Food & You & Lunch
Build a Better Sandwich
The next time you have a sandwich for lunch, consider "running it through the garden." This classic diner phrase, which actually means load up on the veggies, such as peppers, onions, cucumbers and mushrooms, is just one way to build a healthier sandwich. Click the play arrow on the below Food & You time-lapse video to see the construction of a better-for-you sandwich! Then, check out other ways to pack your sandwich with nutritious choices in the bullet list below the video!
Tips for building a better sandwich!
- Choose whole wheat bread or wraps. You'll get about three times more fiber in whole wheat bread than white bread!
- Limit high-calorie spreads like mayonnaise. Mustard and light salad dressings are lower-calorie choices that add flavor. Hummus (a high-fiber spread made from pureed chickpeas) is also an excellent vegetarian sandwich spread.
- Choosing low-fat and sodium deli meats is easy at Emory Healthcare. Our turkey, ham and roast beef are all less than 1.5 g of fat and 520 mg of sodium for three slices.
- Limit high fat and calorie meats, such as salami and pastrami. They contain twice the fat and calories of other deli meats.
- If you choose chicken salad or tuna salad, keep in mind that they already contain mayonnaise. Make sure the rest of your topping choices are low calorie.
- A slice of cheese adds about 100 calories to your sandwich. Think twice before you add several slices.
