The Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters

Super cute but can be tricky to use and clean – If you’re into making creative and fun lunches for your child, then no doubt you would’ve come across The Lunch Punch sandwich cutters. They boast a range of designs to suit boys and girls, from rockets and aliens to mermaids and princesses, and can be a little addictive. They are sold in sets of two for $14.95. I have four sets: unicorn/hearts, princess/crowns, mermaid/fish and puzzles (inside and outside pieces).

Pros: - Gorgeous designs in bright colours make this product appealing to kids - Mulit-use. The intended purpose is for sandwiches but they can be used for pancakes (try using them on sheet pancakes), slices, play dough etc. - Sturdy plastic. Dishwasher safe.

Cons: - Can be tricky to get the hang of. You’ve really got press down to make them cut into the bread, then press again along the areas of detail to make them imprint clearly. This makes it quite a bit more time consuming than slicing sandwiches! NB: What works best for me is to cut the bottom and top pieces on plain (untoasted) bread, then add the spreads or fillings in between. If you try to cut through an entire sandwich with fillings, everything oozes out the sides and through the bread. A slice of bread and one spread, say jam, works okay. - Can’t fit in a lot of filling. PB&J is fine, as is avo and egg or a bit of tuna, but don’t expect to use this on club sandwiches! - Sometimes hard to clean. Bits of bread/spread gets lodged in all the detailed bits of the punches. Straw brushes are handy for these areas. - Bread waste. Most Lunch Punches not only cut away the crusts, but parts of the bread as well. Puzzles is the best punch for eliminating wastage. You can save the excess for croutons or breadcrumbs.

Sandwiches cut out by a Lunch Punch are super cute in kids’ bento boxes. Worth the effort to get the hang of (and the extra prep time) if it means getting your child to eat something healthy!