How to Introduce Tuna Sandwiches To Toddlers
At two your kiddo can start eating tuna; tuna fish sandwiches are an obvious lunch option. Introduce it right and you’ve got a easy, no-cook solution every week for years to come. Low effort, big rewards: that’s the goal.
Smooth is the way here: pulsing the tuna w/avocado turns it almost mousse like; toasting the bread gives it that crunchy-soft contrast they love. And cheese–well, that’s just a given (especially if you want to cover up the fish). If you’ve had the “Tunacado” sandwich at Joe and the Juice, that’s the model here: simple pleasure, enhanced greatly by strategic use of texture. Be sure and make one for yourself–you’ll see what we mean.
- 1 can Tuna (in water)
- 1/2 Avocado
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Lemon
- Seasonings of your choice
- Cheddar Cheese, sliced (or whatever cheese your kid prefers)
- 4 slices Bread
- Peel, de-pit, and halve your avocado; throw the fruit into the blender. Add in contents of one can of tuna, one spoonful of mayo, two squirts of mustard, the juice of the lemon, a shake of black pepper, and any other seasonings your child likes.
- Pulse until contents of blender are combined and mousse like in texture. Chill for at least thirty minutes.
Heat a pan to Medium. lightly coat each side of bread with mayonnaise; place a slice of cheese at the bottom of slice, spread tuna over the cheese and place a slice of bread on top and lightly press down to adhere contents.
- Cook sandwiches in pan until golden brown on the underside roughly two minutes; flip and do the same with the other side.
Allow a few minutes to rest and congeal before cutting.
Because of the creaminess of the tuna, the sandwich can be a bit soft to handle--we recommend cutting it into fingers if your child may struggle holding and biting a larger food object (i.e., half a sandwich). Since the sandwich is pretty mild, feel free to side with a favored condiment; fruit is also a good choice to accompany.
While turning this recipe's "-melt" approach is an obvious move--especially if your kiddo loves grilled cheese already--you could skip the cooking part altogether by toasting the bread and then melting the cheese on top via the microwave, which will save you a bit of time. We recommend serving it open face if taking this approach.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
