Last updated on October 23rd, 2023
Inside: Peanut Butter and Jelly is a classic lunch staple for a reason. They are easy sandwiches to make, yummy, and filled with protein. In this post you’ll see four different ways to serve up this classic go-to sandwich to ensure lunch is anything but boring.
PB&J sandwiches are a great lunch choice for children. Heck, even I still enjoy a good ol’ PB&J every now and again. They are delicious, simple to construct, and the protein in the peanut butter helps keep tummies full.
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There are two simple ways you can switch up your usual plain PB&J:
Switch up the sandwich itself
One of the great things about PB&J is that it’s a pretty versatile sandwich. You can switch it up in so many different ways, such as:
- using fun shape cutouts
- using sandwich sealers
- switching up the jelly flavor
- switching up the type of nut butter (almond butter, crunchy pb, etc.)
- adding banana slices in the middle
- serving it ‘fried’ on the stove like grilled cheese
- switching up the type of bread used (regular bread, bagel, waffle, etc.)
There are endless possibilities that really do keep your kids from getting sick of this lunch sandwich without much work on your end.
Serve with a variety of sides
The second way you can vary your sandwich is what you serve it with. I love that it kind of goes with everything. You can serve almost any fruit, vegetable, dairy, or cracker with a PB&J and it just somehow works. Switching up your sides will help in preventing PB&J burnout.
Here are four different ways to serve up PB&J to toddlers or young children:
1. Use Fun Shape Cut Outs
Using a cut out in this way adds a fun little surprise to your child’s sandwich. Seeing the little pop of jelly will definitely catch their interest. If you want to be really ‘extra’ you could totally add some sprinkles on top of the jelly. I’ve heard of this referred to as a ‘fairy cutout’. Sounds cute!
I like to utilize muffin liners to help contain or separate certain foods, such as the cottage cheese pictured. If you’re not using a plate with natural dividers, you’ll want to use these silicone liners to keep the sandwich from getting soggy. These are especially helpful for kids that don’t like their food touching.
2. Switch Up The Bread
Switching out regular sandwich bread for something different can really change the entire flavor of your sandwich. In this instance, I used mini eggo waffles. I just toasted them until crispy and warm and then created mini PB&J sandwiches out of them. I used raspberry jam on these, to add another unique twist to our usual sandwich. My guy devoured these!
Using different bread choices can also automatically change which sides are served with the meal. For example, I served scrambled eggs here – where I normally would not with a traditional lunch sandwich. Seeing a breakfast food served at lunch helped make this meal more interesting for my toddler.
Other ideas for bread substitutions are: bagels, tortilla wraps, pancakes, or grilling the bread grilled cheese style.
3. Use Fun Shape Cut Outs… Again
This is another example of using those fun little shape cut outs in a different way. Creating mini sandwiches using these cute shape cut outs makes the perfect bite sized sandwich.
You can buy variety packs of cut outs with dozens of different options and sizes too. I love the pack that I bought, because they come with some holiday themed cutouts. I can’t wait to make little pumpkin and Christmas tree sandwiches during the holidays.
The Peanut Butter-Vanilla Yogurt dip is one of my favorites to serve with fruits. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and serve it with all kinds of sliced fruits or even plain. My toddler goes crazy for it. I love that it adds even more protein to our yogurt. To make it simply mix about 2/3 cup peanut butter with 2 cups of Vanilla Greek yogurt and store in the fridge.
4. Use a Sandwich Sealer
I secretly want to use these sandwich sealers on all of my own sandwiches from now on. They are just so fun and I swear they make the sandwich taste better. The texture created is really similar to the popular ‘Uncrustables’ sold in the frozen aisle of the grocery store, but without the price tag.
The pack I bought comes with a heart shape, Mickey Mouse, and a star shape. They are super easy to use and I just can’t get enough of them.
Side dishes play a big part in this plate, as you can see. Remember that adding new side options to try or changing the way familiar sides are served can help prevent a meal from becoming routine and boring.
You’ll notice on this plate that I am utilizing my muffin liners again. The crackers don’t necessarily need contained, but it adds a little something to the plate and helps with portions too.
I like to use picks or skewers when serving certain foods, such as lunch meats, as seen here. Sometimes I’ll make fruit and cheese kabobs just for fun too. It doesn’t take any longer to pop a pick onto the food and adds a little extra touch to the plate.
The last extra thing done here are the cheese cut outs. (Notice my one sad broken dinosaur). This isn’t something that you have to do every single time, but every once in a while, why not? If nothing else, it can create some fun lunch time dialogue, “Can you find the dinosaur? What sound does a dinosaur make? Roarrrrr”.
PB&J is a classic that will always remain a staple in our house, especially when utilizing these easy lunch techniques. What is your favorite type of PB&J? Leave me a comment below and let me know!
If you’re looking for more easy meal ideas, check out the veggie mac and cheese post and my toddler breakfast idea post!
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