The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet: Cookbook Review

I’ve been a MOMables fan for many years now and when I saw its founder, Laura Fuentes, was coming out with a cookbook, I was more than excited. As often as I get my recipes online, I’m kinda old school in that I prefer cooking using actual cookbooks. I just love flipping through pages, looking at pictures and picking out something yummy to make. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one! And then Laura asked if she could send ME one to do a cookbook review and I was thrilled beyond belief! OF COURSE, I said! It was my absolute honor. 🙂

When the school year started, like 9 months ago – lol, we were faced with an incredibly hectic schedule thanks to piano lessons and 7 soccer practices during the school week between my 2 girls. I really needed to get organized to stay on top of things and was determined not go insane and not to make hitting fast food drive-thru’s a habit. This cookbook has been the answer to all that and more. I rarely read cookbooks cover to cover, but this one I couldn’t put down until I had done just that. Laura offers so many great tips on how to plan, organize, prepare (and often how to store) delicious and healthy meals for kids (adults love them, too!). For a while, I brought it with me everywhere I went, especially the after school carpool lane, when I had some down time to really dig into it. 🙂

The recipes are not only ones that kids will eat, they are healthy, too, which is a must. She offers a variety of ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between, like snacks, treats and drinks, too! In addition, the ingredients used are easy-to-find, often items you already have-on-hand and the recipes themselves are no-nonsense. Yes! Exactly what I was in need of!

I decided to get the girls involved in this cookbook review, too, since this is, after all, for them! During piano lessons one day, I had them each peruse it for recipes they wanted to try while the other one had their lesson. Little Sis chose breakfast burritos and that’s Big Sis on the right pointing at blueberry bread, among many other things.

I can’t say enough good things about this cookbook. In just a short time of owning it, it quickly became one of my most-used and favorite cookbooks! Here’s just a little sampling of the recipes I was able to whip up.

1. Hawaiian Puff-Wheels, page 87, made with bacon instead of ham. Such a HUGE hit with the girls, myself, their friends AND their mom! Send this in on the girls’ first day of school last year and they gobbled them right up.

2. My favorite of all Homemade Chocolate Syrup, page 186, because Big Sis LOVES chocolate milk and I have no more worries about high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or nuts! Plus I can control how sugar it gets, NOT the companies that produce them!  

  3. Mini Quiches, page 125, made using pie crust. Perfect for adults and kids alike. Pretty, too, don’t you think?    

  4. Glazed Cake Donut Muffins, page 43. Yum. is all I have to say.  

5. Breakfast Burrito, page 36. Made ahead for busy mornings! A huge plus, because Little Sis could eat one every day if ya let her!  

  6. Blueberry Bread, page 163. You had me at blueberry. And bread. 😉  

7. Cornbread Muffins, page 169. Quick, easy and oh so yummy with the touch of honey that’s added.

Here are some other favorites not pictured:
Read Chicken Nuggets, page 120
Neighborhood Meatballs, page 104
Peaches and Cream Wafflewiches, page 62
Ricotta and Jam Pancake Sandwiches, page 51

And I’m still dying to try: Lunchbox Falafels, page 115 (and many more)

For more information on the amazing Laura Fuentes, please visit her at her website: LauraFuentes.com.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my cookbook review! Feel free to make my day by leaving me a comment, following my blog via email, on Facebook or on Instagram. The more the merrier!

Christine, aka happyvballgirl 🙂

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