Delicious Ideas From a Contest : The Results Are In: What Children Think Goes Into Healthful Sandwiches

It’s fairly common knowledge that when given their choice for lunch, most children will choose a peanut butter and jelly sandwich--day after day after day after day. But in an effort to enlighten children about the benefits of healthful eating, Dow Consumer Products Inc., makers of Ziploc sandwich bags, sponsored a National Sandwich Day Contest.

The purpose of the contest was to encourage children throughout the country to create their most nutritious and delicious sandwiches as part of a lesson and group of activities based on the four food groups.

The competition was held at the Los Angeles Children’s Museum on National Sandwich Day--the birthday of the Earl of Sandwich (Nov. 3), the inventor of the sandwich. Comedian Dom DeLuise and a panel of children ranging from grades one to six, from The California Elementary School, Costa Mesa, served as judges.

Featured in Instructor, a magazine for teachers, the contest offered a $500 U.S. Savings Bond, $200 bond, $100 bond, $75 bond and three $50 bonds for the grand prize winner and first, second, third and three runners up, respectively. In addition, the schools the winning students represented received a matching amount in cash to be spent on school equipment.

Student judges included: Whitney Gilliam, Katy Hamlin, Sondra LeBaron, Saniyyah McMullough, Jason Scheafer, Justin Smouse, Traci Yokoyama and Lance Yurada.

Kelly Hall of Balboa Magnet School in Northridge, took fourth place for her “Kelly Supreme” sandwich made with ham, chicken, lettuce, turkey, imitation crab and cheese on a bagel.

Other contest finalists who competed for the grand prize title of America’s Favorite Sandwich were: Mrs. Schlitz’s first-grade class of the Wilson School in Wisconsin for Monkey Shine-wich; Dan Crawford, second grade, St. Hubert School, Illinois, for the Earthquake Sandwich; Leah Evans-Wilken, third grade, of East Elementary School, Texas, for South Texas Sandwich; Alison McCleskey, fifth grade of St. John’s Episcopal School, Texas, for Berry Bananawich, and Kate Warwick, sixth grade, Transfiguration School, New York, for My International Sandwich.

McCleskey’s Berry Bananawich was named America’s Favorite Sandwich.

MONKEY SHINE-WICH

1 slice whole-wheat bread

Peanut butter

1 slice rye bread

1 banana sliced

1 first-grade handful raisins

1 dried apricot

2 cherries

2 oatmeal cookies

Trim bottom crust from wheat bread and reserve trimmed crust. Spread peanut butter over bottom half of wheat bread and top with bananas and raisins. Attach rye bread slice to wheat bread slice so that longest sides of rye bread are horizontal on wheat bread, covering peanut butter completely. Using additional peanut butter like glue, stick apricot on rye bread for nose and trimmed crust for mouth. Affix cherries on wheat bread, just above rye bread, for eyes. Place cookies on each side of bread for ears. Makes 1 serving.

EARTHQUAKE SANDWICH

2 slices whole-wheat bread

1 tablespoon catsup

1 lettuce leaf

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 slices salami

2 slices bologna

2 slices ham

2 slices American cheese

2 medium slices tomato

3 sweet pickles, sliced

Mayonnaise

Spread 1 slice bread with catsup. Top with lettuce, Swiss cheese, salami, bologna, ham, American cheese, tomato and pickles. Spread remaining slice bread with mayonnaise and place, mayonnaise-side down, on top of sandwich. Makes 1 serving.

SOUTH TEXAS SANDWICH

1 small flour tortilla

2 tablespoons refried beans

1/2 carrot, finely diced

3 thinly sliced strips cooked beef skirt steak

3 thin slices tomato

2 tablespoons finely diced American cheese

Spread tortilla with beans. Top with carrots, pressing lightly into beans. Place beef strips on right side of tortilla. Top with tomato and sprinkle with cheese. Fold left side over, press together and cut in half to serve. Makes 1 serving.

KELLY SUPREME

1 egg bagel

Mayonnaise

1 slice ham

2 slices chicken

1 slice turkey

Imitation crab

1 slice cheese

1 lettuce leaf

Italian salad dressing

Cut bagel in half, removing small amount bread from center of each half. Spread one half with mayonnaise. Top mayonnaise with ham, chicken, turkey, crab, cheese and lettuce. Spread dressing on remaining bagel half and close sandwich. Makes 1 serving.

BERRY BANANAWICH

1 croissant

Marshmallow cream

Peanut butter

1/2 banana, sliced

1/3 cup sliced frozen strawberries, thawed

Cut croissant in half and heat in oven at 300 degrees 5 minutes. Spread top half with marshmallow cream, bottom half with peanut butter. Place banana slices on top of peanut butter. Place strawberries on top of banana. Close sandwich and serve. Makes 1 serving.

MY INTERNATIONAL SANDWICH

2 slices Italian bread

1 tablespoon Russian dressing

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 slices turkey

1 onion ring

1 Kosher dill pickle

Spread each slice bread with dressing. Top one slice with cheese, turkey, onion and pickle. Close sandwich and serve. Makes 1 serving.