Healthy and Interesting Sandwiches for Kids

How to Prepare Sandwiches that Children will Eat at School

Jan 10, 2009 Wei Yin Wong

Busy parents can make sandwiches healthier and more interesting by presenting them creatively and filling them with various ingredients.

Sandwiches are often part of a healthy school lunch. However, not all sandwiches are created equally. Some are nutritious but boring and while quite a few are sinfully delicious. If children are to bring home-made sandwiches to school, their parents will have to find ways to make the sandwiches both healthy and interesting. Here are some tips for busy mums and dads to try.

Presenting Sandwiches Creatively

These days, there is more than just plain white bread for making sandwiches. There are many wholegrain or wholemeal breads that are excellent choices too. If your child is not too fond of the wholegrain varieties, try using one slice of white bread and one slice of wholegrain bread to make a “zebra sandwich”.

Other ideas include:

• Making sushi sandwiches by rolling up a slice of bread with fillings and then cutting it into half.
• Making multi-layered sandwiches.
• Cutting sandwiches into various sizes and shapes. Bigger cookie cutters will be useful here.
• Using mini dinner rolls, pita or other wraps instead of bread to make sandwiches.

Healthy and Interesting Sandwich Fillings

Try to vary the fillings for the sandwiches especially if your child will be bringing sandwiches to school everyday. Savory fillings featuring tuna mixed with salsa or low-fat mayonnaise; lean bacon with lettuce; ham and low-fat cheese with tomato; egg mashed with low-fat mayonnaise and cucumber; as well as chicken with avocado and tomato are great choices.

For something different, why not experiment with fruit and vegetables? Some of these more unusual fillings may appeal to some children:

• Peanut butter, sultanas and alfalfa sprouts.
• Ricotta, sultanas and grated carrot.
• Peanut butter and banana.
• Ricotta, banana and honey.
• Ricotta and roast vegetables such as sliced zucchini, eggplant and capsicum.

Preventing Soggy Sandwiches

One of the biggest challenges in sandwich making is preventing it from becoming soggy. A thin layer of low-fat spread on the bread is often helpful. Also, put wet fillings such as tomato and beetroot in the center and dryer items such as pat-dried lettuce against the bread. Keep sandwiches fresh by wrapping them as soon as they are made.

Another way to prevent sogginess is to pack the bread and the fillings separately. Choices of fillings also become more varied if they can be packed separately. Now your child can bring small cans of tuna, sardine, salmon, baked beans or creamed corn or any fillings he personally likes and some bread to make the sandwich during lunchtime at school. However, this option only works for older children.

Sandwiches are easy to make and easy to eat. Parents can make them more nutritious and appealing by presenting them creatively and filling them with a variety of healthy ingredients. To keep the sandwiches cool until lunchtime, put them in an insulated lunchbox or pop in a frozen water bottle in the lunchbox if it’s not insulated.

For more school lunch ideas, read also Non-Sandwich Lunches for Kids.

References:

The Victorian Education Department – Healthy Canteen Kit

McVeagh, Dr. Patricia & Reed, Eve. Kids Food Health. Sydney: Finch Publishing, 2001.

The copyright of the article Healthy and Interesting Sandwiches for Kids in Stay-at-Home Parents is owned by Wei Yin Wong. Permission to republish Healthy and Interesting Sandwiches for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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