[JennieGrl]

I forgot my lunch today so I'll be going to the deli for lunch. Other than the ole "Turkey lettuce n tomato" I can use some healthy sandwich ideas please. thank you

[mandalinn82]

I try to build a healthy sandwich like this:

1. Choose a lower calorie bread. Sliced breads are typically lower calorie than rolls, since they are smaller. Sliced whole wheat is a good option if it is available. Sliced sourdough also tends to be lower calorie than other breads.

2. Pick a filling. Turkey, roast beef, chicken, ham - turkey is probably the leanest choice, but most sliced deli meats aren't catastrophically high in calories. The exceptions are things like salami, which are high in fat. A lot of delis overstuff their sandwiches with meat - if it seems like a huge portion, it might be good to remove some to save for a later sandwich.

3. Limit high-cal additions. That means cheese, mayo, etc. These just pack the calories onto your sandwich. You might try drizzling a bit of balsamic vinegar on, or using mustard to moisten the bread without excessive calories. I normally can't even TASTE cheese on a sandwich, so I usually don't have a problem not adding it.

4. Pile up the lower calorie stuff. Veggies are your friend! Raw, roasted, grilled, etc.

[JennieGrl]

thank you. i think i may go with a little roast beef.

[mammasita]

Another tip - and one that I always use - is to remove one side of the bread. In other words, eat it like an open face sandwaich and just throw away the top slice.

[saef]

I wonder, does having it rolled up in a wrap save anything over using two small slices of bread or one slice of bread? Nearly all the delis around me offer the option of getting a wrap.

[JennieGrl]

I was wondering that too between the bread or a wrap.

I got 2 oz. roast beef, lettuce, tomato, pepper n mustard on half whole wheat and 1 cup of chicken rice soup. total calories that i came to was: 270 calories

[mandalinn82]

Wraps can be higher or lower, depending on the wrap. At Subway, the wrap is higher calorie than some of the rolls (230 cals for the wrap, the breads range from 200-260), and at Blimpie, the story is much the same (wraps are 310 calories, and 6 inch rolls tend to cluster around 250). Some places offer wraps that are lower-calorie, though. There's no way to know without looking at nutritionals for the wrap itself whether you're getting a calorie bargain or unintentionally sabotaging yourself.

[saef]

Ah, Amanda, I'll just have to ask the counterman about his deli's particular wraps. Truly, I live in the Land of the Deli, where pastrami rules. There are a plethora of small, privately owned Italian & Jewish delis around here (though most seem to employ recent Eastern European and Latino immigrants) and I'm far more likely to walk into one of those than Subway or Blimpie's. I'll probably get a wiseass remark if I ask the guy whether the wraps are low-carb. I think I'll ask if they have "wheat wraps." That will probably be understood, since when people around here want a whole-wheat bagel, they call them "wheat bagels" -- as if all the other bagels in the world are made of some other substance. So the order will be something like "a wheat wrap please, with turkey, tomato, lettuce, roasted red peppers, hold the mayo." Or "a veggie wheat wrap, hold the cheese."