7 Yummy Sandwich Ideas for National Bread Month

It's National Bread Month, and, while I don't need a special month to eat bread (I love it, love it), it is nice to know that bread can be part of a balanced diet.  My son eats sandwiches any chance he gets, and my job is to make sure that his creations are not only edible, but healthy.

Here are 7 ideas that we often go to for making a delicious sandwich:

• Peanut butter and apple (or substitute raisins for the apple)
• Natural cheese slice, lettuce, and tomato
• Banana and honey
• Pear with cottage cheese
• Spinach leaves with turkey or ham and light ranch dressing
• Avocado and grilled chicken
• Roast beef with red onion and BBQ sauce

To keep things light, I usually help the kids with the meats, cheeses, and condiments, although they are free to add as many veggies as they wish!

In addition, I don't feel bad giving my kids enriched and whole grain breads, especially with meals, because:

• Grain foods are a major source of iron, a key nutrient in the production and release of energy to the body. 
• Enriched grains are the primary source of Folic acid in Americans' diets and have been shown to reduce specific types of neural tube defects. 
• Enriched grains provide our bodies with essential B vitamins (niacin, thiamine and riboflavin), which collectively help maintain a healthy nervous system and increase energy production, and which may help lower cholesterol. 
• Whole grains are naturally low in fat.

When it comes to soups, stews, and gravies, using a piece of bread to help mop up the plates keeps my kids full longer (especially in the evenings), which often discourages them asking for desserts like cookies and ice cream!

Need additional inspiration for creating unique sandwiches your whole family will love?  Try out the recipes created by Chef Bryan Voltaggio at the Go With The Grain website.  And tell me, what is you favorite sandwich idea?

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Grain Foods Foundation. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. All thoughts and opinions are my own.