Sandwich fillings can make or break lunch boxes. In Australia, 90% of kids bring lunches from home, but studies show that nearly half of what they eat during school hours is unhealthy. In that same NSW study, over 1,000 primary school kids were observed and found that 37% of their energy intake came from unhealthy foods.

Think healthy means dull? Think again. With the right mix of textures, flavours, and sneaky nutrition boosts, you can build a sandwich that even the pickiest eaters will actually eat and maybe even enjoy! From mild-flavoured protein options to veggie-packed spreads that don’t look like veggies, these sandwich ideas are total game-changers.

Let’s turn lunchtime into less of a battle and more of a bite-sized win. Ready to meet the fillings? Read on.

Say Goodbye to Food Fights With This Expert-Backed Guide

Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids by Dr Nick Fuller is packed with practical tips, expert advice, and research-backed meal ideas designed for fussy eaters. From school lunches to family dinners, this guide helps take the stress out of mealtimes and puts the joy back into feeding your child.

Grab your copy of Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids  today and make food one less thing to fight about.

4 Easy To Make Healthy Sandwich Fillings For Picky Eaters

Whip up healthy, appealing sandwich fillings for picky eaters with ease. These nutritious options use simple ingredients, combining familiar flavours with essential vitamins and protein. Perfect for school lunches or quick snacks, they make wholesome meals enjoyable for even the fussiest kids.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Here’s a classic that’s anything but boring. This egg salad sandwich is super simple to make but packs a punch with protein and whole grain carbs to keep hungry kids fuelled and happy. It’s a perfect healthy filling that picky eaters often love — creamy, tasty, and just familiar enough to win them over without any fuss..

Type: Vegetarian

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoons cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 4 slices wholemeal bread
• 1 cup mixed lettuce leaves
• 1 carrot, grated
• Salt and pepper

Recipe

1. Chop the hard boiled eggs into small pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Add in the cottage cheese and curry powder. Gently mix all ingredients together.

2. Arrange 2 slices of the wholemeal bread on a board. Cover each with the mixed lettuce, then top with the egg salad mixture. Spread the egg salad mixture evenly over the top of the lettuce. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then add grated carrot on top.

3. Close each sandwich with the remaining two slices of wholemeal bread. Slice each sandwich in half and serve. Enjoy!

Best Ever Salad Sandwich

True to its name, this is the best ever salad sandwich: fresh, crunchy, and packed with goodness! Perfect for lunchboxes big and small, it’s a winner with both kids and adults. Plus, it’s a great base to get creative: try adding sliced cheddar, tinned beetroot, or a cheeky smear of hummus or mustard to jazz it up and keep those picky eaters interested. 

Type: Lactose Free, Vegetarian/Vegan Option, Kid Friendly 

Serves 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 0 minutes 

Ingredients

• 4 slices whole grain bread
• 1 avocado
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
• 100g grilled chicken breast OR 100g grilled tofu OR 2 boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 carrot, grated

Recipe

1. Mash the avocado and spread onto each of the four slices of bread.

2. Top two of the slices of bread with the tomato, then the mixed lettuce leaves, the protein of your choice, and then the grated carrot. Push down firmly to secure all the ingredient layers in place. 

3. Top each sandwich with the remaining slices of bread.

4. Press down firmly and use a serrated knife to cut each sandwich in half, or into quarters for kids.

5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tofu Banh Mi

Banh Mi is a tasty Vietnamese baguette sandwich, and this veggie-friendly version is a winner for picky eaters looking for something different. Tofu is a fantastic protein that you can cook ahead and toss into lunches all week long. It’s super versatile and soaks up whatever flavours you fancy. Want to mix it up? Add some boiled eggs or give it a little kick with fresh sliced red chili, which is perfect for those who like a bit of spice. 

Type: Vegetarian, Lactose Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 0 minutes 

Ingredients

• 400g firm tofu, pan fried 
• 4 long crusty wholemeal bread rolls
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 red capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons quick pickled onions (see IWL recipe)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• Handful fresh coriander leaves

Recipe

1. Slice the cooked tofu into strips. 

2. Slice each of the bread rolls down the centre, ensuring not to slice all the way through. 

3. Fill each of the bread rolls with slices of the cooked tofu, and strips of the cucumber, carrot and capsicum. 

4. Top each roll with some of the quick pickled onions, then drizzle each roll with soy sauce and lime juice. 

5. Top each roll with coriander leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

Rice paper rolls are a lunchtime winner, as they are easy to pack ahead and super tasty. They’re also perfect for feeding a crowd with a fun DIY dinner: just pop all the ingredients in the middle of the table and let everyone roll their own. We’ve filled ours with cooked chicken, quinoa, and crunchy veggies, but you can swap the chicken for any lean protein and use whatever fresh veggies you’ve got on hand. It’s a healthy, colourful way to get picky eaters excited about their lunch. 

Type: Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Chicken

Makes 8 rolls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chicken breast, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or gluten free tamari), plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 8 round rice paper rounds
• Mint leaves
• Coriander leaves
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 large carrot, sliced into long thin pieces
• 1 large cucumber, sliced into long thin pieces
• 1 large capsicum, sliced into long thin pieces
• Sriracha, to serve

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Add the soy sauce, honey and ginger and cook for another five minutes until chicken is cooked through. Set aside. 

2. To assemble the rice paper rolls, fill a large round shallow dish with warm water. Immerse one rice paper round into the water for about 15 seconds until slightly softened. Transfer to a flat surface and spread out into a circle. It will be sticky and fiddly so it may take a few attempts to perfect it. 

3. Top the rice paper with a few mint and coriander leaves down the centre of the roll, leaving a gap towards the edges of the roll. Top with a spoonful of quinoa and spread down the middle of the round on top of the herbs. Add a couple of pieces of carrot, cucumber, capsicum and chicken. You do not want to overfill the rice paper as this will make it harder to roll up. Fold in the edges of the rice paper roll then roll up tightly. Repeat with the remaining rice paper rounds and fillings. 

4. Serve the rice paper rolls with extra soy sauce and sriracha for dipping. Enjoy!

Wrapping Up

There you have it — four easy, healthy sandwich fillings that even the fussiest kids will love! With a bit of creativity and simple ingredients, lunchtime can be tasty, nutritious, and stress-free. Whether it’s creamy egg salad, crunchy best-ever salad, flavour-packed tofu banh mi, or colourful quinoa rolls, these recipes make healthy eating fun and delicious. Give them a go and watch those lunch boxes get emptied with a smile.

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Meet Dr Nick Fuller

My Story

As a father, I know first-hand that raising healthy and happy children is tricky. Children are fussy, particularly at the end of the day when they are shattered. We also live in a society where companies seek to profit from what we feed our kids; incorrect and damaging advice is pushed on us and marketed towards our children, and we have no time.

But with these recipes and resources, you and your children can enjoy simple and well-founded food and lifestyle choices for lifelong health.