Feeding toddlers can be a chore that moms dread. That is because they never really know if today is the day that their child decides they want to be a picky eater. If they are going to throw their plate on the floor, despite it being food they just ate yesterday with no complaints.
This isn’t always to be blamed on picky eating, toddlers can just be very particular about the food they want at any given moment. One of the easiest lunches to make your toddler is a sandwich. It is quick, easy, and it can be nutritious. Even peanut butter and jam is a good dose of protein and carbs that their growing bodies need.
However, if we stop and think about it, sandwiches can be pretty boring. They are just two pieces of bread with some stuff inside, and there is not much there to entice a toddler to want to pick it up and eat it. This means that mom has to get creative and make sandwiches that her toddler wants to eat.
The number one rule, or piece of advice, is always going to be to have your toddler help you make the sandwiches. When we get them involved, it can make them more interested in eating, and this is a perfect task for their age and stage of development.
Change It Up
Sometimes, the most obvious solution is the one right in front of our eyes, but we miss it because we are trying to think too much outside of the box. According to All Women’s Talk, the quickest way to make a sandwich more exciting is to change up the bread we are using. If you normally give your toddler a sandwich on plain, white bread, change it up.
- Mom could try whole wheat bread, bread with flax and seeds in it, or she can try tortilla wraps. These are great ways to make the sandwich new and exciting.
- If mom wants to try and skip the bread altogether, she could even make a sandwich out of lettuce or bell peppers, if her toddler eats that.
- If all mom has is white bread, take some food dye, and get them to “decorate” their bread before you turn it into a sandwich.
The possibilities are endless. You could even let them be a bit more adventurous and add some sprinkles to the bread.
All Shapes & Sizes
According to Taste, you want to make the sandwiches fun to look at and eat, and this means getting really creative with the shapes of the sandwiches. If you take a tortilla, line it with ingredients, and then roll and chop it, you are going to end up with little sandwich pinwheels. These are always fun to eat. You can even make them with regular bread, you just need to flatten it a bit with a rolling pin.
You can find fairly inexpensive sandwich shape cutters online, and this can turn a sandwich into a teddy bear, ladybug, or dinosaur in two seconds. The benefit is that it will take off the crust for you as well. If you have cookie cutters at home that are big enough, they should work as well.
If you don’t have access to either, try cutting the sandwich into “soldiers” – little finger-sized pieces. Or use an empty glass to make circle sandwiches.
Make It Hot
When we think of sandwiches, we often think of cold sandwiches. The kind with peanut butter or some kind of deli meat, and if that is what you have been giving your toddler, you may want to try some hot sandwiches. According to Toddler Meal Ideas, you can make your classic grilled cheese, or if you have a Panini press, you can add some deli meat to it. This is a great way to get them to eat something warm, and if your toddler likes dip, they are great for dipping.
The last great idea is to serve them a “deconstructed” sandwich. This means that you arrange all the ingredients of the sandwich on the plate and give it to them like that. They can either take the ingredients and make their own sandwich, or they can eat everything individually. They will feel like they are breaking some kind of rule, and that is always fun.
Toddlers can be tricky eaters, but if you use just a bit of imagination and an ounce of fun, you can have your toddler eating sandwiches in no time, and they will want to eat them.
Sources: All Women’s Talk, Taste, Toddler Meal Ideas
