If you already had a cooked meal for lunch, chances are you won’t feel like cooking again for dinner. After all, you have been working hard all day. Now, you just want to get some food on the table quickly, and then enjoy your night. Anyway, it is better to have a light meal instead of a big one.
Sandwiches are an excellent solution. They are great healthy meals that are filling, but still light, as long as you choose low calorie ingredients of course. And most of them are very fast and it won’t take you long to prepare them.
There are endless possibilities of what you can put on your sandwich. Be creative! But be sure to choose from the following key ingredients:
- Wholemeal bread
- Low Calorie Spreads and Toppings
- Low-calorie sauces and dressings
- Salad, vegetable, vegetable or fruit
Wholemeal bread
Whole grain products have several advantages over white processed foods. For one, they fill you up much faster and for longer because they are high in fiber. That means, especially if you eat slowly, you’re very unlikely to eat too much and you won’t be hungry again quickly.
You can use whole grain bread, bagels, toast on an alternating basis for more variety. Maybe there are even different types of whole wheat bread available.
Low Calorie Spreads and Toppings
What would a sandwich be without ham and cheese? Alright. But choose lean ham and low-fat cheese so your sandwich stays healthy instead of becoming a calorie bomb. Choose reduced-fat margarine over butter and buy low-calorie spreads. Low-fat cottage cheese is a great spread when mixed with some spices. But no matter what you use, don’t put too much, as this will add calories.
Cooked or grilled meat that you still have in your refrigerator is also a good addition to sandwiches. For example, grilled chicken breast slices or the rest of your meatloaf. I also love to top it with shredded tuna (canned in water, not oil!). Salmon slices are a bit pricey but they taste delicious on a whole wheat bun topped with sliced onions and sprinkled with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Low-calorie sauces and dressings
Sauces and toppings do a great job of making your sandwich special. Choose reduced-fat mayonnaise and try to avoid ready-made sauces, as many contain a lot of sugar. If you want tomato sauce, apply only a thin layer.
Alternatively, you can make your own healthy sauces and dressings at home, for example, a sauce from canned tomatoes, onions and green peppers.
Salad, vegetable, vegetable or fruit
Don’t forget to put some really healthy stuff in your sandwich! Salad leaves are great and quick. If you have cooked or roasted vegetables on hand, shred them and use them as a spread on your steak sandwich. Or slice them. Homemade salsa or baked bean salad is also a good option. Sliced onions taste great on sandwiches. And if you like it sweet, why not add fruit slices? Or pineapple rings or peach halves?
By including a large portion of these foods, you ensure you get low-calorie toppings that are packed with vitamins and minerals. This will go a long way in making your sandwich a healthy and filling meal.
When it comes to preparing the sandwich, you have plenty of possibilities to make it exciting. You can make a hamburger, grill any type of sandwich in the oven, use buns today and toast tomorrow… You can even make a buffet: just put everything on the table and let people make their own sandwiches. Much less work for you and much more time to socialize with your family.