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...

Yes we're totally shit in the UK Solitude. Thanks for pointing that out.
Depends on the kid really. My oldest would have needed 2 (at least), my second child barely ate a thing. If they're making the lunches smaller it's probably so they don't have to put the prices up, a common trick.

Ok its a small sandwich but when you consider it comes with a piece of fruit, yogurt, drink and packet of crisps its not that bad. There are other options besides this for children.

My daughter is 6 and she loves sandwiches. I never realised a one-slice sandwich was a thing until Mumsnet. She would not be satisfied with a one-slice sandwich...she would probably eat 3 slices if I let her (I wouldn't). She is big and tall but definitely not overweight (weighed at school last year). I was the same when I was younger...big appetite. I can still eat quite a lot (and I'm not overweight either). We don't go mad on snacks, though.

My eldest two ( 3 and 5) seem to have developed an aversion to bread and discard it to eat the filling only.
The seventeen month old loves the stuff.

We went to Sainsbury’s and m & s recently and he had the sandwiches you speak of. He seemed to know they were smaller......

4 yr old and 2 year old have 1 slice sandwiches alongside fruit, yoghurt, veg sticks/olives, crisps/breadsticks etc. I wouldn't consider giving them more, as bread is hardly that nutritional, and I'd rather they ate more fruit & veg if they were still hungry. If they had 2 slices they wouldn't eat the rest of their lunch, just full up on bread which isn't great, and would mean they'd probably never get their 5 a day, as would be too bloated from all the bread! I think 2 slices of bread is typical for an adult portion so I wouldn't give it to a child. They won't have sandwiches if they have toast for breakfast either, I just don't think that much bread is good for anyone.

I’ve learnt something new here!! Never has it occurred to me to make a one slice sandwich. My kids have always had a normal sized sandwich.

My youngest has had a 2 slice sandwich since she was about 14 months and she gobbles it down. If the bread was especially thick I may do one slice but that is rare.

Youngest son has always had a two slice sandwich. He's now 5 and has two sandwiches for his lunch (4 slices of bread). He's very tall and slim, healthy weight and constantly active. Rarely has anything else with his lunch and doesn't snack if he's had that.
If we go to a supermarket he will have two of the pre packed ones that aren't for children. He usually has chicken or tuna.

Unless we were running out of bread I always gave a two slice sandwich. Once I packed what I thought was a ham sandwich but forgot to put any ham in. It was a fresh air sandwich - still two slices though

Sorry to change the focus a bit, but are you concerned that some of your children are a bit underweight?

You seem to be quite aware of the calorie count in foods and set against crisps, yogurt, fruit in the same meal with a sandwich.

I think if you, as an adult, would make yourself a 4 slice of bread meal then it would make sense to feed your children a 2 slice sandwich. If however, you only have 2 slices of bread it doesn't make sense to give a small child the same amount of food as you'd eat.
Portions for small children should be tiny, more than tiny is over feeding them.
It's an unpopular opinion but one I am happy to stand by. I have 3 children, all slim and healthy- they range in age from 7 to early twenties. I don't feed them all the same amount, the small ones get half a chicken breast for a meal, because that is the right amount.
With pack ups they will have a small roll / wrap/ single slice sandwich / 2 small loave slices- with a pot of fruit, a small lump of cheese/chicken goujon / mini sausage X 2, and something crap (a mini bite flapjack or a digestive or a jaffa cake/hobnob).
If they are eating the same amount of food as an adult then their portions are out. Regardless of how small / skinny / thin they are now, it is likely to bit you in the ass at some point.

I would only have 2 slices myself as an adult! Even as an adult dd will only take 2-3 quarters if it's a sharing plate in the middle. The kids lunches come with fruit, yogurt etc - or just buy an adult sandwich, they have plenty of bigger options

My two year old would easily eat a two slice sandwich (with crusts taken off) given half a chance. I normally give them two or three squares of it though as a whole one would seem too much for their age. I don’t think a two slice sandwich is necessarily too much for a four year old though.