Meatball Marinara Sandwich: Healthy and Delicious Snack Recipes for Kids

As a child's body is susceptible to its dietary input, providing kids with healthy and light food is essential. Furthermore, children shouldn't overeat. Therefore, experts recommend that parents mix full healthy meals with bite-size snacks when feeding kids. Regular bites help avoid situations where children become cranky because they are hungry. Consequently, snacks for kids improve youngsters' moods and allow them to always stay active. Healthy noshes also assist in adding more nutrients to children's diets.

According to Etiqa, 98% of Singaporeans snack. Moreover, half of them are frequent snackers. And many of those snack-lovers prefer to eat sandwiches as their nibble of choice. That's because subs are quick to make but still have high-energy values. For children, however, it's not enough for sandwiches to be simply nutritious and healthy. Such snacks should also have an excellent taste and an appetising smell. Furthermore, sandwiches for children need to look delicious or kids just won't eat them. Skilled chefs have noted Meatball Marinara Sandwiches as one of the best healthy snacks for toddlers. So, let's look closer at how to prepare this great sub.

The Meatball Marinara Sandwich: A Kid-Friendly Favorite

This sub has incredible kid-appeal. The ruddy colour of Hoagie rolls, with their crispy crusts, is intertwined with the bright hues of the sauce and herbs. Meatballs, barely visible under gravy and a thick layer of melted cheese, make the sub even more appetizing. This delicious snack is always served warm so those fresh smells of the bakery will surely have your kids drooling. Even parents themselves won’t be able to resist the temptation to take a bite when they breathe in the mind-blowing smell of this sandwich.

The taste of Meatball Marinara Sandwiches is out of this world, with the soft rolls melting in your mouth. Sweet meatballs with a subtle scent of garlic, covered with Italian sauce, will please even the pickiest toddlers. Topped with crunchy lettuce, melted Provolone and Parmesan, and sprinkled with chopped parsley and sliced scallions, this king of snacks for children is sure to be an instant hit.

Health Benefits of the Meatball Marinara Sandwich

Marinara. One portion (half of a cup) of the gravy contains over 20% of kids' daily requirement of vitamins E and A. It also provides children with more than 25% of their everyday sodium needs.

1. Provolone cheese includes loads of calcium, thus providing toddlers with the necessary nutrients for eyesight, bone health, and the production of red blood cells.

2. Parmesan cheese is rich in ready-to-use fat as well as protein. It also provides nutrients that support bone health.

3. Meatballs of pork and beef (50/50). Beef is widely recommended as part of a healthy diet. That's because it has up to 27% protein. Pork, in turn, is a great source of minerals like thiamine, selenium, and phosphorus.

4. Herbs contain essential oils, unique antioxidants, phytosterols, as well as numerous different vitamins.

5. Hoagie rolls provide toddlers with plenty of carbohydrates. A bun contains about 56-57g of carbs.

The nutritional composition of these kids' snacks energizes children for many hours, helping them with their daily activities.

Homemade Meatball Marinara Sandwich Recipe

First, it's necessary to prepare the sauce. Follow these steps:

1. Heat the olive oil (1/4 cup). Add garlic (5 cloves), two large carrots, and one diced onion. Cook it for about five minutes.

2. Pour two cans (28 ounces each) of tomatoes, including the juice.

3. Add salt (1/2 tsp.), sugar (2 tsp.), black pepper (1/2 tsp.), as well as oregano (2 tbsp.).

4. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1-1.5 hours. It's necessary to regularly stir the mixture.

Finally, add chopped parsley (2 tbsp.) and adjust the gravy for spices.

How to Make Meatballs

To prepare the meat filling for these delicious snacks for kids, follow these simple steps:

1. Mix grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup), breadcrumbs (1 cup), garlic (4 cloves), salt (1-1.5 tsp.), parsley (1/4 cup), as well as pepper (1 tsp.).

2. Add two large eggs and milk (1/2 cup). Stir the whole mixture until it has a paste-like and loose consistency.

3. Add pork (1 lb.) and beef (1 lb.). Gently mix all the ingredients. Shape the mixture into balls about two inches in diameter.

4. Brown the meatballs on each side for nearly 1 minute. Drain the fat from the pot.

5. Pour in the Marinara sauce and cook the meatballs for 30 minutes.

6. Carefully stir the meatballs, cooking for another 15 minutes.

After that, the meat filling is ready.

How to Make Meatballs

These healthy snacks for children should be made as follows:

1. Slice Hoagie rolls lengthwise through their centre.

2. Scoop out some bread from the inside of the buns to create room for the meatballs.

3. Toast the slices for up to 2 minutes.

4. Lay four meatballs on each bottom half of the buns. Add two pieces of Provolone cheese to the top. Toast for 2 minutes.

5. Add the lettuce and more Marinara if necessary. Sprinkle each sandwich with parsley and scallions. Top with the upper half of the bun.

Serve the sandwich immediately for maximum yumminess.

Healthy Ingredient Swaps and Modifications

Parents can make the Meatball Marinara snacks for children even healthier if they use balls made of only beef or turkey. Moreover, cucumbers and fresh tomatoes may be added. You can also replace Hoagie rolls with whole wheat buns.

Make It a Balanced Meal: Side Dish Ideas

You can prepare creamy coleslaw or pasta salad. Furthermore, experts recommend adding chips and salsa as a garnish. Children will also surely enjoy the subs with fruit desserts or sliced vegetables. Finally, you may bake potato wedges as a side dish.

Final Thoughts

Meatball Marinara kids' snacks are great for children of any age. The subs contain protein and carbohydrates, as well as providing toddlers with the most vital vitamins and minerals. At the same time, the sandwiches are light enough not to leave kids feeling overfull. Furthermore, they can be served with different side dishes.

As you can see, it takes some time to cook these delicious and nutritious subs. That's why we any parents decide to enrol their kids at our ever-popular camps where they can learn how to make such snacks along with many more tasty dishes. So, don't waste your time - book your child a trip to our camp right now!