Calcium-Fortified Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich bites

These Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich Bites are part of a sponsored post through Kitchen PLAY. The opinions expressed are our own. 

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Not many people know this, but our family was a dairy free family for the first 9 years. I couldn’t tolerate any kind of dairy through any of my pregnancies. And my boys could not tolerate any dairy for the first 8 years of their lives.

It didn’t matter that the allergy test came back negative, if they ate dairy, they would immediately rash from head to toe, with hives on their bellies. EVERY…SINGLE…TIME. We tried all kinds of dairy options that our doctor instructed us to, including lactose-free. We had the same rash results.

We finally said enough is enough and became a dairy free family. And the hives and rashes went away. But the harassment of our family had only just started.

There were so many people in our kids’ lives that came at us telling us we were horrible parents because we weren’t providing our kids with the crucial calcium our kids needed. And all because we weren’t giving them dairy in their diet.

Well, guess what? They are WRONG!

Before we made the step away from dairy we did our research and found there are more ways to get the crucial calcium in your diet than from a glass of milk! And that is where we turned when we just couldn’t do dairy any longer.

Thankfully now, it is even easier to find sources of calcium in sources besides milk. And right in your very own bakery aisle!

Would you be surprised to learn that calcium-fortified baked goods are often hiding in plain sight? They even might be a food you already eat! They aren’t heavily promoted beyond the simple nutrition facts label on the back.

So, to help you discover them, I went on a little scavenger hunt down the bread aisle to see which breads are calcium-fortified! According to the FDA, a product with 10% of the daily value of calcium per serving is considered to be a “good source of calcium.” So simply look for products with calcium with 10% or more per serving.

What I found was pretty exciting. We had several different brands of bread that all offered calcium-fortified bread choices.

But bread isn’t the only option you have in the bread aisle! I also found several tortilla brands and bagels! And let me tell you, my kids LOVE bagels!

And we can’t forget the hot dog and hamburger buns. Tell me, what family with kids doesn’t use those on a frequent basis?

And when you are on the go, another great option is grabbing a Subway sandwich! Bet you didn’t know that Subways bread is also calcium-fortified, did you? It’s not something they highly publicize.

Subway’s sub bread contains a glass-of-milk level of calcium in a 6″ piece of sandwich bread! Just a 6″ sandwich and you are getting the equivalent of a glass of milk of calcium!

No more guilt MOM! You can easily give your kids the calcium they need from other sources, not just dairy!

So, I brought some new baked goods home with me to round out our meals this week. Even though our kids have outgrown the more severe reactions to dairy, we still have to be restrictive otherwise they end up with rashes and hives again.

We can have a little dairy. But mostly as treats. We can’t eat it in the “recommended portions,” so we still rely on other sources to get our needed daily calcium intake for our diet.

Peanut Butter Babies sandwich bites

Now, when you have a child who doesn’t like or can’t tolerate milk, calcium-fortified baked goods are a lifesaver. And the great thing about calcium-fortified baked goods is that you can’t tell the difference—the added calcium doesn’t change the taste at all.

It’s still just the same bread the kids know and love. But as we know, even with the bread they love, kids can still be picky. So, what do you do then?

Get creative! Cut it into a new shape and put it on a stick! Easy peasy!

These Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich Bites are a great option for when your kid gets tired of the regular peanut butter sandwich for lunch or after school. It shakes up the norm, makes lunch fun, and still provides them the great source of calcium using the calcium-fortified bread!

First, gather your ingredients. Pick up one of the calcium-fortified loaves of bread from your bakery aisle, some peanut butter and fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas.

You’ll also need a knife, a small round cookie cutter about the size of the banana, and toothpicks.

Slice the fruit into thin slices.

This next step you can do two different ways.

Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich Bites Method 1

You can spread the peanut butter onto the bread.

Then use the cookie cutter to cut out the little round shapes.

Continue this until all the bread is cut out into the cookie shapes.

Since the peanut butter is already on the bread. this method is a little messy. But it is the faster method.

Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich Bites Method 2

The other method is to cut the bread out into the cookie shapes first.

Then spread each little circle with peanut butter after they have already been cut into shape.

This method is a little slower but it is less messy.

Both methods work, so it is up to you which you prefer to do.

Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich Bites Assembly

Now we assemble the Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich bites. This is super fast and simple.

Simply slide one of the bread pieces onto the toothpick so the bread is facing your fingers (top of the toothpick) and the peanut butter is facing down.

Add a slice of fruit.

And finish off with another slice of bread, this time with the peanut butter facing the center of the sandwich and the bread facing down.

All done.

Repeat for all the Mini Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich bites.

Set them out and watch them disappear.

Alternate each bite with a different fruit so that each new bite has a new flavor. It keeps lunch time fun.

Now you can feel great about ensuring your family gets the calcium they need, even when they can’t or just won’t drink milk.

No more need for MOM GUILT. There are other options.

And they are as simple as making fun Peanut Butter Babies Sandwich bites that your kids will devour with a happy face! And maybe even ask for more!

Visit your bakery aisle to find calcium-fortified baked goods. What goodies did you find?

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