What is the best low-calorie bread to buy? I did a quick run to the local store last night and found some Wonder SmartWhite that is only 50 calories per slice. Is that good or is there better?
Also, I love to have a quick sandwich or 1/2 sandwich here and there when I get busy. Is there a certain type of lunch meat I should look for?
What is best really depends on your priorities. I try to buy only 100% whole wheat products. I just think it's better for my body. I also do my best to avoid high fructose corn syrup (I swear, they put it in everything) and aim for products with the fewest "unpronounceable" ingredients.
Because of that, a lot of "diet" products don't land on my list. A lot of those have chemicals or other gunk in them to make them taste or feel OK with the reduced calories.
That said... I like Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat. 50 calories a slice, or Arnold 100% Whole Wheat (which is 110 cals a slice so not low cal, but nice and hearty, and the slices are larger so it's nice for a 1/2 sandwich).
I almost never eat bread but if I do, I eat one that has 45 calories per slice. I think it's a Sara Lee kind? It's what I buy my kids. That's fairly low for bread, most of the ones I've seen are easily 70 calories.
I like a couple of heaping tablespoons of tuna with mustard, chopped pickle and egg whites when I want a quick half sandwich. That's my taste but if you like tuna (be it with mayo or whatever) it's a nice protein munchie and pretty quick/easy to toss together. I try to stay away from deli meats and what not myself.
Weight Watchers whole wheat bread is 90 calories for TWO slices. It's tasty, and has fiber and all that jazz. I eat that, or those sandwich/deli rounds. Several companies make them, and they're 100 calories each.
As for as lunch meat goes, turkey is probably the best bang for your buck. I think a typical serving runs about 60 calories. I like to make chicken salad, too, but that has more calories. I just boil chicken breasts, cool them, chop them, and mix in finely chopped celery, green onions, and a finely chopped dill pickle spear. Mix with just enough reduced fat mayo to moisten.
If you're strictly looking for the lowest calorie bread, there are companies that make them for 35 calories a slice. I'm not a big bread eater but I believe wonderbread light is one of those. I've definitely seen a few different brands that had 35/slice.
Last edited by jkinboston89; 08-07-2010 at 06:04 PM.
I buy Oroweat Double Fiber Bread which is 70cals per slice. The fiber keeps me really full. I also use Oscar Mayer lunch meat which is like 60 cals for 6 slices of ham. It makes a tasty sandwich for around 200 cals
I also like Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat at 50 calories a slice. It is very filling and tastes great. After getting accustom to it, other light breads that I have tried seem like cardboard while white bread just seems like some fluff that is not filling at all.
For lunches I like to do Arnold's Slimwich Buns which are 90 cals, Thomas' Bagel Thins for 110 cals or La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Whole Wheat Wraps for 50 cals.
Lunch meat, I just stick to my favorite deli meats. Good meats = good meals and makes me want more sandwiches!
But really what bread is best depends. I could go for a lighter calorie one, but if it triggers a binge and I go bread crazy, what did I save? Nothing!
So I go with the 100% whole wheat denser breads because I can stop at 2 slices then.
I used to buy the low calorie breads because I loved bread so much. One day, I bought romaine lettuce and used that for bread. 5 giant leaves of lettuce is maybe 20 calories at most. The watery, crispy crunch of lettuce has made me a true believer. And the volume of lettuce is far greater than bread so it is more filling. I don't miss bread at all anymore.
I admit it's wetter than bread so you'll need a napkin, but the lettuce is pretty firm.
As for fillings, I usually mix veggies, tuna, light mayo and eat that for my romaine sandwich. I get a huge portion of food & it's maybe 150-170 calories. Very filling and probably 3-4 servings of veggies.
I'm kind of a bread snob. I love going to the bakery and getting really heavy loaves of bread with all sorts of grains, seeds & nuts in it. But I haven't eaten as much of it since going low cal.
I bought one loaf of Natures Own light multigrain bread that's 35 cal/ slice. I made one sandwich with it and it wasn't great. Then, 3 days later I wanted to make another sandwich but the loaf had spoiled, it smelled like nail polish remover. I threw it in my compost heap and the birds usually eat the bread I throw out but this time the birds didn't eat it, it's been sitting in the heap for 6 days and it still looks like it did when I threw it out there. EWW! To many chemicals in that bread. That bread wasn't the only light bread I've tried, it's just one of them, and I didn't like the rest either.
I've decided to go back to my snobby bread. At least it's real bread, it's yummy, it's good for me, and eating one slice of it is more filling and about the same amount of calories than eating 2 slices of diet bread.
As far as store lunch meats goes. I've gotten to where I don't like it so much so I've started making it myself. I buy a turkey breast, pork tenderloin, or other kind of meat season it, cook it and thinly slice it. I cant ever eat the whole thing before it goes bad so I've started freezing portions that will make 2 or 3 sandwiches so I can just pull another portion out of the freezer when I use up the other. It does take extra time but I try to do it when I'm already roasting or grilling something else.
Bread and lunch meat question
