I love love love sandwiches, but obviously I can't eat the pile 'em high, load 'em up subs that I used to indulge in anymore. Does anyone have any yummy sandwich combinations that you love but that don't push the scale in the wrong direction? I'm not on any particular diet plan, per se, so any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks!
My "usual"
two pieces of whole wheat bread: 120 calories
1 tablespoon of olive oil mayo: 50 calories
2 oz of honey roasted turkey: 50 calories
Lettuce/onion/tomato: 15 calories
mustard: 5 calories
total: 240 calories
I like it cause you can put a ton of lettuce on and it feels like a stacker. I don't put cheese on mine, I don't really like it much.
Roasted peppers - You can roast them yourself, I use my toaster oven or you can buy them already roasted (although a bit more $$ for that).
Cucumbers - I love sliced cucumbers in sandwiches
Lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce - I can't tell you how much I love lettuce in sandwiches.
Tomatoes - Duh but still always delicious
Other roasted veggies - Summer squash, eggplant, portabello mushrooms and other veggies are very yummy in a sandwich. Although sometimes it is nice to go for an all roasted veggie sandwich but you can also add roasted veggies to mostly raw veggies in a sandwich.
Sprouts - I love sprouts and grow my own.
Healthy fats - moderate as needed but good in sandwiches
Avocado
Olives
Spread (almost forgot this part!)
Hummus - I love hummus on a sandwich. You can also make all other sorts of bean spreads.
Mustard - I don't really like mayo but I love mustard. I don't usually use mustard in combination with hummus so its one or the other for me.
I use avocado in place of mayo on a lot of sandwiches.
I also use whole grain pita instead of bread a lot.
Other than that, just about anything goes. I think my favorite (or at least the sandwich/pita I make most often) is some variation of this:
Lean turkey or ham
Baby spinach
Cucumber
Sprouts
Sliced avocado
Sliced red (bell) peppers
Spicy or Dijon mustard
sometimes a slice of cheese
Sometimes I'll make either tuna or chicken salad out of canned tuna or chicken, a tiny bit of low fat mayo (just enough to hold things together) and then again, some variation of the above. Basically any veggie that gives me some crunch will make me happy~!
Here are some of my favorite sandwiches. All come in around 250 to 300 calories, depending on the bread that you use:
Turkey, Hummus, and Avocado: 2 oz lean smoked turkey on whole wheat with 1 oz hummus, 1 oz thinly sliced cucumber, 1 oz avocado or guacamole, Dijon mustard, and greens of your choice (micro greens, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, or cabbage are all great).
Smoked Salmon and Apricot Wrap: low carb wrap spread with 2 tbsp nonfat cream cheese, 2 oz smoked salmon, 1 oz thinly sliced cucumber, spinach, and a broiled apricot (a nectarine or a peach also works well). Or try sun-dried tomatoes instead of the fruit.
Eggplant and Chicken Pita: 3 oz roasted eggplant, 2 oz grilled chicken breast, 2 oz halved cherry tomatoes, arugula or basil, 1 oz goat cheese or light feta, and Dijon mustard in a whole wheat pita.
Turkey, Cheese, and Grilled Onions: 2 oz lean smoked turkey with 1 oz sauteed onions, 1 oz sauteed red pepper (or roasted red pepper), reduced fat cheddar cheese, and spinach on whole wheat. Compose sandwich, then spray bread with cooking spray and grill until lightly toasted and cheese is melty.
Tuna Melt: 1/2 can tuna mixed with 1 tbsp fat free mayo, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1/2 oz red onions. Form into a patty and saute in skillet until browned, flipping half way through. Remove from skillet. Saute 2 oz thinly sliced zucchini in skillet. Serve on whole wheat English muffin with 1 oz light feta or reduced fat cheddar and spinach.
Spicy Peanut Turkey Wrap: 2 oz smoked turkey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, and Spicy Cabbage Slaw (I leave out the peanuts, since I'm putting PB on the sandwich, and I leave out the tomatoes because they'll get soggy if you don't eat all the slaw right away) in a low carb wrap.
Last edited by BlueToBlue; 08-25-2008 at 08:07 PM.
Real leftover meat instead of sandwich meat. Roast chicken, grilled chicken, turkey breast, meatloaf, meatballs, steak cut in strips
Meat salads: ham salad (food processor: onion, ham, pickle relish, mustard), chicken salad, tuna salad (I don't care for eggs but make egg salad or sliced HB egg sandwiches.
wraps with romaine or mixed greens, grilled chicken, caesar dressing, diced tomatoes
tortilla with ground beef, melt cheese on top, add salsa and romaine, roll up
bagel with cream cheese, green olives & capers
bagel with cream cheese, lox, cucumber, tomato and capers
Add ins: grated carrots, slivered cabbage, slice of onion, slice radishes, pickle slices, grilled green peppers & onions, mushrooms (raw or grilled)
I don't know if this counts, but I like to make a little half-sandwich as a snack. Or, I'll pair it with other things for a meal (like Baked Lays chips & a salad).
Bologna Half-Sandwich:
1 slice of "45 & Delightful" bread = 45 calories
-- slather on some mustard = 0 calories
1 slice of 2% American cheese = 50 calories
1 slice of fat-free turkey bologna = 25 calories
Total = 120 calories
I'll cut it in half, then fold it over to make a half-sandwich. It's a nice little low-cal snack when I'm in the mood for it.
Last edited by Apple Cheeks; 08-25-2008 at 09:31 PM.
I love cheese sandwiches. I use low-fat gouda, fresh heirloom tomatoes, and barely any butter on a couple pieces of wheat bread. I grill it up. On WW, it's only 5 points. I usually eat a big salad or some soup with this.
I love garden burgers as well and top those with tomatoes and laughing cow cheese.
One of my all-time favorite is a low-fat ham and pepper jack cheese sandwich that is dipped in egg whites and grilled. I then dip it in sugar-free syrup.
Oh, speaking of grilled sandwiches ... one of my favorite things to do on "sandwich night" in our house is to set up the George Foreman grill. I split a whole wheat pita, put veggies/meat/cheese in between the two halves, and press the sandwich. It's a sort of mock paninni. One of my favorite varieties is to use fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, garlic, etc. and make a kind of Italian press.
Another idea is shrimp tacos. I know they aren't really a sandwich, but they are sort of sandwich like (meat in a carb). Season 4 oz of shrimp with tabasco sauce, cumin, and salt, then saute it. Serve the shrimp in two corn tortillas with salsa and cabbage. Comes in at around 270 calories. If you need the tacos to be packable, you could cook up a batch of the shrimp and divide it into single-serving containers with the salsa and cabbage. If you have access to a microwave when you eat your lunch, the tortillas can be heated in that.
You could do the same thing with chicken or other seafood.
One of my favorite sandwiches used to be turkey, avocado, mango, and plain yogurt spiced with some cayenne pepper all rolled up in a wrap. Really great, interesting flavor combinations!