To serve my children sandwiches made from two slices of bread

[StormBringers]

A picture on Twitter just reminded me of this, Sainsbury’s cafe has changed the sandwiches for kids to just one slice of bread. They are two very small triangles, barely fill the palm of my hand. The slice they use is probably an economy or basic loaf as it’s noticeably thinner and smaller than my usual bread.

From about three I’ve given my kids two slices (standard size loaf, Sainsbury’s use a smaller one) and they mostly finish them. My active 9 yr old occasionally has a third if famished after sport.

My kids are on the shorter side and two bordering on underweight (not just saying that, centiles 3 and 5 on the Nhs bmi calculator when I just checked) so I’m surprised if we’re eating more than the norm.

We haven’t been back my my son ate the sandwich when we went there in four easy bites.

Do most people feed their kids in a packed lunch etc a full sandwich? I usually give a sandwich and a piece of fruit as a normal primary school sized lunch. Sometimes a small extra too, but not always. To me it was a toddler lunch...

My 8 year old still only wants 1 slice of bread, but my 4 year old has 2 slices and asks for more! Both healthy weights.

I wonder if the cafe was seeing loads of half a sandwiches left on trays? Although supermarket cafe sandwiches are horrible anyway. No butter and only a thin slice of wafer thin ham etc. I don't blame the DC for not eating them!

I thing my expectations of a kids meal are to suit an average 7 yr old, a younger one to then leave some but some older ones to want more. One small slice to me is catering for a two year old, considering very little filling is in them, barely over a cm thick in total.

And obv we’re not going back.

I never even realised a 1-slice sandwich was a thing until I joined MN!

@KindergartenKop Your 4yr old only gets one??

Tbh we only went as one of mine is autistic and loved the cheap bread and plainness of the options. Not they have ‘wrong’ sandwiches we’re released from this ritual

In a “kids lunch box” with all the other bits my ds will prob only eat a one slice sandwich.

At home without the other bits he’ll have a two slice sandwich.

Mine is 2.5 and has had 2 slices since she was about 1. It was just 1 slice cut up but that wasnt enough for her.

Mine (6 and 4) have 2 slices..... often they leave the crusts though.

My five year old (right in the middle for weight, a bit short, very active) eats two slices and often has something like a bit of fruit or salady bits on the side.

He would definitely still be hungry after what you have described op

4 year old DS will typically eat a sandwich made with two slices along with fruit, babybel, rice cakes, yoghurt, small chocolate bar and raisins for lunch He's very tall and slim and I'm dreading his appetite in the teenage years!

Blooming heck. DD who is only 1 has a whole sandwich (two slices of bread).

Sainsbury's should leave the crisps out of the deal and give kids enough of the main event. Having said that the nutritional value in a sandwich make in bread like you describe must be next to nothing.

I think it really depends on the child my dd is 10 and overweight although she has a disability that compounds this. I would give her one slice of normal bread or 2 slices of a half size loaf. She would never eat a supermarket sandwich anyway because she hates butter. When she was little we went to Sainsbury's cafe frequently but she only ever ate a half baked potato with beans if she was getting lunch that day.

My 4 year old is a fussy beast. I usually give them other stuff too like a few mini Cheddars and a boiled egg and he'll have the same amount of that as his brother.

Sounds very reasonable what you're doing. Many, or most would indeed be left hungry of the described sandwich.

2 slices since preschool age.

My two usually get two slices although occasionally they will have half a sandwich left and I will keep it for the next day. For packed lunch typically mine get a sandwich, piece of fruit, yogurt (tube or mini pot), a home made cake or cookie or something, a bag of crisps/pop corn/mini Cheaders.

My dd at the moments eats everything in her box, ds leaves some because he wants to get out to play football but then says he is starving after school.

always two.even in packed lunch with other things.no overweights here.they are not teaching people balance to me.
give them a good lunch teach them not to outbalance that with other stuff in btween.
this is a cost cutting for them which thy will hide behind being "more healthy"

small toddlers one slice sandwich but with bits on the side, age 3 ish up definitely two slices in a sandwich unless they were having something substantial with it i.e. chicken leg or sausage roll.

My six year old and eight year old both have four slices of multi seed bread in a packed lunch, plus fruit etc. They do leave their crusts though which I know is a bad habit. They are both normal weight (maybe my son is a bit under at times). They are very active though and get very hungry....

I think it's so odd how kids' lunches in the UK are so insubstantial, then they make up for it with crappy snacks (no other country I have ever lived in eat crisps with their lunch , or flavoured yoghurts etc.)

Much better to just have a nice big proper sandwich (or even two) instead of something small and unsatisfying (and you then need all these snacks all the time, there are even toddler and baby crisps now)

My kids always had 2 slices, or 3, even when little (and they got the crappy snacks as well, as I am good at integrating )

Yes, I hate the snack thing. No lunch needs yogurt, fruit and crisps. One of the above with a decent main bit is fine.

DS gets 2 slices as he’s 11; dd 6 I usually give only 1 slice as she’s not really into bread and much prefers the fillings 😊 we always have the thickest bread either Warburtons or Jackson’s 😊

If you want a two slices of bread sandwich could you not just buy one from the adult section? They still do plain cheese and plain ham?

I think in a box with lots of other things a half sandwich would be okay for most DC. The sandwiches are designed to be part of the meal, and included in the box.

My 6 year old has one slice and my 5 year old has two and would eat more! Dd isn't yet 2 and can eat a sandwich made with one slice, so I would say it really varies child to child.

They don’t do sandwiches in the adult section or I would. They have paninis, toastier etc... no normal sandwich option. My kids don’t like the huge volume of doughiness and they are a massive leap in calories and content from a sandwich