Healthy sandwiches. How to make them!

With all these fad diets around and millions of yoyo dieters, I thought it would be a good tribute to the humble sandwich to put up some details on how to make a wholesome, healthy sandwich. A healthy, well balanced sandwich can go a long way in helping you fight the bulge as it provides tasty food in a quick and convenient way, which if made correctly, will keep you full for longer with an acceptable calorie intake.

I won’t go into the science of making a perfectly balanced sandwich as this is not my area, but following on from my article on making a good sandwich, I thought it would be good to list down what you need to take into consideration when creating a healthy sandwich.

There is still a lot of controversy over the whole ‘carbohydrates make you fat’ issue, in our case this translates mainly to bread! Your body need carbs, protein and fat to run like a well oiled machine, but the type of bread used in sandwich can make a big difference to you feeling satiated for longer.

The bread...

When making a healthy sandwich you should ideally look for bread which brown/ wholemeal, or something along these lines….anything apart from white bread! Why? Well this type of bread has a lower glycaemic count (GI…..sounds like an army term!). What does this mean? Simply put, food with a lower GI value take longer for the body to absorb and do not cause a spike in blood sugar. The result? A tasty sandwich that keep you fuller for longer and aids digestion!

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger.

Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance. So all in all, that brown bread that your mum used to make you school sandwiches was actually good for you! Yaay for mum’s! The best type is any wholewheat bread you can get you hands on as they are high in fibre (another good point) and lower in calories than other types of breads.

You can click here to find more info on GI foods.

I typically go for brown bread which has some type of seeds or grains on it as it tastes great and gives an interesting dimension to a sandwich as well as providing fibre .

Another tip for bread is to scoop out a lot of it from the inside of buns, baguettes, etc. so you can get more filling in the sandwich.

Ok, onto the next thing, the filling...

Ideally for a healthy sandwich you should be using lean meats such as chicken, turkey, tuna or something along these lines. These can be bland on their own so you could add some low fat mayonnaise or any other type of low fat dressing to give them a taste boost. Full fat cheeses should be avoided at all costs and you should opt for the low fat variety if you want to add cheese….unless you want a full fat mozzarella sandwich…in which case why are you reading this!! :o)

And now, for the salad and veggies…

Salads add to the nutritional value of healthy sandwiches and also provide more substance for you to bite into as well as providing additional taste. Here you can add whatever you like depending on your taste buds, lettuce and tomatoes being the standard. I find that onions and peppers really make a difference, especially the ones that have been grilled. Sweetcorn is another favourite of mine and goes well with most sandwich fillings. You can add any vegetables that take your fancy to a sandwich to provide it with more bulk and taste. I find that gherkins and olives add a wonderful flavour to most sandwiches.

(Don’t) forget the condiments!!!

Condiments such as sauces, ketchup, mustard etc. can add great flavour, but be aware that most are full of sugars, salts and fats! Use them sparingly and opt for low sugar/fat/salt varieties. Olive oil can be a great addition if used moderately and provides you with good fats your body needs.

I think that’s about it on healthy sandwich making. If you can think of any other things that go into making a sandwich with is healthy and good for you, please share your ideas so we can all lose those extra lbs!!