Question – Ideas for sandwich fillings
My two-and-a-half-year-old is addicted to sandwiches. They are without doubt her favourite lunch, and she is very good at making them herself! I thought I would make a list of fillings and wondered if you had any suggestions? She is very keen on mayonnaise.
Answer:
Making a list of sandwich fillings is a great idea as it is so easy to fall into the rut of giving children the same filling, day-in, day-out. If you choose fillings from a variety of food groups, you’ll help your daughter to achieve a balanced diet while still giving her a lunch she enjoys (and therefore eats!). Keep in mind which food groups are eaten at other meals to be sure you’re covering all the nutritional bases. Here’s a list of filling suggestions to get you thinking:
- Fruit and vegetables: grated carrot, chopped peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, mushrooms, sliced banana, grated apple, sliced pear, chopped dried fruit, raisins
- Meat, fish, eggs and alternatives: cold meat such as chicken, beef or pork; left-over meat such as bolognaise sauce; boiled eggs; fish such as left-over salmon or tinned tuna; hummus; nut spreads such as peanut butter (remember to wait until children are over three if there is a history of nut allergies in the family)
- Dairy foods: cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese
Try interesting combinations such as chicken, grated cheese and chopped tomato; or an open sandwich of peanut butter dotted with raisins (maybe spelling her initial). And I’m sure your daughter could invent some unusual combinations.
Use mayonnaise to bind the filling and make it palatable to your daughter if you need to, but it’s good to minimize the amount, trying to cut down over time. This is because mayonnaise contains a lot of ’empty calories’ – it may fill her up but doesn’t provide nutrients she needs. You could also try a little cream cheese, fromage frais, hummus or avocado to moisten the fillings and add variety.
It’s a good idea to vary the type of bread used for the sandwiches, both to provide different grains and types of fibre, and also to get Heather used to more lunchtime variety. Here are a few ideas:
- Bagels
- Rye and other crispbreads and large crackers
- Breads containing rye or oats
- White, granary and wholemeal bread
- Pitta bread
- English muffins – even more fun when they’re made into a mini-pizza and heated under the grill for a few minutes. Heather can join in the decoration, maybe with grated cheese, strips of pepper and chopped tomatoes