30Second Mom contributor Laura Fuentes was born in Spain and was raised eating Tapas. Now residing in what she calls “southern suburbia,” she spends much of her time in the kitchen. She is a wife, mom of three and CEO at MOMables.com, a subscription service showing busy parents how to make fresh school lunches in 10 minutes or less. We had a great chat with Laura, where she shared her tips on how to create healthy school lunches. Check out our interview with her about how you can easily get your kids to eat more healthfully!
Laura Fuentes
Q: What are your essential school lunch gear items?
A: I think you should have an insulated lunch bag, a set of reusable lunch containers, a Thermos (to reuse leftovers), ice packs and a beverage bottle. These tools make it easier to send kids to school with a nutritious lunch each day.
Q: What are your time-saving tips in the kitchen to make healthy school lunches?
A: Here are a few ways to save time when making school lunches. First, wash your fruits and veggies when you bring them home from the grocery store. This way, they’re ready to be packed! Cook extra chicken, rice or pasta that can be re-purposed into a lunch quickly. It can be sent to school warm in a Thermos. Freeze cheese sticks so they’re not soggy by lunch. They will be cold, but not frozen!
Q: What are your go-to items for packing a healthy lunch fast?
A: Our go-to lunch items include leftovers in a Thermos, quick pasta salads, wraps and sandwiches. They’re easy to prepare and always a hit with kids!
Q: What is your children’s favorite way to eat fruit?
A Momables Lunch - "Piggy Stix"
Q: What are your kids’ favorite healthy snacks?
A: There are so many, but a few of their faves include apples and cheese, fruit dip, veggies and hummus, homemade granola bars and homemade fruit leather. They also love yogurt, smoothies, veggie chips, toasted pitas and hummus, popcorn and homemade cereal bars!
Q: What are some of your tips to sneak more veggies into your kids’ lunch?
A: I’m a pro at slipping nutrition in wherever I can. I put veggies in mini quiches, on skewers, in pasta salads, in tomato sauce, on pizza and even in brownies!
Thank you for sharing your great ideas with us, Laura! Make sure to follow Laura on Twitter and check out her website!