Sandwich Magic

Sandwiches are easy to make and popular. On any given day, half of us are eating a sandwich. How can we make the lowly sandwich healthier?

The Problem with Sandwiches

Sandwiches can have a few problems, beginning with white bread. White bread is a processed food with few health benefits, and it spikes blood sugar. Bread is also the main source of salt or sodium in our diet. Also, much of the sandwich meat we eat is not very healthy. It can also have a lot of salt, and sandwich meat is a processed food.

Better Bread

Get Whole

The first step to making a healthy sandwich is better bread. Choose bread made with whole grains. The best choice is bread made with 100% whole grain. Whole grains have more vitamins and much more fibre, something most of us are low in. Look for bread with at least 3 gm of fibre per slice and less than 150 mg of sodium per slice. Also, watch for added sugar in bread.

Sourdough’s Sweet Benefits

Sourdough bread has some health benefits. The fermentation process creates foods for your healthy gut bacteria. This can help with digestion. Sourdough bread may also have less salt. Also, sourdough bread has lower gluten levels, and the fermentation process counteracts some of the adverse effects of gluten. If you are sensitive to gluten but not allergic to it, you might be able to eat sourdough bread. It also has a lower impact on blood sugar than white bread. If you find whole-grain sourdough, it may be the best option.

Whole Grain Pumpernickel

A bread that won’t spike your blood sugar is whole-grain rye bread. Whole-grain rye bread has a different taste and texture than bread made from white flour, and because it is made from whole rye kernels instead of flour, it has more fibre. And, unlike most bread, it doesn’t instantly convert to sugar in your body. It is traditionally made as a sourdough, so it also offers those advantages. It has a pleasant toasted grain flavour when toasted (for a long time). Look for European pumpernickel online or from a specialty baker.

Gluten-Free Bread

Another option is to choose gluten-free bread. For many people, gluten has an inflammatory effect, so cutting back on gluten can help with pain management. Today, there are more good gluten-free options than 5 years ago.

Make It a Single

You can also make an open-face sandwich to cut the carbs in half. Skip the top piece of bread. If you want to step up your sandwich game, use lettuce for your bread and make a wrap.

Spread

Butter

Saturated goodness

Butter is the classic bread spread. It is hard to beat the taste of butter. Nothing beats its richness, flavour, and smoothness. The downside of butter is that it is entirely saturated fat, which may be bad for your heart.

Cultured butter

Cultured butter is made the traditional way with fermented cream and has a stronger flavour than the more common sweet cream butter made with fresh cream. The fermentation makes it easier to digest and also unlocks more nutrients.

Grass-fed butter

Grass-fed butter can be a good choice as it has better fats, like omega-3, than standard butter. Grass-fed butter also tends to have more nutrients. The downside is that it costs more.

Margarine

A high-quality margarine will have less saturated fat than butter. A good margarine uses healthy fats. A few years ago, a lot of margarine had trans fats, the absolute worst fats, which are now banned in Canada and the US. The choice between margarine or butter comes down to a desire to reduce saturated fat, which butter is high in. Margarine in a tub has less saturated fat than stick margarine. Margarine also has the advantage that it often costs less than butter. A high-quality margarine can be a good choice.

Mayo

Another spread option is mayonnaise. It has less saturated fat than butter, and mayo has more omega 3 and 6 healthy fats. Calorie-wise, they are similar, but mayo is typically spread thicker than butter. Mayo does tend to have more sodium than butter, but it packs a lot of vitamin K. A quarter of your daily vitamin K is in one tbsp of mayo.

Olive Oil

If you’re baking bread, olive oil is an excellent substitute for butter, especially if you don’t like a crunchy crust. Olive oil creates a softer bread. And because olive oil is a healthy fat, it makes the bread healthier. You can also use olive oil to spread on bread instead of butter to take advantage of its healthy fats. It’s trickier because it is a liquid that can make the bread soggy if you use too much. Try putting some olive oil in a cold part of the fridge. That will make it spreadable. But you must use it quickly, as it will return to a liquid in a few minutes.

Toppings

Cheese

Cheese moderation

Cheese used to be considered unhealthy, but recently, we’ve learned that, in moderation, it comes with health benefits. Most cheese is high in calcium and other minerals, and many kinds of cheese are high in Vitamins A, E, and K. Cheese also has protein, but it can have a lot of salt and, of course, a lot of fat. Like with any food, moderation is the key.

Avoid processed

One cheese to avoid is processed cheese, which is the plastic-wrapped cheese slices. Avoid this ‘toy’ cheese, as it is high in sodium and full of chemicals. When processed is in the name, it is a good idea to avoid that food.

Try sharp cheese

A good cheese option is extra-sharp cheddar. The stronger flavour means you can use less to get the same punch. Also, cheddar is a good source of nutrients for healthy gut bacteria. Another good choice is Edam cheese. Unlike most cheeses, Edam has more protein than fat.

Meats

Processed meat

Nitrites

Meats like bacon, salami, ham, and hot dogs are heavily processed. Curing meats involves adding nitrites that prevent the meat from spoiling. That is why these meats last so long. These nitrites give ham, bacon, salami and many other types of meat a pinkish colour. Current labelling requirements for processed meats allow sellers to say ‘uncured’ or ‘nitrite-free’ if they only added nitrites from vegetables, which may still be harmful. Nitrites seem to increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and eating a lot of processed meat is also linked to cancer.

Sodium in deli meat

Processed meats (deli meats) also contain a lot of sodium, preservatives, and harmful compounds. This is true of almost every deli meat, even deli roast beef and turkey.

Use fresh meat

The best meat option is to cook your own sandwich meat using unprocessed meat. Even a hamburger patty can be healthier than slices of processed meat. Cook a roast beef, pork tenderloin, or turkey breast in the oven. Slice and store no more than 5 days of meat in the fridge. Freeze the sliced meat you won’t eat within 5 days. Store in individual freezer bags, each with a 5-day supply.

Tuna

Another good option is canned tuna or salmon. If you enjoy fish, these can make a good sandwich. Watch the sodium levels.

Add-Ons

Avocado

Avocado is a great addition to any sandwich. You can slice or mash them to add them to your sandwich. They are full of healthy fats.

A Fruit Pair

Although unexpected, a slice of apple on pear on a sandwich creates a sweet—salty mix. Plus, you get some added fibre and vitamins.

Vegetables

Lettuce and tomatoes are a shoo-in for a meat and cheese sandwich, but don’t overlook leafy spinach. Spinach leaves have more nutrients than lettuce. Cucumbers and pickles add a crisp crunch and have very few calories.

Sprouts

Another healthy addition is sprouts. When seeds are sprouted, they release plenty of nutrients and break down some of the starches, making them easier to digest and absorb. It is also easy to grow sprouts, as they don’t need soil. You can buy a cheap sprouting tray online.

PBJ

Don’t overlook the lowly peanut butter and jam sandwich. With a low-sugar jam, it can be a healthy choice. It will likely have less sodium than a meat sandwich. Peanut butter also has some good fats that a lot of meat is missing, and it has some fibre you won’t get from meat and cheese. Another even healthier variation is the PBB: peanut butter and banana. This bumps up the fibre and adds vitamins.

Bread in the Hand

It’s hard to beat the convenience and taste of a good sandwich. A few health upgrades can elevate the lowly sandwich to a top-tier health food. Experiment with different combinations to turn an ordinary sandwich into your ideal healthy sandwich.