitable chaos.
Back-to-school doesn’t have to be chaotic
For me, it represents a new beginning, a time to get it right, a time to create an end to the chaos that families have experienced during the school year for generations. When the school year starts we vow to abandon the lackadaisical bedtimes of the summer in favor of more rigid schedules. That requires organized and efficient schedules.
As working moms, we want our kids to be healthy and our mornings to go smoothly. Providing our kids with healthy lunches is one way to keep our kids healthy, but who has the time?
When you have a plan, it is possible to provide your kids with healthy lunches without it disrupting your schedule.
As working moms, we want our kids to be healthy and our mornings to go smoothly. Providing our kids with healthy lunches is one way to keep our kids healthy, but who has the time?
When you have a plan, it is possible to provide your kids with healthy lunches without it disrupting your schedule.
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| An adult lunch |
Having a plan for healthy school lunches calms the chaos
Laura Fuentes is a working mom who is committed to giving the rest of us healthy lunch recipes. I met Laura a year ago at the Niche Parent Conference in Hollywood, Florida. We bonded because of our common love of healthy eating and providing our children with healthful choices. However, unlike me, Laura has created an empire focused on helping other moms do the same thing. Genius!
How Laura Became Passionate About School Lunches
I have gotten to know Laura better over this past year and have been even more impressed by her character and her story. Five years ago Laura enrolled her oldest daughter (who is now 7!)
in a 3-day a week pre-school program. Initially, Laura was excited to pack healthy
lunches for her filled with a variety of fresh foods. But… after three weeks she ran
out of ideas. After awhile Laura ran out of ideas and her daughter was generally unimpressed by her mama's efforts.
By probing, Laura learned that the problem was “soggy sandwich
mommy”. At that moment Laura realized she needed 3 things: 1) a variety of ideas made with fresh foods, 2) learn how to pack foods well in reusable containers so they
remained fresh for about 4-5 hours, and 3) she needed a plan for making the meals ahead
of time and assembled quickly in the morning (at that time she also had an
18 month old son).
One of the things I admire most about Laura is that she found a solution to this problem while she was knee deep in mommy duties!
One of the things I admire most about Laura is that she found a solution to this problem while she was knee deep in mommy duties!
Laura became an expert through trial and error
Many moms struggle with what to provide their kids for lunch. Laura struggled for a brief period, and then she solved the problem when many moms before her had failed. As an MBA, Laura has a bit of a perfectionist streak. So, she dove right into the world of school lunches. She began testing new recipes, thinking creatively and identified options "outside the sandwich",
and developing a lunch packing techniques that could easily be duplicated by
anyone. In a word, Laura's commitment to her daughter created a business.
Sharing her lunch making tips with others
Two years later when her oldest two were in school 5 days a week, she launched MOMables, the first meal planning website specifically developed for kids. The next year she launched her personal blog SuperGluemom.com where she began sharing recipes with others.The Cookbook was born
I tracked Laura's progress with her cookbook on social media and was thrilled when it was completed. Here is how it evolved.
She initially thought she would just share recipes in the book. Then, she went the extra mile and created an unparalleled guide to feeding her kids throughout their entire school lives.
She initially thought she would just share recipes in the book. Then, she went the extra mile and created an unparalleled guide to feeding her kids throughout their entire school lives.
Laura wanted the cookbook to become a guide for every parent to help them feed their kids real food school lunches from the time they entered kindergarten to high school and beyond and she succeeded. She focused on age-less recipes and filled the book with tips that busy parents would find helpful to be more efficient in the kitchen and ways to simplify the cooking process where even a kitchen novice could feel good about their kids' nutrition.
The book contains tasty recipes that are designed to help parents with picky kids to food allergies. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book will become your bible for providing your kids with healthy lunches.
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