Hi. I’m Laura Fuentes, and if you can say my name the way it sounds in Spanish*, we’ll be instant best friends. That’s because I was born and raised in Spain!
I came to the US in my teens, have a degree in Global Economic Relations and MBA in International Business Operations, and speak a few languages.
You’d think you’d find someone like me in some corporate office in NY -I thought so too! The fact is, I live with my husband (of 20 years) outside of New Orleans with our 3 kids and our very needy dog. I spend most days in athleisure clothes, behind a computer writing, sometimes cooking, and most definitely struggling with managing everything in the world of being a mom.
In 2010 on a whim, I started this website to document my process of learning how to cook healthy meals for my family efficiently so that I could enjoy some time to myself at the end of the day. I also launched MOMables to help parents pack fresh lunches daily.
I know the internet is full of free recipes, and when those fail, it sucks! That’s the last thing you want: wasted time, effort, and ingredients!
That won’t happen here. My editors at Fair Winds Press have taught me how to develop, test, and write fail-free recipes while publishing my 5 cookbooks. I make mistakes, so you don’t have to!
My (small and mighty) team would like me to tell you that I’ve competed on Food Network (and won!), appeared on Good Morning America and TODAY Show, had a pilot show on Discovery, have partnered with more than 100 brands, and that my recipes have been featured in printed magazines for years –they sometimes remind me that I’m “legit” when I have a shitty day.
What’s in it for you:
No BS, no AI written content, and help in the areas of cooking you struggle with most. Whether it’s ideas, the food not coming out right, finding recipes your family will eat, and supporting you through your healthier eating journey… I’m here for it.
The “elevator pitch”:
Laura Fuentes helps you make stress-free family meals that leave you feeling good and with more time for yourself.
In plain English:
I’m a mealtime coach. While the recipes on my websites are free, people pay me for my method of eating healthier as a family. This includes a simple 30-day program, weekly meal plans, and support via monthly check-ins or 1:1 time together.
We all know healthy eating is important for everyone in the family, but making this part of our lifestyle is hard because we get busy, spend most of our days working, and then hours juggling kid activities in the evenings, not to mention packed weekends, household chores, and never be left alone long enough to pee (mom-fact).
What to do next:
If this is your first time here and you feel like we can be “internet friends,” I suggest you start here and browse some of the most popular recipes and helpful how-to content on the website or opt-in to get my emails which I personally write and not send automatically when something new is published.
If establishing long-term healthy eating habits with your family is a priority for you, but the whole process is overwhelming, click here and explore ways to work together.
A little more background:
I taught myself how to cook after becoming a mom in 2006 by watching Food Network and following recipes in magazines and cookbooks from the library. For reference, my chicken breasts were rubbery, overcooked, and bland -the complete opposite of these juicy, pan-seared chicken breasts.
Being naturally thin is not in my gene pool. As a teen, I carried more than 40 lbs of excess weight, leading to a decade-long struggle with eating disorders. I gained 40-45lbs with each of my 3 pregnancies (all c-sections), so the difficulty of losing the pregnancy weight postpartum while being deprived of energy and sleep is very real to me.
I don’t believe in dieting. It’s simply not sustainable long-term. Believe me; I’ve tried! Low-fat in the 90s, Low-Carb, and Keto under medical supervision for 18 months in 2018… my body just said, “wtf are you doing to me?” and I found myself dealing with other health problems.
I do think intermittent fasting can be beneficial for many women, but it’s not a diet. I’ve practiced it on and off since 2013 to give my mealtimes structure (eat at mealtimes, stop snacking at night, etc.) and studied it extensively. This is why I have a lot of practical articles about it on my website.
Autoimmune conditions and food intolerances are real. I have non-autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which basically means my thyroid thinks it’s the boss of me. I work closely with my doctor and maintain a nutrition-first diet approach, so I’m not taking medications (at the moment). At my house, we’ve had periods of severe intolerances to gluten, dairy, and most grains, so my knowledge of dietary restrictions and substitutions is extensive (I also have two cookbooks suitable for these).
I never played sports or considered myself athletic growing up. I started running at 40. Well, more like I first walked, then jogged, and the day I ran 1 mile without walking, I cried -like actual tears. And since that first mile, I’ve run half-marathons and will run my first full marathon in Berlin on Sept 2023.
Lastly, I have a spinal deformity, and it does not defy me. Most of the time, I forget it exists because I’m wearing clothes. And even though I’m proud AF of what I can do physically despite it, it still hurts my feelings when I see myself naked in the mirror. I’m human, after all.
Now you know all the things.
Laura