Shop-bought sandwiches can be high in fat, salt and sugar, so making your own allows you to create healthier options. Ready-made sandwiches can contain high-fat cheese and dressing or sugary chutney, making some traditional choices as calorific as burgers.
Restaurant quality sandwiches at home recipes are packed nutritious ingredients and show slow-release energy from lean protein, fish abundant with omega-3 and filling beans. When it comes to bread, some shop-bought loaves can be saturated in salt, so monitor portion sizes. Always get a fibre-rich loaf rather than refined white bread. Along with thin-cut wholemeal bread, we’ve used wholemeal and seed wraps and pitta, but crispy lettuce also makes a great wrap and is gluten-free.
Healthy veggie olive wraps with mustard vinaigrette
Key benefits: Low-fat, calcium-rich, fibre-rich, way to obtain vit C, source of folate, 3 of 5-a-day
Veggie olive wrap sliced over a tray
With regards to sandwiches, a lot more colourful the better. This seeded wrap with courgette, olives and spring onions is a helpful vegan option that’s low-calorie but nonetheless packs in three of your 5-a-day. If you’re not a fan of olives, spread the wrap with a nut butter like peanut, almond or cashew instead before adding the filling. Get a sugar-free butter without palm oil. It will add more protein but also just a little extra fat too, so don’t slather on too much.
Low-fat herby chicken gyros
Key benefits: 3 of 5-a-day, low-calorie, low-fat
Herby chicken gyros in napkin
Fancy a sandwich with a Greek spin and plenty of bite? This herby chicken gyros is packed with salad and nutrient-rich veg like peppers, avocado and tomatoes. Switch the chicken white meat with lean steak for an alternative abundant with iron, B vitamins and zinc.
Low-calorie BLT
Key benefits: Way to obtain folate and fibre, low-calorie, 3 of 5-a-day
Stack of three BLT sandwiches
This chunky BLT contains three of your 5-a-day. We’ve replaced butter and mayo with avocado, which provides one of your 5-a-day and gives a rich, creamy texture. We’ve also replaced the bacon with crisp prosciutto as a little goes quite a distance. You can also swap the prosciutto for chicken, roast beef or prawns. Make it veggie by spreading the bread with hummus and thinly slicing avocado rather than meat.
Omega-3-rich lemony salmon & lettuce wraps
Key benefits: low-fat, low-calorie, way to obtain calcium, folate, omega-3 and fibre, 2 of 5-a-day
Lemony salmon & lettuce wraps on the wooden chopping board
Salmon is omega-3 rich and makes a great change from canned tuna. This lemony wrap recipe uses crisp lettuce rather than tortilla wraps, and it’s really healthy, calcium-rich and gluten-free. For an alternative solution filling, try a homemade tomato salsa of red beans, coriander, chilli and lime with lean chicken or turkey.
Calcium-rich feta toast with minty beans
Key benefits: 2 of 5-a-day, source of folate, calcium and fibre
Toast topped with broad beans, cheese and beetroot
This open sandwich with minty soy beans, crumbly feta cheese and beetroot is versatile, can be built in your desk and needs only a couple of ingredients. Toasting the bread adds texture and stops it going soggy. For an alternative topping, try mashed avocado with poached salmon rather than feta. You might swap your feta for a strong blue cheese and top with fresh pear instead of beetroot, and also a few walnuts and dried dates or raisins instead of the beans.
