June 2019
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Deli-Meat-Free Sandwich Ideas!
As I explained in Part I and Part II of this post, we used to eat a lot of deli meat and processed meats. We slowly phased out buying it by adding in other things.
Here are a whole bunch of ideas for building simple sandwiches without deli meat. There are six examples after the graphic. You could even add deli meat to a lot of them if eating less deli meat isn’t your thing.
Whenever I reduce or remove something from the diet, I think about what I was getting from that food. In the case of deli meat, we were getting protein and fat. Perhaps some iron, depending on the type of deli meat. So, I need alternatives that will taste good and will have protein, fat, and maybe some iron.
These sandwich combos enable you to combine protein and fat. They also allow you to mix iron-rich plant foods (like spinach or peanut butter) with vitamin C sources like fruits and veggies. That gives you the biggest bang for your buck in the iron department.
And if you have a little one under 2 who can’t manage a sandwich yet, serve it deconstructed! These are completely balanced meals whether or not you can keep your sandwich together.
Here are 6 sandwich ideas that my kids love.
Granola butter is the newest nut-free option on the market. Tastes like ah-mazing granola, but is a spread. My kids absolutely love it. It’s very allergy friendly, nut-free school-friendly, and you can get it here (affiliate link)!
Layer it up! My kids have accepted all sorts of veggies on a sandwich (assuming they are in the right mood, ha!).
Another classic. I mix the banana with a bit of lemon or lime juice to keep it from turning brown. Or mix it up with some cinnamon. Yum.
Amazing in the summer when you can find your own stash of black berries and pick them at the peak of ripeness. So delicious. Plus they are purple. You can capitalize on that, if you have a child who loves the color purple.
That’s really two spreads in one. This can be really nice for kids under 2 who are always losing their sandwich contents out the bottom.
Hint on this one. Raspberries and be really juicy and make bread soggy fast. So, cut the raspberries in half and lay the juicy side facing the almond butter. No more soggy sandwiches!
What sandwich will you be making first?
Check out our guide for more healthy lunches for toddlers.
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
