Funky sandwich creations for your fussy eater

Have a funky lunch

When dad-of-two Mark Northeast decided to make his children’s lunch come alive after experiencing sandwich-makers block each morning, he created a world of creative sarnies that were so good, they made it into a book!

Each of his inventive sandwiches are packed full of fresh ingredients and provide a great (and somewhat sneaky) way of getting some of your child’s five-a-day into their lunch, without them even knowing about!

Definitely not for parents short of time, but if you’ve got a fussy eater on your hands, you’ll no doubt try anything to get food into their tummies.

Take a look at our pick of the funkiest lunch suggestions from the book, or grab a copy of Funky Lunch for £4.96 from Amazon.co.uk.

Funky Alien

They’ll need taste buds from another planet to refuse this extraterrestrial treat!

• Make your sandwich using your favourite filling and then cut a large circle as big as you can get from your bread.
• Gently, cut a smiling mouth out of the top layer of the sandwich. Then take two slices of cheese, cutting squares into the edge of each slice for a row of teeth. Cut a length of cucumber skin to the same size as the mouth. Carefully slide the skin and then, on top, the two rows of teeth in between the bread layers so as to show through the cavity made for the mouth.
• To make the eyes, cut three small thin strips of cucumber skin and arrange in place, then using a small cutter or clean pen lid, cut three small circles of cucumber flesh and three circles of cucumber skin.
• Slice off a piece of cherry tomato and decorate with three nostril holes.
• Make the arms and legs by slicing some strips of carrot lengthways and then cutting into shape.
• Decorate your plate with a cheese moon and some cheese stars too if you have a cutter to hand.

Top tips

• You don’t have to stop at three eyes, let your alien imagination run wild.
• Use a black grape for the nose if tomatoes are not a favourite.

Funky Pirate Ship

Set sail on the high seas, me hearty, with this edible pirate adventure.

• Assemble your sandwich using two slices of bread and your favourite filling.
• Cut the shape of the ship’s hull from your sandwich.
• Take an apple corer and carefully make three portholes in the side of the ship’s hull, removing just the top layer of bread.
• Place the sandwich on a plate and use the breadsticks to form a mast and use the slice of ham for the sail.
• Finish your sandwich with a skull-and-crossbones flag made from cucumber and cheese and then set it to sail on a sea of cucumber slices.

Top tips

• A sea of lettuce leaves makes a great alternative to cucumber.
• Instead of a ham sail, use a slice of cheese for a meat-free alternative.

Funky Butterfly

A nicer species of butterflies for the tummy! These ones should allow their hunger to take flight pronto.

• Cut out the shape of a butterfly from your prepared sandwich.
• To make the body, use a slice of cheese and cut it into a pencil shape with a point at one end and a round head at the other.
• Using thin strips of cucumber skin you can give your butterfly a stripy body, smiling face and antennae.
• Now get your assortment of tomato, carrot, pepper and cucumber pieces and decorate your butterfly to your own design.

Top tips

• Instead of vegetable decorations, use red and green apple slices, grapes, blueberries and more for a special fruity twist.
• Give your child the basic sandwich shape and a selection of colourful vegetables and let them create their own patterns, eating as they go.