The Do’s and Don’ts when Making Healthy Sandwiches

Sandwiches are one of the most conventional and easy-to-do meals when you are rushing to work or rushing to prepare the lunch of your kids. But when you use the wrong fillings and bread, you may just turn your sandwich into something loaded with empty calories and fats making it unhealthy to eat. To help you prepare your healthy sandwiches, here are the do’s and don’ts in preparing a sandwich:

Do’s for a Healthy Sandwich

1. Use lighter spreads

Instead of using full-fat mayonnaise, you can use low-fat mayo, mustard, salad dressing or hummus.

2. Use plenty of fruits and vegetables

The key to turn your sandwich into a very healthy one is to use fruits and vegetables more. Add zucchini slices, tomato slices, cucumber slices, water chestnuts, watermelon, cantaloupe, pears, apples, honeydew and other fruits and vegetables for that crisp and nutritious sandwich.

3. Use whole wheat bread

Using whole wheat bread is very filling and also gives you dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread makes you feel full longer so it is the right choice for your breakfast meal.

4. Choose lean protein

Not all meats are unhealthy because lean meats can be a healthy choice for your sandwich. Use lean chicken, turkey, fish, salmon or tuna instead of using grilled beef.

5. Prepare smaller sandwiches

We always prepare sandwiches in big servings and we tend to eat all of it in an instant. To control the amount of meals that you consume, make your sandwich in smaller servings. You can cut the whole sandwich into half and reserve the other half for lunch.

Don’ts for a Healthy Sandwich

To complete your healthy sandwich, make sure not to employ the following:

1. Don’t use layering of cheese

Cheese is very rich in fats, so you may not want to consume a lot of cheese layers. You can take away cheese altogether, but if you really can’t resist cheese, you can use low fat varieties such as Swiss cheese.

2. Don’t use cold cuts

Using luncheon meat or ham makes it easier to prepare sandwiches. However, they can be loaded with sodium, fats and preservatives so use fresh, cooked lean meats instead.

3. Don’t use white bread

White bread as opposed to whole wheat bread is loaded with empty calories and they are usually reaped off with fiber and nutrients making them less nutritious. White bread is made with processed flour less the iron, protein and fiber making it an unhealthy choice.

4. Don’t consume pre-packed sandwiches

Because of our busy lifestyle, we tend to grab those pre-packed sandwiches for that instant meal. However, these sandwiches are not fresh and are made with unhealthy ingredients so better make your sandwich on your own using the above tips.

5. Don’t adore grilled sandwiches

Grilled sandwiches are really very popular nowadays, but these are also loaded with oil. If you want that hot sandwich, you can toast your whole wheat bread on your own for your sandwich.

When you employ all these tips, you can turn your sandwich into something healthy and filling.

About the Author

David Castellany is a diet-conscious fitness expert. Aside from exercising to maintain fitness, he always sees to it that he prepares his own meals the healthiest way possible. He loves cooking healthy meals using Shahiya Recipes.