The Ultimate Mum’s Guide to Kid-Friendly Sandwich Fillings

This post is sponsored by Tip Top

Like most people ‘pre-kids’… I genuinely believed that when I had a baby, they would happily eat anything I gave them. There’d be no complaints. Absolutely no food thrown. Just a kid who would eat every single mouthful of delicious food I gave them. They wouldn’t be at all fussy. They’d be a super clean eater and there’d hardly even be a need for a bib. And obviously, they’d love every vegetable under the sun.

I mean… was that really asking too much?? Umm… apparently YES!!!!!! As a Mum of a toddler, I now know the following:

• if your toddler likes a particular food one day, there’s a fair chance they’ll hate it the next day (it’s not you, it’s them… at least that’s what I keep telling myself);
• regardless of whether they like their food or hate it, it’s probably going to get thrown on the floor;
• some days toddlers will eat virtually nothing and you freak out that they’re not eating enough (until your mum reminds you that they wont starve themselves… thanks Mum), and then other days they literally eat as much as a sumo wrestler;
• no how much time and effort you put into making food for your toddler… they truly do not care;
• splat mats on the floor are a great idea… except for the fact that toddlers can throw food a LOOONG way;
• bibs are fantastic for catching… oh I don’t know… maybe .1% of food;
• when you’re at the end of your tether, sauce is your friend;
• oh and did I mention that EVERYTHING will get thrown on the floor???

Yep, I’m pretty sure that in less than 2 years, my little Will has well and truly demolished any ‘pre-mum’ ideas I had on feeding toddlers and kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cheeky little cherub more than anything in the world. But do I love the whole toddler-feeding thing? Not so much!!

Which brings me to this post… I’ve teamed up with the bread-lovin’ people at Tip Top to test out their new ‘The One Mixed Grains’ loaf. The idea behind this loaf is that it’s been designed by kids for kids. Yep, a trusty group of little people were chosen by Tip Top to taste test different breads and then decide on the grains that they liked best (which turned out to be oats, corn, rice and wheat). Tip Top then used their grain selections to create ‘The One Mixed Grains’ loaf of bread. Clever, right!? To be honest, I was a little surprised that the kids didn’t choose sprinkles to be in the bread… but apparently that wasn’t an option!!

And while it’s all well and good to have a kid-designed and approved bread… you also need unbeatable sandwich fillings too. Which brings me to my current ‘mum-dilemma’. Sandwich fillings. Apparently, when you’re a Mum, you have to make lunch for your kids. Every. Single. Day. And while some sandwiches get gobbled up in 2 seconds… a lot of them lead to a look of “Really? Reeeeeaaallllyyyy? You honestly expect me to eat THAT delicious gourmet creation that you’ve lovingly made for me??”.
You hear me, right!?

And so, I took to Facebook (as you do!) and asked Mum’s for their absolutely fool-proof sandwich fillings (as in the ones that your kids will ACTUALLY eat every. single. time.).

And here’s what you came up with….

The Ultimate Mum’s Guide to Kid-Friendly Sandwich Fillings

The Classics

• jam
• peanut butter
• honey
• Vegemite
• cheese
• jam and peanut butter
• Vegemite and cheese

 

Something Sweet

• Nutella
• sprinkles/100s and 1000s
• Nutella and banana
• peanut butter and banana
• peanut butter and jam
• honey and peanut butter
• Nutella, honey and banana

 

A Little Cheesy

• cheese and sprinkles
• cottage cheese and Vegemite
• cheese and aioli
• cheese, capsicum and lettuce
• cream cheese and baby spinach
• cream cheese and avocado
• cream cheese and sultanas
• cheese, egg and mayo
• cheese and tomato
• cheese and lettuce
• cream cheese, cucumber and carrot
• cheese and cucumber
• cheese and sauce

 

Salad Fillings

• avocado and cheese
• hummus and avocado
• cheese, gherkin and mayo
• mashed eggs and hummus
• mashed eggs and avocado
• curried eggs
• lettuce and mashed eggs
• mashed egg and whole egg mayo
• grated carrot, cheese and sultanas
• spinach, cucumber, grated carrot and sweet chilli sauce
• lettuce, cheese and chutney
• lettuce, tomato, cucumber and carrot
• grated cheese, carrot, mayo and spring onion
• tomato and cucumber
• cucumber and carrot
• cheese, carrot, lettuce and mayo
• egg, lettuce and mayo
• feta, cucumber and egg

 

A Bit Meaty

• ham and cheese
• chicken, cheese and mayo
• chicken loaf, lettuce, tomato and cheese
• chicken, lettuce and mayo
• salami, tomato and cheese
• BBQ chicken, cheese and BBQ sauce
• pulled pork
• ham and mashed egg
• ham and hummus
• chicken, cream cheese and lettuce
• chicken, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream
• chicken mixed with greek yoghurt and avocado
• ham, cheese and spinach
• ham, cheese and tomato
• chicken, cheese and avocado
• BBQ sauce, cheese and pulled pork
• chicken, mayo, spinach and spring onions
• ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo
• corned beef, cheese and spinach
• devon and cheese
• devon and sauce
• chicken, lettuce and mayo
• ham, cream cheese and spinach
• chicken, lettuce, carrot and avocado
• ham, cheese and lettuce
• turkey, cranberry sauce, lettuce and avocado
• turkey and cheese
• salami, cheese and spinach
• corned beef and chutney
• roast pork, cheese and cranberry sauce
• devon, sauce and cheese
• turkey, cheese and avocado
• chicken, cheese, cucumber and lettuce
• bacon, lettuce, tomato
• cucumber, bacon, cheese and aioli
• chicken, egg, lettuce, cheese and mayo
• chicken and spinach
• chicken, cheese, mayo and avocado
• chicken schnitzel and aioli
• roast chicken and lettuce
• chicken, grated carrot, chopped celery and mayo
• pulled pork and coleslaw
• roast chicken and coleslaw
• pastrami, cheese and tomato
• ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo
• sliced turkey and cucumber
• chicken strips, lettuce and cheese
• ham, cheese and pineapple
• BBQ chicken, celery and mayo
• silverside and cheese
• ham, lettuce and tomato

 

A Little Fishy

• tuna and avocado
• tuna and cheese
• salmon and cream cheese
• tuna
• tuna, mayo and coleslaw
• tuna and mayo
• salmon, spinach and mayo

 

… The Ultimate Top 5 Most Popular Kids Sandwich Fillings

1. Cheese and Vegemite
2. Chicken, cheese and avocado
3. Mashed egg and mayo
4. Ham and cheese
5. Chicken, lettuce and mayo

 

And to up your sandwich-ninja-mum game even more, check out these great tips…

Top Tips For Getting Kids To Actually Eat The Sandwiches You Make Them (from real mums):

• keep it simple – most kids prefer sandwiches with just a couple of fillings
• use a healthy bread that your kids enjoy and can easily eat
• limit the sweet options (unless of course, you have a dentist in the family… hehehe!)
• beware of tomato, beetroot or any other messy ingredients in lunchbox sandwiches (no ones likes a soggy sandwich!!)
• test out new ingredient combos, but don’t worry if they want the same thing every single day (whatever works, right!)
• most schools and kinders are now nut-free, so save peanut butter etc for at home
• when in doubt… stick to the basics – they’re always winners!
• if they’re old enough, get your kids to help make their own sandwiches

A kid-approved healthy bread PLUS kick-ass sandwich fillings = happy Mumma’s and kids! And that’s how we roll around here… nutritious sandwiches that ACTUALLY get eaten! Whoop whoop.

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE

 

This post was brought to you by Tip Top’s new ‘The One Mixed Grains’ loaf – a bread that has grains chosen by kids for kids. Packed full of all the good stuff (including oats, wheat, corn and rice), it’s high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, contains 1/3 of your daily whole grain target (in 2 slices) and with a 4 star health rating. Available now at Coles and Woolworths.