Back to school brings on an onslaught of tasks for parents and kids, one of which is packing school lunch. The older my children become, the more I want to be in control of what they are eating. My personal philosophy is that my kids will make bad food choices on their own so there is no need for me to perpetuate them (insert laughing emoji face). These days, your lunch is evaluated on a coolness scale with just about everything else. This means I have to take great care in packing a lunch that is equally healthy and non-isolating. My strategy is simple - take the foods kids know and love and make them my own. A prime example is the Smucker's Uncrustables sandwich. This was a genius idea that now I can play off of. Once you master the technique, you can really make a zillion different combinations.
When preparing your PB&J sandwich, a thin layer of peanut butter should be on each side of the bread before spreading on the jelly. The peanut butter acts as sealant so that when the sandwiches defrost, they don't get soggy. This is the same for peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Also, you need the right sandwich cutter. You'll want to use a cutter that both seals the sandwich and removes the crust like the Wonder Bread Sealer N Decruster. You can flash freeze the sandwiches on a cookie sheet and then store them in a large zip top plastic bag
By making your own crustless sandwiches, you get to be in control of what your child is eating. This is especially important if they have a food allergy ( gluten intolerance and peanut allergy being two major ones). Crustless sandwiches can be made with any nut butter and jelly; try cashew butter, sunflower butter, almond butter or even tahini. This recipe is a win-win because your child won't feel left out at the lunch table and you can feel good about what you are feeding him or her.
Image Sources:
