Nut-Free Sandwich Ideas

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Are you and your kiddo getting sick of the same ol’ sandwich? Perhaps you have a nut allergy in your family or can’t bring nut products to school. Here are some simple options that are balanced, tasty and easy to put together. Maybe some of them will work for your family!

These are open-faced sandwiches so you can see the fillings - add bread on top!

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Shown is Trader Joe's sprouted bread, and we also love Dave's Killer Bread - watch for big seeds for kids under 4 and honey for babies under 1 when choosing bread!

We like BPA-free canned wild salmon as an affordable way to get more omega-3 fats in our diet. It’s great mixed with Primal Kitchen avocado oil mayo, which is made from avocado oil, eggs, vinegar, salt and rosemary.

To add flavor to mashed black beans, add garlic, cumin and sea salt - hot sauce for you (or your kid if they like it)!

There are so many great deli-style turkey options on the market - we love True Story brand and Trader Joe's organic turkey - the only ingredients in these options are turkey and salt. If you don’t have access to them, try to find nitrate-free options if you use deli turkey.

If your kiddo has a pine nut allergy omit the pesto or use a pine nut-free option like Alessi Foods brand.

How do you teach your baby or toddler to eat a sandwich? Well, you can just give it to them and see how it goes, but if they stuff it all in their mouth or can’t figure out how to eat it we have a few Foodie Judy tips for you below:

• 6+ months: offer deconstructed sandwiches as toast strips with hummus, salmon salad, pesto etc. spread on top. Toasting the bread helps baby feel the food in their mouth and is actually easier to eat than stickier untoasted bread.
• 10+ months: once a baby has a more sophisticated palmar release/pincer grasp, try toasted sandwich triangles with the fillings inside. Start modeling putting the sandwich down between bites. This will help them slow down and focus on chewing what’s in their mouth.
• 16-18+ months: as your toddler gets older they may be able to bite and pull to eat a non-toasted sandwich. Start with a shape that has lots of corners - this helps define bites and allows them to sense the food in their mouth as they work with untoasted bread. You can even use a fork to poke a serrated line in the bread where an appropriate bite line would be.
• ​Remember, model putting the sandwich down between bites - you can make it a game! If you child starts stuffing the sandwich, go back to toasted bread.

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