This article on Meal Planning for Fussy Eaters is a collaboration between Dr Jennifer Cohen and Little Peeps Eats.
Welcome Jen, and congratulations on the launch of the “Meal Planning for Fussy Eaters Blueprint”!
I’m passionate about helping parents of fussy eaters (which is why I started my group), as I understand how frustrating this can be as a parent. Which Is why I am so excited to find out more about Meal Planning for Fussy Eaters Blueprint!
But before we find out about the program, I’d love to find out a little bit more about you.
How did you come to be known as ‘The Fussy Eating Doctor”?
I have been working in the hospital as a Dietitian working with children with cancer for almost 15 years. I then did my PhD focusing on kid eating habits after they finished their cancer treatment. We found that for the kids in remission, their eating habits after treatment were really affected, causing them to become really fussy. We now have a trial underway to improve the fruit and vegetable intake of young survivors of childhood cancer.
While working in the hospital I was also working one-on-one with families in my own practice and used a lot of my skills and knowledge with fussy eaters in my private practice. After a while I specialised in fussy eating. Continue Reading →
Do you have a picky eater? I understand what you are going through, I truly do. To spend hours in the kitchen cooking a nutritious family meal, only for your child to say ‘yuck’ and completely disregard what you’ve served them.
How many times have you heard your picky eater say, “I don’t like that” based only on how it looks on the plate, without even tasting it? If I had a dollar for every time I’d heard it, I would be sailing away on my private yacht as I type this article!
It’s a topic that is close to my heart (which is why I started my group), as I understand how frustrating this can be as a parent. We want our child to be enjoying nutritious food, why must they make it so hard for us?Continue Reading →
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.
This article on Litter Free Lunchbox Solutions is a collaboration between Little Peeps Eats and Sinchies.
One school trend that isn’t going anywhere is the trend for nude food, or a litter free lunchbox. Schools thankfully are doing their part to encourage a rubbish-free lunchbox, but even if your school isn’t on board with this, with Little Peeps Eats, there is so much you can do to get the trend going.Continue Reading →
This article on kids nutrition is a collaboration between Reliv ANZ and Little Peeps Eats.
Problem eating can result in a number of different childhood problems including obesity, poor bone strength, lack of energy, digestive issues and more. I’ve collected my favourite kids’ nutrition tips to help you make sure your child is eating well.Continue Reading →
This article ‘Playful tips to help Picky Eaters’ is a collaboration between Little Peeps Eats and Kind to Kidz.
Wouldn’t it be great if dinner could be a relaxed and fun time for your family instead of a nightly battle? It can be! Check out our list below of handy ways to tempt picky-eaters and maintain peace and sanity all at the same time.Continue Reading →
This article ‘Foolproof baby led weaning recipes + essential tips for getting started!’ is a collaboration between ezpz Australia and Little Peeps Eats.
When it comes to learning how to feed you baby, there is a minefield of information out there. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed by it all with my first. To make this process easier for you – I’ve included my hot tips to make the process easier for you, my favourite baby led weaning recipes, and other useful information.
Let’s start from when it all begins. When your baby is six months of age, they are likely now ready to start solid foods and move on from a diet that is made up entirely of breastmilk or formula. Solid foods are introduced gradually so that your baby gets used both to eating and to processing each type of food. There are two main methods of teaching your baby to eat; baby led weaning and parent led weaning.Continue Reading →
This article ‘Essential Guide to preparing meals for picky eaters’ is a collaboration between Emondo Kids and Little Peeps Eats.
Serving meals to picky eaters can be a huge source of frustration for many families. There is something truly deflating about serving up a delicious home cooked meal to your family, only to have it completely rejected. I’ve been there. I think most mums have, right?
Both of my boys have been through stages of picky eating, and during these times there has been much trial and error, seeking advice from experts, and learning on the go.
Our mealtimes are much calmer now, and actually enjoyable for our family. I’d love to share with you all of the things that I’ve implemented that have been a game changer to our mealtimes.Continue Reading →
It can be easy to draw a blank when it comes to toddler snack ideas. Sometimes I look at fancy creations online and wonder how some of these amazing mammas have the time or energy to create such fun masterpieces! Hats of to those that do – but in my house… it’s got to be simple.
Two kids down now and I have compiled both of my boys favourite snacks that are simple to make, and have some nutritional value.Continue Reading →
This article “Simple tricks to create fun food for kids lunchboxes” is a collaboration between Little Peeps Eats and Adventure Snacks.
My eldest son is now heading into term three of Kindergarten (where did the first half of this year go?). I’m now starting to think about all of the fun things I’ve got planned to add a bit of fun to his school lunch. When looking at some of the amazing kids lunchboxes on places like Instagram – it can be easy to think that it’s a hard task to create fun foods for kids. But in all truth – there are a few tips and tricks that make the process quite fast and simple!Continue Reading →
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! 
