As a child's body is susceptible to its dietary input, providing kids with healthy and light food is essential. Furthermore, children shouldn't overeat. Therefore, experts recommend that parents mix full healthy meals with bite-size snacks when feeding kids. Regular bites help avoid situations where children become cranky because they are hungry. Consequently, sandwiches for kids improve youngsters' moods and allow them to always stay active. Healthy noshes also assist in adding more nutrients to children's diets.
According to Etiqa, 98% of Singaporeans snack. Moreover, half of them are frequent snackers. And many of those snack-lovers prefer to eat sandwiches as their nibble of choice. That's because subs are quick to make yet still have high-energy values. However, sandwiches for toddlers and children should be not just nutritious but also healthy. Moreover, such snacks need to have an excellent taste as well as an appetising smell. Furthermore, sandwiches for children need to look delicious or kids just won't eat them. Below we’re excited to share our favourite kid-friendly sandwich recipes that Singaporean parents can’t stop raving about.
Meatball Marinara Sandwich
Skilled chefs have noted Meatball Marinara Sandwiches as one of the best mini sandwiches for kids. It doesn't take too much time and effort to make them and you don't need to have specific skills or buy special kitchen utensils. So, let's look closer at how to prepare this great sub.
The Meatball Marinara Sandwich: A Kid-Friendly Favourite
This sub has incredible kid appeal. The ruddy colour of Hoagie rolls, with their crispy crusts, is intertwined with the bright hues of the sauce and herbs. Meatballs, barely visible under gravy and a thick layer of melted cheese, make the sub even more appetizing. This delicious snack is always served warm so those fresh smells of the bakery will surely have your kids drooling. Even parents themselves won’t be able to resist the temptation to take a bite when they breathe in the mind-blowing smell of this sandwich.
The taste of Meatball Marinara Sandwiches is out of this world, with the soft rolls melting in your mouth. Sweet meatballs with a subtle scent of garlic, covered with Italian sauce, will please even the pickiest toddlers. Topped with crunchy lettuce, melted Provolone, and Parmesan, and sprinkled with chopped parsley and sliced scallions, this king of easy sandwiches for kids is sure to be an instant hit.
Health Benefits of the Meatball Marinara Sandwich
This sub doesn't just taste great, it also includes a considerable amount of beneficial minerals and vitamins. So let's look at the nutrition of each ingredient in more detail:
Marinara sauce. One portion (half of a cup) of the gravy contains over 20% of kids' daily requirement of vitamins E and A. It also provides children with more than 25% of their everyday sodium needs.
Provolone cheese includes loads of calcium, thus providing toddlers with the necessary nutrients for eyesight, bone health, and the production of red blood cells.
Parmesan cheese is rich in ready-to-use fats as well as protein. It also provides nutrients that support bone health.
Meatballs of pork and beef (50/50). Beef is widely recommended as part of a healthy diet because it contains up to 27% protein. Pork, in turn, is a great source of minerals like thiamine, selenium, and phosphorus.
Herbs contain essential oils, unique antioxidants, phytosterols, as well as numerous different vitamins.
Hoagie rolls provide toddlers with plenty of carbohydrates. A bun contains about 56-57g of carbs.
The nutritional composition of these kids' snacks energizes children for many hours, helping them with their daily activities. Furthermore, it can be a great sandwich for kids' parties, as it tastes and looks divine.
Homemade Meatball Marinara Sandwich Recipe
First, it's necessary to prepare the sauce. Simply follow these steps:
Heat the olive oil (1/4 cup). Add garlic (5 cloves), two large carrots, and one diced onion. Cook it for about five minutes.
Pour two cans (28 ounces each) of tomatoes, including the juice.
Add salt (1/2 tsp.), sugar (2 tsp.), black pepper (1/2 tsp.), as well as oregano (2 tbsp.).
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1-1.5 hours. You’ll need to regularly stir the mixture.
Finally, add chopped parsley (2 tbsp.) and adjust the gravy for spices.
How to Make Meatballs
To prepare the meat filling for these delicious and kid-friendly sandwiches for parties or just daily snacks, follow these simple steps:
Mix grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup), breadcrumbs (1 cup), garlic (4 cloves), salt (1-1.5 tsp.), parsley (1/4 cup), as well as pepper (1 tsp.).
Add two large eggs and milk (1/2 cup). Stir the whole mixture until it has a paste-like and loose consistency.
Add pork (1 lb.) and beef (1 lb.). Gently mix all the ingredients. Shape the mixture into balls about two inches in diameter.
Brown the meatballs on each side for nearly 1 minute. Drain the fat from the pot.
Pour in the Marinara sauce and cook the meatballs for 30 minutes.
Carefully stir the meatballs, cooking for another 15 minutes.
After that, the meat filling is ready.
How to Assemble the Meatball Marinara Sandwich
These easy sandwiches for kids should be made as follows:
Slice Hoagie rolls lengthwise through their centre.
Scoop out some bread from the inside of the buns to create room for the meatballs.
Toast the slices for up to 2 minutes.
Lay four meatballs on each bottom half of the buns. Add two pieces of Provolone cheese to the top. Toast for 2 minutes.
Add the lettuce and more Marinara if necessary. Sprinkle each sandwich with parsley and scallions. Top with the upper half of the bun.
Serve the sandwich immediately for maximum yumminess.
Healthy Ingredient Swaps and Modifications
Parents can make the Meatball Marinara Sandwiches even healthier if they use balls made of only beef or turkey. Moreover, cucumbers and fresh tomatoes may be added. You can also replace Hoagie rolls with whole wheat buns when making these mini sandwiches for kids.
Make It a Balanced Meal: Side Dish Ideas
You can prepare creamy coleslaw or pasta salad. Furthermore, experts recommend adding chips and salsa as a garnish. Children will also surely enjoy the subs with fruit desserts or sliced vegetables. Finally, you may bake potato wedges as a side dish.
Adding healthy garnishes means that parents can throw a bash for their young ones as often as they want. Moreover, the Meatball Marinara Sub itself is a fun sandwich for a kids' birthday party or any other children's event or celebration.
Bocadillo with Roasted Peppers and Scrambled Eggs
This amazing mini sandwich for kids, combining French sophistication and a Spanish passion for cookery, will immediately transport youngsters to the Basque Country. That's why this sub is one of the best snacks your children could ever try. The Bocadillo snack is something that’s guaranteed to get them excited.
The Bocadillo - One of the Best Children's Subs
The sandwich is made using a long French baguette as well as a mixture of onions, red and orange/yellow bell peppers, oregano, garlic, and eggs. This combination can be described in three words – delicious, hearty, and healthy.
A soft French baguette makes the Bocadillo incredibly light. A tender egg omelette melts in your mouth like a marshmallow. And the combination of spices, together with vegetables, gives children an unforgettable taste. These qualities make this popular sub ideal as a kid-friendly sandwich for parties and regular snacks.
What Health Benefits Does the Bocadillo Bring?
Firstly, the French baguette is worthy of mention. This mind-blowing bun was even granted UNESCO Heritage status for its health benefits because it contains the following:
Prebiotics. They protect the digestive system from fungi and bacteria. Moreover, probiotics help to improve metabolism.
Fibre. This helps you feel full for longer and allows children to avoid frequent snacks. A French baguette contains at least 1g of fibre.
Folic acid. This micronutrient strengthens children's immune systems. This makes the Bocadillo a particularly wholesome sandwich for toddlers whose immature systems are frequently susceptible to many diseases.
Protein. This nutrient strengthens bones and muscles.
And let’s not forget the other ingredients. Yellow bell peppers are rich in ascorbic acid and vitamins A and E. Eggs contain numerous beneficial minerals such as iron, copper, sulphur, fluoride, chlorine, and iodine. Moreover, they include vitamins B and D, together with choline. Red peppers stand out for their antibacterial and antiviral effects. Finally, garlic is good for the cardiovascular system and reduces blood cholesterol.
Homemade Bocadillo Recipe
To prepare this spectacular sandwich for kids, you will need the following ingredients:
A French baguette.
Coarsely chopped onions and tomatoes (2 of each).
Olive oil (3 tbsp. + some more to brush the French baguette).
Red and yellow/orange bell peppers (2 pcs. of each). You should seed as well as chop them coarsely.
Minced garlic (2 large cloves).
Red pepper flakes (about 0.5 tsp.).
Drained and diced red peppers (a single 14.5-oz. can).
Large eggs (7 pcs.).
Chopped fresh and dried oregano (1 tbsp. of each).
Butter (2 tbsp.), ground black pepper, and salt (the latter two to taste).
To make this kid-friendly sandwich recipe just follow these steps:
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C)
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry them over medium heat for approximately 5 mins, stirring occasionally. The onions should become soft but not brown.
Add the garlic, bell peppers, and chilli flakes to the frying pan and braise for about 5 mins. Add the oregano, tomatoes, salt, and ground black pepper. Fry the mixture covered for up to 20 mins. Make sure that the bell peppers have become soft and the liquid has evaporated.
Cut the baguette lengthwise and scoop out the soft inner part of the bread. Cut the baguette into 6 equal slices and coat their inner surfaces with oil. Place the baguette pieces on a baking tray and bake them for up to 8 minutes until they appear light gold and crispy. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and put them into another heated frying pan with melted butter. Fry the mixture until you get a soft omelette. Turn off the heat before t you add the pepper mixture to the pan with the omelette. Stir the ingredients.
Divide the filling among the baguette pieces.
You can also sprinkle these easy sandwiches for kids with basil leaves. Bocadillos should be served warm or hot. Their appetising look surely makes them the perfect choice for fun sandwiches for kids' birthday parties or other essential celebrations.
Healthy Ingredient Swaps and Modifications
You can replace French baguettes with sesame seed buns or even small rye loaves. Also, you can add some baked chicken to the sandwich to make it even more hearty or include some mushrooms to make it even tastier.
The Bocadillo as a Balanced Meal: Garnish Ideas
You can prepare some side dishes for this ever-popular sub if you want to make it even more nutritious. Examples include:
Peanut and pea salad
Mexican street-style grilled cauliflower
Garlic Brussels sprouts with potatoes
Its compatibility with plenty of gourmet and healthy side dishes makes the Bocadillo a great sandwich for a kids' party.
Home-Made Bread With Fresh Tomatoes and Garlic
This kid-friendly sandwich recipe doesn't require you to purchase expensive ingredients and only takes up to 40 minutes to make. There is no need to use eggs, yeast, white flour or even butter. At the same time, the bread excels in outstanding taste and high nutritional value.
What Makes the Home-Made Garlic and Tomato Bread So Great?
The recipe below can be used to quickly prepare plenty of delicious mini sandwiches for kids. Just make these mind-blowing subs and put them into the fridge so your child can have spectacular snacks throughout the day.
The bread made from whole wheat flour is praised for its savoury flavour. Tomatoes bring a sweet and sour taste. Garlic spices the sandwich up. Cheese, for its part, adds sophistication to the sub's taste. This sandwich is a delicious and hearty snack, but it doesn't overload the digestive system, kids can stay active at all times.
Health Benefits of Home-Made Bread With Fresh Tomatoes and Garlic
The buns for this easy sandwich for kids include whole wheat flour and Greek Yogurt. Whole wheat flour contains the following nutrients:
Vitamin E enhances the body's oxygen supply and overall defense function, which boosts the immune system.
Loads of fibre improve bowel function.
B vitamins refine metabolism in the human body and normalize the work of the immune and nervous systems.
Starchy substances have high-energy value.
Many micronutrients are included, such as involves iron, zinc, manganese, and potassium.
Greek yogurt, in turn, contains substances that strengthen the cardiovascular system. Moreover, it's good for nails, hair, and skin. Also, the bread doesn't include yeast, which has been linked with weakened immunity, increased fatigue, and decreased brain function.
Additionally, this delicious sandwich for kids contains tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, and garlic. Tomatoes contain potassium and magnesium, which are essential for the cardiovascular system. Cheese has a positive effect on the health of bones and teeth. Garlic lowers cholesterol levels. Lastly, olive oil contains a variety of antioxidants.
Recipe of the Home-Made Bread With Fresh Tomatoes and Garlic
First, you’ll need to prepare the buns for these outstanding sandwiches for toddlers and children:
Heat the oven to 350 °F.
Mix 2 cups of whole wheat flour with 1 ¾ cup of Greek yogurt. Add 1 tbsp. of baking powder. Sprinkle the resulting dough with salt.
Divide the dough into several equal parts and place them on a baking tray.
Put the tray into the oven and bake the buns for up to 25 min until they become slightly golden brown.
Next, remove the buns and let them cool a little. Don't turn off the oven; instead, heat it to 400 °F for the next stage of the process:
Mix olive oil (3 tbsp.) with grated garlic and salt (to taste). Grate some hard cheese and slice several tomatoes.
Cut each bun in half and brush the insides of the buns with the garlic and olive oil mixture.
Place one or two tomato slices on each bun half and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
Put the subs into the oven and bake them for up to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted.
The sandwiches can be served warm or cold. This makes the sub a great sandwich for kids' parties or just daily noshes.
Healthy Ingredient Swaps and Modifications
You may add lettuce to the sandwich to make it fresher or even add herbs. You can also decorate the bread with fresh tomatoes and garlic. In this case, the sub becomes a fun sandwich for kids' birthday parties or any other celebration. Furthermore, you can save time by buying ready-made whole wheat flour buns for this snack.
What Side Dishes Are Good With Tomato and Garlic Bread?
You can even include this popular kid-friendly sandwich for a party that already has a fully-fledged menu. For instance, the sub tastes exquisite with fresh green beans, fruit salad, Mexican corn, and roasted vegetables. Furthermore, parents can make the sandwich part of a more nutritional meal by adding mashed potatoes with sour cream.
Croque Monsieur Sandwich
This mini sandwich for kids stands out for its exquisiteness. It’s so sophisticated you can eat it using a knife and fork like in the best restaurants in France, which provides a great excuse to teach your children the correct way to employ a knife and fork! At the same time, the sub is healthy and nutritious, with a spectacular taste that your kids are bound to enjoy.
Why Is the Croque Monsieur Sandwich So Popular Worldwide?
There’s no ketchup or mayonnaise needed here because the sandwich for toddlers and children comes dressed with homemade Bechamel sauce. This makes the sub even healthier as well as more delicious. But it doesn't take much time to prepare the described snack - you'll spend only up to 25 minutes.
The Croque Monsieur Sandwich Provides Numerous Nutrients
The Croque Monsieur contains a lot of beneficial nutrients, including:
Calcium plays an essential role in bone health, muscle movement, and nerve signaling.
Vitamins B6 and B12 strengthen the immune system and positively affect the child's mood.
Elemicin tones the body, increases concentration, as well as improves memory and visual perception. Along with vitamins B6 and B12, elemicin is particularly important for children.
Additionally, this sophisticated yet easy sandwich for kids includes antioxidants, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients help children to recover quickly after active outdoor games and make sure they’ll always be ready for new challenges.
The Croque Monsieur: The Kid-Friendly Sandwich Recipe
To prepare this mentioned sub, you just need to follow these steps:
Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
To make the Bechamel sauce for this delicious sandwich for kids, first melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add the same amount of flour and fry the mixture for nearly 2 minutes while constantly stirring. Add milk and cook until thick, before turning off the heat. Add pepper, salt, and nutmeg (a pinch of each).
Pour grated Parmesan and Gruyere (1/4 cup of each) into the mixture. Set the frying pan with the blend aside.
Place 8 pieces of French bread on a baking tray. Grill the bread for several minutes on each side.
Spread mustard on the grilled bread (1 tsp. of mustard is enough for all 8 pieces). Place the ham in 4 pieces (you need about 12 ounces of ham for that). Sprinkle a cup of grated Gruyère on top, sharing it across the 4 pieces. Cover each of the 4 delicious constructions with the leftover French bread slices.
Spread the Bechamel sauce on the top of each sandwich and sprinkle with Gruyère (1/4 cup).
Put the subs in the oven and bake them for up to 10 min until the filling starts to bubble slightly.
The subs have to be served warm. These ready-made snacks are delicious sandwiches for kids' parties. Parents can prepare the subs by themselves or they can invite children to help make this fun sandwich for a kids' birthday party or another celebration.
Croque Monsieur Sandwich Variations
You may modify this kid-friendly sandwich recipe in the following ways:
Add a fried egg to the snack. Enjoy the Croque Madame sub.
Replace the ham with mushrooms or tomatoes. Get an exciting vegetarian nosh.
Use brioche to make the sub more piquant.
Finally, you can make great appetizers from these sophisticated and kid-friendly sandwiches for a party. Just cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Side Dishes for Croque Monsieur Sandwiches
You can eat these sandwiches with simple and light salads like Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette. And, they’re delicious when accompanied by tomato basil soup. Lastly, air-fried potato wedges are also a perfect garnish for the sub.
Chicken Ham Club Sandwich With Homemade Bread
This sub is cultivated enough for even the most sophisticated members of the young snack lovers club. Merely glancing at this delicious and easy sandwich for kids awakens an incredibly strong appetite. The snack tastes even better than you can imagine yet it’s also nutritious and healthy, making it a highly recommended snack for children.
Why Do Kids Love the Chicken Ham Club Sandwich?
The combination of succulent ham and chicken in this sub provides an unforgettable taste experience. The juicy vegetables awaken the desire to savor this mini sandwich for kids again and again. Swiss cheese adds spice to the flavor palette and the crispy homemade bread, toasted on both sides, surprises with its unique tangy taste. Such outstanding palatability makes the sub a good sandwich for a kids' party, outdoor picnic, or daily snack.
Nutritional Benefits of the Chicken Ham Club Sandwich With Homemade Bread
This delicious sandwich for kids supplies children's bodies with the following healthy nutrients:
Lean protein, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, and niacin (found in chicken meat).
Vitamin B12, copper, iron, potassium, zinc, and magnesium. These substances, found in the ham, support liver function together with skin, hair, and eye health. Calcium, phosphorus, and the vitamins that are necessary for the mentioned minerals' absorption (D, A, PP, E, B1, B2, etc.), are contained in the Swiss cheese. This composition helps kids to overcome insomnia and stay awake during the day.
Finally, this tasty sandwich for toddlers and kids includes various vegetables that are rich in fiber as well as antioxidants. Veggies strengthen children's immunity while toning youngsters' bodies.
How to Cook the Chicken Ham Club Sandwich With Homemade Bread
For details on how to prepare homemade buns, simply refer to the tomato and garlic kid-friendly sandwich recipe described earlier in this article. With these buns prepared, you’ll just need to follow the steps below to complete the Chicken Ham Club Sandwich:
Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Slice the homemade bread and grill both sides for about 5 mins in total.
Spread mayonnaise on each grilled slice of toast and season with salt and pepper (to taste).
Place your chopped chicken on a piece of toast. You can cook chicken specially for this or use some left over from a fully-fledged meal.
Slice a tomato and put one or two slices on a piece of toast. Add some Swiss cheese (sliced or grated, according to your preference).
Place another piece of toast, with mayonnaise-smeared side down, as your middle layer. Spread mayonnaise on the top side of the toast. Season with salt and pepper.
Add some sliced ham before adding lettuce and finish the tasty construction with your top layer of toast.
This sub makes the perfect fun sandwich for kids' birthday parties. You can also prepare it as part of an engaging activity during a celebration.
Chicken Ham Club Sandwich Modifications
The ham and chicken can be replaced by steak or turkey and you can add some fried potatoes to the sandwich to make it more nourishing. Furthermore, it's possible to use spinach instead of lettuce to increase the sub’s iron and vitamin levels. In addition, you may add thinly sliced sandwich pickles and sweet or red onions to the sub's layers.
Additional Nutritious Garnish Options
You can make this kid-friendly sandwich for a party snack into a fully-fledged banquet by simply adding some side dishes, such as:
Light garlic fries
Mushroom soup with rice
Cajun fries with mustard
Egg and Cucumber Salad Sandwich With Homemade Bread
This excellent sandwich for kids stands out for its lightness but is also incredibly quick to prepare. Yet it still contains a lot of healthy nutrients that will help your children stay active throughout the day, making it ideal for a snack.
Why Is Egg and Cucumber Salad Sandwich a Kid-Friendly Favourite?
This sub may be described in one word – crunchy - thanks to its crispy ingredients. Your child will love the crunchy sensation of toast made from homemade bread together with pickled and fresh cucumbers. This easy sandwich for kids also has tender components - boiled eggs, so it isn't too hard to eat. Additionally, it includes piquant mayonnaise that makes the snack tangier. Are you interested? If so, read on!
Health Benefits of the Egg and Cucumber Salad Sandwich
These subs pickles deserve special attention. They contain iron, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, and C. Pickles s are also rich in fibre and so help enhance digestion and proper metabolism in the body. Among the other nutritious ingredients of this mini sandwich for kids, it's worth noting the following ones:
Eggs are easily digestible, high-protein, and virtually carbohydrate-free. They quickly satisfy your appetite and keep you from feeling hungry for a long time.
Fresh cucumbers improve eye health as well as strengthen blood vessels and general immunity.
Mayonnaise is rich in vitamins, polyunsaturated fats, and antioxidants.
This delicious sub looks good enough to use as a festive sandwich for kids' parties and tastes sufficiently great to eat such a daily snack.
Recipe for Egg and Cucumber Salad Sandwich With Homemade Bread
As with our previous recipe, we won't bother repeating the homemade bread recipe, as you can find it under our instructions for our tasty tomato and garlic sandwich. However, here we’ll explain how to prepare the salad for this mouth-watering sandwich for toddlers and kids. First, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Hard-boiled eggs (4 pcs.)
Small pickled cucumbers (4 pcs.)
Mayonnaise (about 3 tbsp.) and mustard (2 tbsp.)
Small seedless cucumbers (4 pcs.)
Sliced Cheddar cheese (the amount depends on your taste)
To prepare the salad, you just need to follow these steps:
Peel the hard-boiled eggs. Chop the eggs, fresh cucumbers, and pickles.
Put the eggs and cucumbers in a bowl and add mayonnaise.
Mix the ingredients until blended. Cover the bowl while performing the rest of the operations.
To assemble the sub you’ll need to follow these steps: Slice the homemade bread and put the pieces into an oven heated to 400 ℉. Heat the slices for nearly 5 min.
Take out the toasted slices of bread and smear them with mustard before topping with the Cheddar cheese.
Retrieve your egg and cucumber salad and place it on the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste (if necessary). Enjoy a wonderful snack.
This sub is a perfect example of an extremely fun sandwich for kids' birthday parties. Just let the children assemble the snacks to engage them in a fascinating culinary activity as a part of the celebration.
Can You Modify the Mentioned Kid-Friendly Sandwich Recipe?
Of course! You may add lettuce to make the sub even more crunchy. Also, experienced cooks recommend putting chicken meat into the snack. This increases the nutritional value of the Egg and Cucumber Club Sandwich. In addition, you might want to replace the bread with crackers and the fresh cucumbers with avocado. Lastly, you can add grated garlic to make the sandwich spicier.
Side Dish Ideas
You can organise a truly kid-friendly sandwich party by adding a healthy garnish to this tasty snack. Among the most amazing side dishes, it's worth noting the following:
Sweet onion casserole
Homemade blender salsa
Green chili cauliflower casserole
Honey butter skillet corn
These garnishes don't require much time or effort to prepare, so you can easily make a fully-fledged meal using one of them.
Concluding Thoughts
The host of kid-friendly sandwich recipes we mentioned above are great for kids of any age. The subs contain protein and carbohydrates, as well as providing toddlers with the most vital vitamins and minerals. At the same time, the sandwiches are light enough that children don't feel too full. Furthermore, they can be served with different side dishes.
As you can see, it takes some time to cook these delicious and nutritious subs. That's why we recommend that parents enroll their children in our ever-popular cooking class for kids, where they can learn how to make these snacks along with many more tasty dishes. So, don't waste your time - book your child a trip to our culinary class right now!