My kids hate to eat bread crusts. I can’t say that I blame them.
When I was a new adult, I virtuously ate them, convinced that they must be more nutritious since they were, well, brown and crusty. Health food = heroic virtue was a phase I was in before I learned to cook. Once I found out the truth, that they were just browner and drier bits of bread with no enhanced value, I stopped forcing myself to eat them too.
Now, I
have tried to make the kids eat their bread crusts. They’ve done it, usually while crying. Every day. And it was a battle. Every day. Over the edges of bread. I decided to cut my losses and started tearing them off. Martha Stewart probably sells a bread de-cruster that would leave cute edges with a holiday theme, but at Mama’s house, the kids are lucky I tear them off with my hands instead of my teeth. Around here, teeth are reserved for opening packages.
I finally got smart and started removing the crusts before they were smeared with peanut butter/chicken salad/tuna. Now I remove the top crust, tear it into pieces, and set it aside to dry. At the end of the day I put it in my jar and store it in the freezer – and whenever I need bread crumbs, I’m all set!
Another trick: the heel of the bread is the loneliest piece in the whole
bag. I used to entice the children by telling them it was the brownest one, and no one would have a piece that was as brown as theirs was. Now that they are wise to that trick, I’ve found a new one. Put it on the sandwich backwards! If they don’t see the brown, they are less likely to taste the brown. This is especially effective for grilled cheese.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Ugg, why didn’t I think to save the crusts for bread crumbs? You are so freakin’ smart! I will def start that now. GREAT post.
Heh heh, I’m not that smart, I’m just the cheapest skinflint alive, LOL!
Well, except for Amy Dacyczyn, but I think she retired.
I’d heard of the bread crumb trick, but the bread heel trick is new to me! Thanks for the tip!
Good suggestion.
To be honest, I can’t stand bread crusts, either–and I’m 53. Unless it’s really good homemade bread. A little loss of nutrition (and I’m not so sure about that) is certainly worth the reduction in meal-time tears, I’m sure! But I’m picturing you removing crusts from tuna or PBJ sandwiches and smiling…your fingers probably tasted pretty good!
I’ll tell you a secret…I do the upside-down heel trick, too, with grilled cheese…and it even fools my 19 year old!
That is so funny that you post this because I do both things. My kids will usually eat the crust but not always. So bread crumbs galore. I have turned the heel backwards, for about 10 years, after another frugal mother showed me that.