This article ‘The Essential list of Kids Sandwich and Wrap Fillings’ is a collaboration between Adventure Snacks and Little Peeps Eats.
To help everyone out with the new school year and encourage happy kids and interesting lunchboxes, we have put together a list of the ultimate list of kids sandwich and wrap ideas. These have been tried and tested and approved by some of the harshest food critics on the earth, our kids!
The Essential list of Kids’ Sandwich and Wrap Fillings
School is now back, and my son has made it very clear he wants nothing but sandwiches for his lunch each day.
I know I am a bit lucky that he likes sandwiches however, there are many parents out there who struggle to get their kids to happily eat school lunches. If this is you – check out our Facebook support group.
To help everyone out and inspire some creative lunchboxes, I have put together a list of the ultimate kids sandwich and wrap ideas. These have been tried and tested and approved by some of the harshest food critics on the earth, our kids!
If you want your kids to look forward to opening their lunchbox each lunchtime, this is the list you need.
Kids’ Sandwiches: Friend or Foe?
We all know that dreaded feeling; opening up the lunchbox at the end of the day to see all of the food lovingly made and completely uneaten. Satisfying kids with healthy food in their lunchbox is one of the trickiest challenges of parenting.
To be honest, most days I’m reaching for the jar of Vegemite, but I’ve been looking for different ideas to keep my son’s lunchbox fresh and interesting (giving myself bonus points if I can squeeze in a bit of extra nutrition as well!)
Lots of children either don’t like sandwiches, or get sick of having the same thing every day. Or one day they love a certain type of sandwich and the next they suddenly despise it!
Sandwiches and wraps are an easy go-to for parents as they are quick, cheap, and convenient to make, stay fresh and are usually a balanced meal.
But if you have a fussy eater, that effort could be all going to waste. Here are some tips to make everyone happy.
Tips to Make Kids’ Sandwiches & Wraps Easier
Fresh sandwiches every day would be lovely, but not many parents, in reality, can get a freshly baked loaf of bread every morning. In real life, you need to embrace what is practical as well as economical. Instead of jogging to the local bakery each morning, you could try:
- Wraps made with mountain bread and other flatbread options, which stays fresher for longer in the pantry. Have you ever checked out the Wrap’d (pictured above)? We love ours! They are perfect for packing wraps, as well as great for the environment. Wraps can be a nightmare for your kids to unwrap a whole lot of cling wrap from, these make it super easy. They are also great for sushi.
- Newer options from the supermarket like brioche buns, sandwiches made from crackers (like Saladas or Cruskits) or sandwich thins, again which all stay fresher for longer and offer variety to your children.
- Baking savoury muffins or frittatas in bulk and freezing them for easy access.
- It’s really important to keep sandwiches fresh, which can be difficult in this heat. It’s worth investing in a good quality insulated lunch bag, and don’t forget the Ice Pack to keep it fresh all day. This handy ice pack is great if you like to pack things like cheese or yoghurt in your kid’s’ lunchbox as well, which are much more enjoyable when they are not warm and smushy.
- Let’s not forget about Mother Nature. The Keep Leaf baggies are also a good option for Mum to pop a sandwich in her handbag for work. Schools who advocate for a nude food philosophy will love you for using these, plus you really do save money in the long run on products like this one.
Pro tip: It is also great idea to make sandwiches in bulk and freeze them to make morning lunchbox packing quicker and easier.
Make Lunchboxes Attractive
Although the last thing you probably feel like doing in the morning is going all ‘Masterchef’ and plating up fancy meals for your kids, making their lunches attractive just may help to get them eating.
Involving your child in the packing and selecting process can help too, as they are more likely to eat things they helped to make, buy or choose. You could give them some parameters, for example at least one fruit item, one dairy item and one fun treat, but within that let them choose what snacks to put in their lunchboxes.
Kids of all ages can have trouble with crusts. We’d love to say you should persevere and leave the crust on, but stubborn kids will let heaps of good sandwich go to waste in an effort to avoid tasting crust.
To help with this problem, I love the Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters, which help to make things quirky and interesting for fussy children without actually wasting lots of bread in the process. The cute shapes add a whole lot of fun to sandwiches, making them look more visually appealing.
Buying a cute lunchbox also really helps to get them enticed for eating. We love some of the bento boxes on the market at the moment, which are not only sweet but awesome for the environment (and stop kids from losing lots of individual containers as well).
What do they need nutritionally?
When it comes to kids’ sandwiches, you are best to aim for something which provides a source of protein (such as meat, fish, chicken, cheese, egg, legumes or nuts) as well as fibre from fruit, vegetables or grains.
The best tips to follow include:
- Try to incorporate a salad item, and as many as three or four
- Go for wholemeal or multigrain bread instead of white
- Limit butter and instead switch it for spreads like avocado, hummus, or mayonnaise
- Try to keep added salt and sugar to a minimum
Most schools are a no-go zone for nuts (life would be SOO much easier for many parents if they could just choose the peanut butter sanga, I know!) and some may also ban eggs and dairy. Make sure that you know your school’s policy before sending anything to school.
Filling Ideas for Kids’ Sandwiches they are certain to love
Here is a fantastic list of ingredients, you can mix and match as you like. Try to include at least one thing from each of the first two categories, but otherwise, play around, get creative and have some fun!
Here are some ideas for combinations you should try:
- Cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato
- Ham, cheese, sliced apple and sweet pickles
- Ham, cheese, tomato and sweetcorn
- Chicken, avocado, baby spinach and mango chutney
- Cheese, pear, lettuce, celery and cranberry spread
- Cheese, avocado and vegemite
- Tuna, sweetcorn, mayonnaise and fruit chutney
- Smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese
- Sliced apple, grated carrot, sultanas and cream cheese
- Haloumi, grilled capsicum and hummus
- Cucumber and vegemite
- Curried egg with celery and lettuce
- Chicken schnitzel with coleslaw
- Corned beef with swiss cheese and sweet pickles
The best you can do is try some variety and have some fun with it, and get your kids involved in the preparation as well.
If you have some more ideas for awesome kids sandwiches, we’d love to hear them, make sure you comment.
Rachel Cassidy is the founder of Little Peeps Eats. She is a passionate food blogger and brand ambassador, but her most important job is being a mum! Little Peeps Eats helps families take the stress out of mealtimes by providing healthy, kid approved recipes, as well as fussy eating tips and tricks. Their website hosts a directory of nutritionists, resources and mealtime products to ensure that you have everything you need at your fingertips when it comes to feeding your family.
